Rome's round pizza is the anti-Neapolitan: low water, a good slug of oil, rolled flat with a pin and baked until it cracks. No rim to speak of. It is a cracker with a chew, and it is the easiest style to get right in a normal home oven.
Method
- Mix everything to a firm, smooth dough. It should feel like modelling clay, not bread dough.
- Knead five minutes, bulk two hours, ball, then refrigerate overnight.
- Take the balls out two hours before baking.
- Roll with a pin on semolina, turning a quarter each pass, until it is under 3 mm and even edge to edge.
- Dock the whole surface with a fork so it stays flat.
- Dress lightly and bake straight away, before the sauce softens the base.
Fermentation
| Stage | Time | Temperature | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk | 2 h | 22°C / 72°F | |
| Cold rest | 24 h | 4°C / 39°F | |
| Balls, warm | 2 h | 22°C / 72°F |
Times are a guide. How to read the dough instead of the clock →
The bake
Oven300°C572°F
Time4-6 minutes
Surface. Stone or steel
Hot but not Neapolitan hot. If the base bubbles up, dock it harder next time.
On top
- Sauce
- Passata, salt, a little oil.
- Cheese
- Low moisture mozzarella, shredded.
- Toppings
- Anchovy and oregano, or fiori di zucca and alici on a bianca.
You got it right when It shatters when you fold it and the whole slice stays rigid off the plate.