A pneumatic tire manufacturing method is provided in which raw cover molding is suitably performed with no, or a minimal amount of, down-stitching in the manufacture of SOT-structure pneumatic tires; also provided is a pneumatic tire. This pneumatic tire manufacturing method involves a first cover molding step for molding a first cover having a sidewall, an inner lining, a ply, beads and a tread-side edge, a tread ring forming step for forming a tread ring having a breaker, a band and a tread center part, a shaping step for pressure-bonding the tread ring and the first cover to mold this to the shape of the raw cover, and a turn-up step for bonding the side wall to the lateral surface of the first cover, wherein the tread-side edge is formed in a position adjacent to the end of the tread center portion in the shaping step, and in the turn-up step, the tread-side edge and the tread center part are bonded together.