Pizza in Teglia alla Bonci
Gabriele Bonci revolutionized Roman pizza with his high-hydration, slow-fermented dough baked in sheet pans and topped with seasonal, often unexpected ingredients. At his slice joint, Pizzarium, near the Vatican, Bonci ditched the quick-mix, short-proof doughs of old and introduced long-leavened bases made with heirloom flours, gentle folds, and a lot of patience. The result is pizza that’s light, airy, and deeply flavorful, with a tender, open crumb and a crisp bottom to match his “In Crunch We Trust” merch. This recipe adapts his method for the home oven, using a high-hydration folding technique and cold fermentation to develop structure and complexity. It’s not a quick project (budget 12 to 24 hours for cold fermenting), but if you want pizza with real depth, it’s absolutely worth the effort.
27 ingredients
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Pizza in Teglia alla Bonci
Ingredients (27)
Ingredients (27)
Pizza Margherita Ripiena (Tomato and Mozzarella Pizza Sandwich)
Instructions
Whisk together the einkorn and (3 ½ cups) bread flours (¾ cup) and the yeast (cup) in a large bowl, then pour in 300 grams of the water (1 ¾ cups). Mix with a spoon just until no dry bits remain.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to autolyse for 30 minutes.
Uncover the bowl, sprinkle over the salt (⅖ oz), then pinch it into the dough until fully incorporated. Slowly add the remaining 100 grams water (1 ¾ cups) and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Mix in the olive oil (⅛ cup).
The dough will be very loose and wet. Knead in the bowl using the Rubaud method: Use your dominant hand to scoop under the dough at the far edge of the bowl, lift it up, and stretch it in a rhythmic, circular motion. Rotate the bowl as you go, repeating this movement for 1 minute.
Cover the bowl and rest the dough for 5 minutes. Repeat the Rabaud method for 1 minute followed by a 5 minute rest 2 more times, until the dough becomes elastic and cohesive.
Shape the dough into a rough ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise in the refrigerator for 6 hours.
Uncover the bowl and do the first of three stretch-and-folds: Pull one edge of the dough up and fold it across the top of the dough, patting lightly to adhere. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until you have done a full revolution.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch-and-fold and resting period twice more.
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