Indulge in the light, crispy, and irresistibly delicious Pinsa Romana, a Roman-style pizza that combines authentic flavors with a unique, highly digestible crust. It's a slightly thicker pizza with crispy edges and a soft, light, and airy center. This recipe brings the charm of Italy straight to your kitchen, offering a perfect canvas for a variety of mouthwatering toppings. Buon appetito!
In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the flours with the yeast and whisk to combine.
Using a Danish dough hook or the dough attachment of a stand mixer- gradually add the cold water in three additions (about 100 gr each time), mixing well after each time. The dough might look dry at the beginning.
In the last addition of water, add the salt and olive oil, mixing until the dough starts to come together. Knead the dough for about 12 minutes until smooth and elastic (either by hand or in a stand mixer). The dough will be sticky- don't be tempted to add more flour.
Stretch and Fold:
After kneading the dough, take a rubber spatula and stretch and fold it over itself several times to develop the gluten. The dough will appear slightly less sticky after doing this.
Cover and let the dough rest until it doubles in size (about 1 hour), then repeat the stretch and fold process and form it into a new dough ball.
Place in a clean and lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24-48 hours for cold fermentation.
Shaping and Baking:
Preheat your oven to its highest setting (around 250-280°C or 480-550°F) with a pizza stone inside if you have one- if not, use a baking sheet.
Divide the dough into 2-3 portions, depending on your desired pizza size. Coil the dough a few times and shape each into dough balls. Sprinkle each with a little bit of semolina flour, then cover the dough balls loosely with plastic wrap or a clean cloth and let them rest on a baking sheet for about 15-30 minutes.
Sprinkle semolina flour on a clean surface. Gently stretch each dough ball into an oval shape. Let gravity help you by holding the dough with your hands and stretching it. Then, lay the dough on your work surface and dimple the dough with your fingers (like you would focaccia dough).
Transfer the dough to an oiled baking sheet or a pizza peel sprinkled with a bit of semolina to help it slide off the peel.
Add your desired *toppings (see suggestions below). You can also drizzle oil and sea salt on a traditional flatbread and bake it without adding toppings. Ensure you do not add too much or that the pizza will weigh down and be hard to remove from the oven.
Bake for 10-12 minutes (up to 20 minutes if baking with toppings) or until the crust is golden brown and crispy. Cut with scissors or a serrated knife to not crush the airy dough.
Notes
This recipe typically makes enough dough for 3 medium-sized Pinsas, depending on how thick or thin you like your crust. Each Pinsa will serve approximately 2-3 people.
Common Toppings:*if you are using a tomato-based sauce, I recommend cooking the dough with just the tomato sauce for about 8 minutes, then adding the rest of the toppings and continuing cooking. This will help get a nice crispy and soft crust while not overcooking the cheese topping.
Margherita: Tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil leaves.
Diavola: Tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy salami, and chili flakes.
Quattro Formaggi: Mozzarella, gorgonzola, parmesan, and provolone.
Prosciutto e Funghi: Tomato sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto, and mushrooms.
Vegetariana: Tomato sauce, mozzarella, grilled zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers.
Boscaiola: Tomato sauce, mozzarella, sausage, mushrooms, and truffle oil.
Capricciosa: Tomato sauce, mozzarella, artichokes, ham, mushrooms, and olives.
Burrata and Mortadella with pistachios (these aren't cooked on the pizza and are added fresh after the pinsa is cooked)