HOW TO MAKE ROMAN PIZZA LIKE A WORLD BEST PIZZA CHEF
Roman pizza, or Pizza in Pala, is one of the most beautiful pizzas you will ever eat. It is a popular street food that is made with a thick and crispy dough, topped with the most satiating ingredients, and served on a paddle.
Today, we will be learning how to make a classic Roman Pizza like the best Pizza in Pala chef in the world. With just two main parts, Johnny Di Francesco, the World champion pizza maker and owner of Gradi Group, is able to make the most amazing pizza! Let’s get started! I can’t wait for you to try it at home.
Watch the Roman Pizza video recipe:
How to Make Roman Pizza Like a World Best Pizza Chef – Pizza in Pala
Vincenzo’s Plate Tips
Add EVOO to the Container Before Adding The Biga
Once you finish making the biga and the dough has become smooth, add some extra virgin olive oil to the plastic container before you store it overnight. This will make it easy to take out the dough the next day and prevent it from sticking.
Use Flour With A High Protein Content
If you don’t have Le 5 Stagioni Ciabatta Romana Flour at your house, or can’t find it at your grocery store, you can also look for a flour with a high protein content. For example, you can use 00 flour. Having a high protein content will help the flour be more elastic.
Add The Water to the Biga Slowly
When you are adding water to the biga, make sure to add it directly to the center of the dough and add it in slowly. If you add too much water to the biga, the dough will split off and turn into a slosh that falls apart. Instead, add a little bit of water at a time and let it absorb.
Take The Dough Out of the Mixer with Wet Hands
When you are about to take the dough out of the mixer, first add some water to your hands. The dough is very sticky at this point, so the water will help you cut the dough without ruining the texture or shape.
How to Serve Roman Pizza
Roman Pizza in pala gets its name from being served on a wooden cutting board. After the pizza has finished baking, add all of the topping you want. This can include toppings like mortadella, burrata, pistachios, almonds, or anything you like! Then, cut the pizza into slices and serve it on the wooden board.
Roman Pizza
Equipment
- Plastic measuring containers (large)
- Mixer (it is best if your mixer has a hook)
- Glad Wrap
- Metal mixing bowl
- Labeling stickers
- Marker
- Scale
- 2 Large rectangular shallow plastic container
- Dough cutter
- Wooden/metal peel or chopping board
Ingredients
Making the Biga
- 1 kg Le 5 Stagioni Ciabatta Romana Flour 35 oz
- 600 ml Water 2.5 cups
- 7 grams Dry yeast 0.2 oz
- EVOO
Making the Rinfresco
- 1.5 g Dry yeast 0.1 oz
- 25 g Salt 0.8 oz
- 30 g EVOO 1 oz
- 340 g Le 5 Stagioni Ciabatta Romana Flour 12 oz
- 430 g Water 15 oz
- Semolina Flour
Instructions
To make the Biga (pre-fermented dough)
- Add the water and dry yeast to the mixer. Let it spin for around 30 seconds.
- Slowly add the flour. Mix at the slowest speed for 8 minutes. The dough should start to form and look dense.
- The final product should be a clean dough.
- Add EVOO to the plastic container so the dough doesn’t stick.
- Place the dough in the container and let it rest overnight. Cover the container with glad wrap.
- Make sure the container is airtight. Write down the time on a sticker and put it at the volume where the dough currently is. Then you can see where the dough will end up tomorrow.
- Put the biga in the refrigerator for 16-18 hours. Don’t let the dough sit for more than 18 hours, or it will become acidic.
To Prepare the Rinfresco
- Check the biga to see if it has become too acidic. Make sure there is no burning sensation in the nostrils.
- Place the biga in the mixing bowl and add the flour and yeast.
- Set the mixer on slow speed for 8 minutes. The biga will absorb all the flour.
- Slowly add half the amount of water. Try to add the water in the center of the dough so that all of the flour absorbs the water correctly.
- Once the water has absorbed, bring up the speed of the mixer and slowly add in the rest of the water. Don’t let the dough collapse. The popping sound means that the dough is aerating and coming together.
- Add the EVOO to the dough and then add the salt.
- The dough should be very sticky.
- Let the dough rest for 5 minutes in the bowl.
- Take the dough out by using some water on your hands and cut the dough with your hands.
- Let the dough rest in a cylinder and cover it in glad wrap. The dough should double in size.
To Form the Dough Balls
- Add semolina into a rectangular plastic container and place it on a scale. Zero out the scale.
- Take the dough out and cut it and weigh 400 g of dough and place it directly in the semolina.
- Fold the dough until it becomes a ball.
- Flip the dough over into the semolina so that it is completely covered in semolina.
- Place a lid over the dough and let it rest until it doubles in size.
To Cook the Pizza
- Make sure the oven temperature is at 295 degrees celsius or 563 degrees fahrenheit. You can also cook it in a woodfired pizza oven or just crank the oven up to as high as possible and use a pizza stone.
- Dump the dough out from the container to a flat surfer that is covered in semolina.
- Stretch the dough using your fingers. Try to get rid of any bubbles.
- Move the dough onto your arm and slap off the excess flour. Flip the dough over and slap off the remaining flour.
- Place the pizza on the peel and fix the shape.
- Add EVOO to the dough and put it into the oven for about 15 minutes. Pre-bake the pizza and then add toppings of your choice.
- Cut the pizza into slices. You can also cut the pizza open and add the toppings inside (almost like a panino)!
Video
E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate…Enjoy!
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That looks lovely and I want to try it. Can you tell me for how many pizzas this recipe is?
Ciao Timo! I’m glad you would like to give this recipe a try! This recipe will make approximately 6 pizzas (400g per dough ball). Please let me know how it goes with your pizza making!