Il Cucinologo
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Crunchy Pizza

17/11/2023

The crunchy pizza, also known as “paddle pizza” or “tray pizza,” is a type of pizza characterized by a crispy and slightly thick base, typical of Roman cuisine. Here is the recipe to prepare it:

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 500 g of flour (ideally a mix of type 0 flour and Manitoba flour)
  • 350 ml of lukewarm water
  • 3 g of fresh brewer’s yeast
  • 10 g of salt
  • 10 g of sugar
  • 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil

For the topping:

  • Tomato passata to taste
  • Pizza mozzarella to taste
  • Dried oregano to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • Salt to taste

Other ingredients can be added as desired, such as anchovies, olives, mushrooms, vegetables, cured meats, etc.

Preparation

  1. Dissolve the brewer’s yeast in the lukewarm water along with the sugar.
  2. In a large bowl, pour in the flour and begin to slowly add the water with the dissolved yeast, mixing with a fork.
  3. Add the salt and continue mixing.
  4. When the dough starts to form, transfer it to a work surface and knead vigorously for at least 10 minutes, adding the extra virgin olive oil in a thin stream.
  5. Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest in a bowl covered with a damp cloth in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it has doubled in volume.
  6. Spread the dough on an oiled baking tray, trying to give it the rectangular or square shape typical of paddle pizza.
  7. Let the spread dough rest again for about 30 minutes.
  8. Top the dough with tomato passata, a drizzle of oil, salt and oregano, then add the mozzarella in pieces and other ingredients as desired.
  9. Bake in a preheated oven at 250 °C for about 15-20 minutes or until the edges are golden and crispy.

A secret to achieving a perfect crunchy pizza is using a very hot oven and proper leavening, which gives that crispy yet soft texture.

If you want to add an Italian touch, you could enrich your crunchy pizza with ingredients typical of Italian tradition, such as Parma prosciutto crudo, fresh arugula or Parmesan shavings, added at the end of cooking to preserve their freshness and flavor.