Roman-style pan pizza

I had promised you an easy and delicious pizza recipe, what I can’t promise is that it will be fast. But that doesn’t mean we have to be with it all the time… We make it, put it in the fridge and forget about it for a day or two. The result? Exceptional. Roman-style pan pizza better known as Pizza in teglia alla romana.

Another concept totally different from the one we have in mind about homemade pizza, but for those of you who love thick, honeycombed dough, with a soft and super delicate crumb and a crispy crust, you will go crazy. Really, it is Italian fantasy in its purest form.

It is curious the term pan because it is not cooked in a frying pan as we know the concept of this kitchen utensil. On the contrary, specific trays are used for this use where the dough, already fermented and well sprinkled with semolina, is placed. I have my eye on some Italian blue steel trays for these pizzas and, I think, it won’t be long before I get my hands on them. I will keep you posted on this subject.

Origin and history of Pizza in teglia alla romana.

Roman-Style Pan Pizza or Pizza in teglia alla romana is a gastronomic product of Roman cuisine. Unlike traditional pizzas, this one is baked in a classic baking tray and then placed on pizza counters for portions or sold as street food. Authentic Roman Pan Pizza is characterized by a crispy bottom layer, accompanied by a well-fermented, highly aerated, and soft crumb due to its long fermentation process.

Pan Pizza or “al Testo” was developed in the early 1900s in Tuscany. At that time, bakers and homemakers used to make this type of pizza and other bakery products for family consumption. The product was prepared in a round or rectangular baking tray and cooked in a wood-fired oven with the fire turned off or at a low temperature.

In the past, this product was very different from the current Pan Pizza: the fermentation process was short, and the dough much denser, with lower hydration. Additionally, it was common to use lard in the dough along with a substantial amount of sugar to give color to the crust, thanks to caramelization, and to prevent the product from drying out during baking.

This old type of production resulted in a less digestible and more caloric product.

Over time, the recipe for Roman pizza evolved, omitting the use of lard and sugar, and increasing the hydration of the dough, accompanied by a much longer fermentation process.

Pizzerias opened their doors to the public.

In the 1970s, the inhabitants of Umbria, especially those from Terni, gradually began opening pizzerias in Rome, achieving resounding success.

The first real evolution occurred in 1981, when Pan Pizza took on the nickname “alla Romana” thanks to the original perspective of Corrado Di Marco. Di Marco came from an ancient family of bakers and founded the company Pizzasnella Di Marco. In fact, it was Di Marco himself who revolutionized Pan Pizza.

He observed that people’s eating habits began to change. Lifestyles started to become more sedentary, and people’s interest in their nutrition was altered. Based on his observations, Di Marco made significant and very valuable changes:

• He omitted the use of the biga (pre-ferment) and instead used a direct method by adding yeast directly to the dough. Additionally, he extended the dough fermentation process to 24 hours, resulting in more aromas and flavors, and making it more digestible.
• The dough hydration was increased to 80%-90%, which should never be less than 60%.
• He used higher quality flours that could withstand long fermentation processes and omitted lard and sugars.
• Instead, he decided to use only olive oil and in a low proportion.

These changes were very significant and resulted in a final product of great quality, perfect for placing on pizzeria counters and reheating without losing its characteristic crispy texture.

Making pizza in teglia alla romana.

Despite the fact that its preparation process is VERY simple, it is true that we must follow certain steps and, most importantly, adhere to the specified resting and fermentation times. This is the only way to achieve a good result with this dough to make a Roman-Style pan pizza at home.

After looking at several recipes, even though they are quite similar, I was guided by the wonderful work of Daniela Bongiovanni. Thank you so much!

To begin, we will mix the flour with almost all the water to achieve an amalgamated dough. Then we will do autolysis (in this post I explain in more detail what it is and what it is for), this step will take us 3 hours. The autolysis time in a dough is always related to the type of flour we use. The higher the strength or protein content, the longer we can subject the dough to this method.

This step not only helps to speed up the kneading process and reduce dough oxidation but also allows us to obtain a product with greater volume.

After this time, we will knead the dough with the remaining ingredients: yeast, salt, and the rest of the water. Once the dough is ready, we will give it a couple of folds with a resting time between them to give the dough strength (it has high hydration) and structure. The fermentation process will take place in the refrigerator. We will leave our dough for 24 hours, completely relaxed, letting it work its magic.

One day later, we will find a doubled, airy, and beautiful dough.

We proceed to divide it without tempering, directly from the fridge. Pre-shape each piece to the desired size and let it rest again.

At this point, we can do two things: leave it at room temperature for 4-5 hours to shape and bake or leave it at room temperature for 2 hours and then refrigerate for another 24 hours. In my case, I did both options (in fact, you can see it in the video). The dough holds up very well and the result is FABULOUS.

If you leave any of the doughs in the refrigerator for 48 hours, on the second day the dough will already be divided and pre-shaped because we did this step after the first 24 hours. You will only need to temper the dough for 1 hour before baking. Turn it out onto semolina, stretch it, transfer it to the tray, and into the oven. A marvel in your kitchen for two days in a row…

You can use the toppings you prefer for your Roman-style pan pizza, entirely to your taste. In my case, I’ll leave you two options, but feel free to add whatever you like best.