Neapolitan pizza is much more than a simple food: it represents the cultural and gastronomic heritage of Naples, a dish born from humble traditions that has become a global icon. This article explores the historical roots of Neapolitan pizza, highlights the changes over the centuries, and analyzes the role of raw materials – particularly flours – and baking techniques.
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Ancient Origins
The Birth of Pizza in the Mediterranean
The ancestor of pizza is a wheat flatbread baked on hot stones, present since ancient times in Mediterranean civilizations. Ancient Egyptians and Greeks used closed, domed ovens, later perfected by the Romans with picea, a seasoned flatbread. According to historical sources, pizza began to spread in Naples in the 17th century: a simple flatbread, often called mastunicola, topped with lard, garlic, and salt. This preparation represents the earliest form of Neapolitan pizza.
Original Toppings
In 17th- and 18th-century Naples, pizza was food for the people. Typical toppings included:
- Lard and garlic: inexpensive and easily available
- Salt and oregano: added for flavor
- Caciocavallo cheese: occasionally used in small amounts
- Basil or other aromatic herbs: introduced over time
These ingredients show how pizza originated as a humble food, without ingredients now considered essential.
The Connection with the Territory
Neapolitan pizza developed in an urban context that, while not directly dedicated to cereal farming, was closely connected to the major agricultural basins of southern Italy. Naples, capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, historically sourced grain from fertile nearby areas, especially the Tavoliere delle Puglie, one of the main cereal-producing regions of the Mediterranean.
Before industrialization, flours came from southern grains and were stone-milled, retaining bran, germ, and mineral components. Pizza therefore emerged from the meeting of a popular city and a rich agricultural hinterland, an equilibrium between oven and field that lies at the heart of its original identity.
Understanding this connection means recognizing that the authenticity of Neapolitan pizza lies not only in technique, but also in its historical relationship with agricultural territories.
The Arrival of Tomato and the Revolution of Taste
The Discovery of Tomato
Tomatoes, imported from the Americas in the 16th century, long remained a botanical curiosity. Only in the 17th–18th centuries did they begin to be used as a topping on flatbreads. Their combination with bread dough gave rise to modern pizza.
The Evolution of the Recipe
With the introduction of tomato, pizza acquired a new and more complex flavor profile. Ingredients reflected Naples’ role as an urban and commercial center capable of integrating raw materials from across southern Italy:
- Tomatoes, also grown in the volcanic Vesuvian areas
- Olive oil, gradually replacing lard, largely sourced from southern Italy, especially Puglia
- Mozzarella, initially cow’s milk and later buffalo, introduced in the 18th century
- Basil, used as an aromatic and identity element
In this sense, Neapolitan pizza is not the expression of a single agricultural territory, but an urban synthesis of a broader southern supply chain.
From Mastunicola to Margherita
The Mastunicola Pizza
Before tomato, mastunicola was the most common variant: dough topped with lard, garlic, oregano, and cheese. This recipe demonstrates Neapolitan culinary creativity, transforming simple ingredients into popular food.
Pizza Margherita: Myth and Pre-existing Traditions
The famous 1889 episode involving pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito and Queen Margherita of Savoy is often cited as the birth of modern pizza. While it certainly gave visibility to the tomato–mozzarella–basil combination, historical reconstructions increasingly view it as symbolic consecration rather than true origin.
Cheese on pizza already existed in other parts of Campania, particularly in the Lattari Mountains, such as Tramonti, where dairy availability favored the use of fresh cheeses on rustic, often whole-grain doughs.
The Evolution of Flours: From Wholemeal to “00”
Flours of the Past
In the 17th and 18th centuries, flours were stone-milled, coarse, and contained bran and wheat germ. They were whole or semi-whole flours, producing darker, rustic pizzas.
The Origin of “00” Flour
“00” flour did not exist before roller mills. Technological innovation occurred in the second half of the 19th century, making it possible to isolate almost exclusively the endosperm, producing very white, fine flour. Initially a luxury product, it later became the standard of modern milling.
Rediscovering Rustic Flours
In recent decades, many pizzaioli have rediscovered wholemeal and type 1 or 2 flours, closer to historical ones, richer in fiber and flavor.
Baking Methods: Oven, Temperature, and Time
The Traditional Wood-Fired Oven
The stone-domed wood-fired oven is the symbol of Neapolitan pizza. Using beech or oak wood, it ensures high temperatures and a distinctive aroma.
Historical Temperatures and Baking Times
Originally, ovens had no thermometers. At temperatures between 430°C and 480°C, pizza baked in just over a minute. Lower temperatures required longer baking times. This variability was an integral part of early pizza-making.
Modern Standards
In the 20th century, protection systems such as AVPN and STG established precise technical standards, focusing on method rather than ingredient origin. While ensuring consistency, they simplify the historical variability of early pizza.
Territory and Authenticity
Neapolitan pizza is not merely a replicable method, but a heritage tied to territory, history, and agriculture. True authenticity lies in historical awareness and ingredient choices consistent with the land.
èViva Flours: A Return to Origins
Neapolitan pizza was historically made with semi-whole flours from southern grains, often stone-milled. èViva flours follow this agricultural matrix, using exclusively grains grown in the Tavoliere delle Puglie, processed artisanally without additives or corrections.
Choosing our flours means embracing natural variability as value. Discover èViva flours in our online shop and bring the true taste of Neapolitan pizza to your table.