Pizza Romana
makes 1 12 or 15-inch Roman style pizza
Pizza Romana is an ultra-thin pizza as it is made in Rome and while it is ultra-thin it is not crispy but pleasantly chewy. Since it is ultra-thin do not overdress this pizza, in Italy pizzas are sparsely dressed. The baker’s formula provided will allow upscaling the recipe.
prep time: 1 hour
bake time: 5 minutes
total time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
12-inch pizza
1 cup 00 flour (8 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon yeast (.077 ounce)
1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt (.924 ounce)
3 ½ ounces water, about 105° F
¼ teaspoon honey (.154 ounce)
¼ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (.154 ounce), plus additional for the bowl
15-inch pizza
1 1/2 cups 00 flour (12 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon yeast (.115 ounces)
1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt (1.39 ounces)
5 1/4 ounces water, about 105° F
1/3 teaspoon honey (.234 ounce)
1/3 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (.234 ounce), plus additional for the bowl
baker’s formula (flour =100%, water = 43.75%, salt = 11.5%, olive oil = 1.925%, yeast = .963%, honey = 1.925%)
Preparation
prepare the dough:
In a small bowl, stir in the honey and sprinkle the yeast over the water plus honey. Set aside for a few minutes, until the yeast has dissolved.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook add the yeast mixture. Mix on the lowest speed until the dough comes together, about 3 minutes. Then rest the dough, still in the mixer, for 5 minutes. Add the salt and mix on medium speed for 4 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and has developed good elasticity. With the mixer running on medium speed, slowly add the oil and mix until incorporated.
proof the dough:
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
form the pizza:
Preheat the oven to the highest setting, mine is 550° F and set an inverted baking sheet or, preferably, a pizza stone on the second highest rack in the oven to preheat the sheet or stone. Preheat for 1 hour.
Place the dough ball on a well-floured surface and then sprinkle more flour on top. Work the dough into a small disk by pushing your fingertips near the center of the dough and radiating outward toward the edges, leaving the center just slightly higher. Continue until you have a round disk about 6 inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick.
Flip the disk over and move it to a portion of the work surface that is just lightly floured. Place both hands on top, palms down, side by side.
Use one hand to anchor the dough and, working slowly and carefully, use the other to gently push and stretch the dough away from the center. Turn a quarter turn and repeat, repositioning your hands each time. Continue until the disk is 12 to15-inches in diameter and as thin as possible without tearing.
Alternatively, use a rolling pin to achieve desired dimensions and shape. Don’t worry if it is not perfectly round that would just mark your pizza as being homemade.
Sprinkle your pizza peel with corn meal. Transfer the shaped dough to your pizza peel, shake it slightly to ensure the shaped dough moves freely as one unit, if it doesn’t gently lift the edge that is sticking and sprinkle a little more cornmeal under that edge.
Add your toppings (pizza sauce, mozzarella, etc.).
bake the pizza:
Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone by placing the peel at the far end of the stone and rapidly pulling it back sliding the pizza off the peel. This may take a little practice but if you’ve properly coated the peel with corn meal they will act as ball bearings.
Turn off the oven and immediately and turn it back on setting it to broil.
Bake your pizza until the crust is crisp and the toppings are cooked, 4-5 minutes, until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbly and slightly charred.
service:
Remove the baked pizza from the oven and slice into 8 triangular, if the pizza is round, slices. Serve accompanied by extra grated cheese.