Pizza Napoletana Contemporanea: What Is Canotto Pizza?

A huge, airy crust that almost looks like an inflatable dinghy, a soft, thin base and creative toppings: pizza napoletana contemporanea is the modern evolution of classic Neapolitan pizza. In Italy it's often simply called “canotto” (dinghy). What's behind it?

Classic vs. contemporanea – the differences

• Crust: 1 to 2 cm high on the classic, much higher on the contemporanea and full of large air pockets.
• Dough: more water (often 70 to 80 % instead of about 60 %) and usually a pre-ferment such as biga or poolish.
• Fermentation: often 24 to 72 hours, frequently combined with cold fermentation.
• Toppings: freer and more creative. Many ingredients go on after baking, such as prosciutto, burrata, creams or pesto.
• Rules: the contemporanea doesn't follow the strict rules of traditional Pizza Napoletana. It's deliberately a modern interpretation.

Where does the trend come from?

In the 2010s, young pizzaioli in Naples and Campania began experimenting with higher hydration, pre-ferments and longer fermentation. Thanks to Instagram, the eye-catching, puffed-up crust quickly became famous worldwide. Today you'll find pizza contemporanea in many German cities too.

Recipe with biga (4 pizzas)

Biga (the day before)

• 400 g tipo 00 pizza flour (strong, from about 13 % protein)
• 180 g cold water
• 2 g fresh yeast

Mix everything only roughly until a crumbly dough forms. Cover and let it mature for 18 to 24 hours at about 16 to 18 °C.

Final dough

• the biga
• 200 g tipo 00 flour
• 240 g water (about 70 % hydration in total)
• 18 g salt

1. Knead the biga with about 180 g of the water and the remaining flour, then add the salt and gradually the rest of the water.
2. Let it rest for 1 hour, stretching and folding twice.
3. Divide into 4 dough balls of about 260 g each, shape them tightly and let them rise, covered, for 4 to 6 hours at room temperature.
4. When shaping, press the dough flat only in the centre and push the air firmly into the rim.

Baking works like the classic version: in a pizza oven or on a very hot preheated pizza steel. Everything about long fermentation is in Long-Fermentation Pizza Dough, the basics of the classic version in Neapolitan Pizza.

The problem with the big crust

The tall, airy crust is the hallmark of the contemporanea – and it's exactly what suffers most when cutting. A pizza wheel has to be pushed hard through the thick cornicione and squashes the air pockets. Often the soft base tears too, and ingredients added after baking slide off.

Pizza scissors solve the problem: the lower blade slides under the base, the upper blade cuts through the crust in one go without squashing it. Every slice stays as airy as it came out of the oven.

The CILITTI pizza scissors made of stainless steel cut cleanly even through tall crusts, and their ergonomic handle keeps your fingers away from the hot pizza.

View the scissors on Amazon

Frequently asked questions

What does “canotto” mean?

“Canotto” is Italian for a small inflatable dinghy. Pizza contemporanea is called that because of its particularly tall, puffed-up crust.

Can you bake pizza contemporanea in a home oven?

Yes, with a well-preheated pizza steel and the grill function. The crust won't get quite as tall as in a 450 °C pizza oven, though.

Is pizza contemporanea a real Pizza Napoletana?

It comes from Naples but doesn't follow the strict traditional rules. It's a modern interpretation with different dough handling and freer toppings.