Pinsa Recipe

Mix autolyse

In a large bowl combine all flours (bread, all-purpose, rice). Add 420 ml of the cold water (reserve 30 ml). Stir with a spoon or dough whisk until no dry flour remains; dough will be shaggy and very wet. Cover and rest 30 minutes (autolyse) to hydrate flours.

Add yeast and salt

Dissolve the instant yeast in the reserved 30 ml water. After autolyse, add the dissolved yeast and the salt to the dough. Mix thoroughly by folding and pinching in the bowl until the yeast and salt are incorporated—about 3–5 minutes. Dough will feel sticky but cohesive.

Add oil and develop

Add the extra-virgin olive oil and continue folding the dough in the bowl for another 3–5 minutes until it becomes smoother. Because the dough is high-hydration (~70–75%), avoid aggressive kneading; use stretch-and-fold technique instead.

Bulk fermentation with folds

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature (20–22°C / 68–72°F) for 1 hour. Perform 3 sets of stretch-and-folds at 20-minute intervals: reach under the dough, lift and fold it over itself, rotating the bowl each time. After the third fold, cover and transfer to the refrigerator for slow fermentation (12–24 hours) to develop flavor and digestibility.

Divide and bench rest

After the cold ferment, remove dough and let it warm slightly for 30–60 minutes. Lightly flour your work surface with rice or semolina flour. Gently turn dough onto the surface and divide into two equal pieces (each will make one large pinsa approx. 30 x 20 cm). Handle gently to preserve gas. Shape each piece loosely into an oval ball and rest uncovered for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Final shaping

On a well-floured surface, gently press each ball from the center outward with your fingertips to form an elongated oval about 25–30 cm long and roughly 1–1.5 cm thick at the center, slightly thinner at the edges. Avoid degassing the dough; use gravity and light hands. Transfer the shaped pinsa onto parchment paper or a well-floured peel.

Prepare tomato sauce

Season the crushed tomatoes with 1 tsp sea salt and a drizzle (about 5 ml) of olive oil. Keep it simple — do not cook. Taste and adjust salt. Spread a thin, even layer of tomato over each shaped pinsa, leaving a small border at the edge.

Add cheese and bake

Tear the drained fresh mozzarella into small pieces and distribute evenly over the sauced pinsa. Sprinkle a little cracked black pepper. Preheat oven to the highest possible domestic temperature (250–300°C / 480–570°F) with a pizza stone or heavy baking tray on the middle rack for at least 45 minutes. If you have a deck oven or pizza oven, preheat accordingly. Slide the pinsa (on parchment) onto the hot stone/tray and bake 6–9 minutes, rotating once for even color, until crust is blistered and bottom is golden brown. Baking time varies with oven heat; adjust as needed.

Finish with basil and oil

Remove pinsa from the oven. Immediately scatter fresh basil leaves over the hot pinsa and drizzle remaining 5 ml olive oil. Let rest 1–2 minutes so cheese sets slightly.

Cut pinsa into portions. Sprinkle grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and optional chili flakes to taste. Serve warm.