“Naples might be Italy’s capital of pizza, but quite frankly, Romans don’t care. They are extremely proud and protective of their beloved pizza Romana. It is different to the Neapolitan style in that the flour differs, as does the yeast and fermentation process, and even the oil that is used. Pizza in Napoli has a thicker crust or lip, while pizza Romana is paper-thin and just about charred on the edges. In fact, I’ve sat at many a pizzeria in Rome with friends from out of town who have commented that their ‘pizza is burnt’. In Rome, the more burnt, the better!
Romans distinguish their pizza from all others, calling it pizza Romana, or in Roman dialect, la scrocchiarella, which refers literally to its crunchiness.
Like everywhere else in Italy, in Rome, pizza is served as an individual portion on a plate. Rarely is the pizza cut; that’s your job! When one refers to pizza Romana, it’s of the round kind (pizza tonda).
You will never find more than two or three toppings on a classic Roman pizza, and the menu is usually divided by pizze rosse (red) or pizze biancha (white) to indicate pizza with tomato sauce or without. Romans generally eat pizza at dinner, and for this reason, many of the city’s historic or neighbourhood pizzerie open only in the evening,” writes Maria Pasquale in her book The Eternal City: Recipe and Stories From Rome, a cookbook and travel guide all in one.
Margherita Pizza
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce for Pizza
- 18 oz jar passata (puréed tomatoes)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- pinch dried oregano or shredded fresh oregano
Margherita Pizza
- basil
- 1 quantity homemade pizza dough made into 4 pizza bases see recipe below
- 1 Tomato Sauce for Pizza see above
- 500 g fresh mozzarella chopped
- basil leaves to garnish
Instructions
Margherita Pizza
- Mix the passata and olive oil together in a small bowl. Add the herbs and a pinch of salt.
- Preheat the oven to 240°C (465°F).
- Top each pizza base with the tomato sauce, then the mozzarella.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes, until the dough starts turning lightly golden.
- Garnish with basil leaves and serve.
Basic Pizza Dough
Basic Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 3⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp dried yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp sugar
- 400 ml tepid water
- extra virgin olive oil for greasing
Instructions
- To make the dough, sift the flour into a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add the yeast, salt and sugar. Pour in the water and, if you are using a mixer, start to mix using the dough hook. If working by hand, start mixing with a fork, then use your hands to start bringing the ingredients together. If the dough is too wet, add a little extra flour.
- When the dough is well mixed, turn it out onto a clean, floured surface and knead gently to form a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap to stop the dough sticking when it rises.
- The dough should take about 2 hours to rise. If the weather is warm it will rise easily; if it is cold, leave it in a warm spot near the oven or over a heater.
- Once risen, turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface and knead gently. Divide the dough into four portions. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest while you prepare the toppings.
- Each piece of dough can be rolled or hand stretched, depending on your preferred base. Rolling will create a thinner crust, while pulling the dough into shape by hand will maintain the air pockets and create a thicker crust.
Notes
Cooking Tip
Once prepared, this dough benefits from resting overnight, but it can be used after 2 hours.
