Pizza Tonda Romana
Pizza tonda, Rome’s beloved, wafer-thin pie, doesn’t mess around. There’s no puffy, pillowy crust to speak of—sorry, this isn’t Naples—and definitely no stuffed edges. Instead, it’s all about achieving that cracker-crisp, delicately charred crust that barely rises at the rim and acts as a sturdy canvas for simple yet perfect toppings. At legendary spots like Ai Marmi in Trastevere (lovingly nicknamed l’obitorio, or “the morgue,” due to its cold marble tables and operating room-inspired lighting), or new wave A Rota Pizzeria in Tor Pignattara, generations of pizzaioli stretch and roll the dough thin, swiftly dressing each pizza with a light slick of tomato, a bit of mozzarella, and just enough toppings to punctuate, not overwhelm.
The pies bake swiftly in a scorching wood-fired oven, emerging crispy and blistered, ready to burn the roof of your mouth immediately. This recipe is adapted to a home oven and takes one to two days to prepare and bake.
21 ingredients
Prep: 40 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Pizza Tonda Romana
Ingredients (21)
Ingredients (21)
Gricia (Mozzarella, Guanciale, and Pecorino Romano)
Instructions
Combine the bread flour (2 ½ cups), semola (3 ⅘ Tbsp), and yeast (⅕ tsp) in a large bowl, then pour in the water (1 cup). Stir with your fingertips or a spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to *autolyse (see page 241)* for 30 minutes.
Uncover the bowl, sprinkle over the salt (1 ¾ tsp), then pinch it into the dough until fully incorporated.
Pour over the olive oil (2 ⅕ tsp) and work it into the dough until fully incorporated, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes.
Return to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, then set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
Grease a baking sheet. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut it into four (approximately 160-gram) pieces with a dough scraper or knife.
*Round the dough (see page 252):* Working with one piece at a time, take four edges and pull and fold them into the center. Flip the dough, seam-side down, on the work surface. Curve your hand into a loose claw, like a dome or cage, and place it over the dough. Using gentle pressure, roll the dough in small circular motions, keeping your fingertips and the heel of your hand in contact with the counter. The bottom of the dough sticks slightly as you roll, creating surface tension, pulling the dough tight into a smooth ball. When it looks taut and even, tuck any stray seams underneath. Set aside seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Brush the dough lightly with olive oilolive oil and cover the whole baking sheet with plastic wrap.
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