Pinsa Piccante Recipe

Mix dry ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together Tipo 00 flour, bread flour, rice flour, instant dry yeast, sugar, and sea salt until evenly combined.

Hydrate and combine

Make a well in the center of the dry mix. Pour in lukewarm water and olive oil. Using a spatula or your hand, incorporate until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. The dough should be wetter than typical pizza dough — tacky but not runny.

Knead gently

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 4–6 minutes, folding rather than aggressive kneading, until smooth and slightly elastic. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook at low speed for 4 minutes.

Bulk ferment

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled, about 1 to 1.5 hours (temperature dependent). For best flavor, refrigerate for 12–24 hours for a slow cold ferment — if refrigerating, let come back to room temperature for 1 hour before shaping.

Divide and rest

Turn the dough out, gently deflate, and divide into two equal portions for two small pinsas (or keep whole for one large). Shape each portion into a loose ball, place on an oiled tray, cover, and rest for 30–45 minutes to relax the gluten.

Preheat oven

Position a pizza stone or steel on the middle rack and preheat the oven to the highest temperature (500–550°F / 260–290°C) for at least 45 minutes. If using a home oven that tops out lower, preheat to max and heat for 60 minutes. If using a pizza oven, follow manufacturer directions.

Shape pinsa

On a work surface dusted with semolina or rice flour, gently press and stretch each dough ball starting from the center outward into an oval shape about 10–12 inches long and 6–8 inches wide, leaving a slightly thicker edge. Do not deflate completely; keep some airy pockets. Transfer shaped pinsa to a peel or inverted baking sheet dusted with semolina.

Make quick sauce: In a small saucepan, warm 1 tsp olive oil over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and gently sauté 20–30 seconds until fragrant (do not brown). Add crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, salt, and sugar (if using). Stir and simmer very gently for 6–8 minutes to meld flavors. Remove from heat and stir in torn basil if using. Let cool slightly.

Finish preheat and prepare peel

If using a peel, dust it with semolina. Make sure oven and stone/steel are at full temperature and you have your sauce and toppings ready to go.

Sauce and cheese

Spread a thin layer (about 3–4 tablespoons) of the tomato sauce evenly over the shaped pinsa, leaving a small rim. Distribute torn mozzarella evenly over the sauce in small pieces, leaving some gaps for crisping.

Add pepperoni and spice

Place thin slices of spicy pepperoni over the cheese, overlapping slightly but leaving some open spots. Dot or thinly smear small amounts (about 1 tsp total) of Calabrian chili paste across the pinsa for concentrated heat; sprinkle red pepper flakes if you want extra heat. Lightly grate the Pecorino Romano over the top and drizzle 1 tsp of extra-virgin olive oil.

Bake

Slide the pinsa onto the preheated stone/steel and bake at highest temperature for 6–9 minutes, rotating once halfway through, until crust is puffed, blistered, and golden and cheese is melted and slightly bubbling. Baking time depends on oven temperature; in very hot ovens it can be 3–5 minutes.

Finish

Remove the pinsa from the oven. Scatter fresh basil leaves on top. Let rest 1–2 minutes for the cheese to set. Drizzle a tiny extra-virgin olive oil if desired. Slice into 4 pieces.

Serve hot, optionally with extra red pepper flakes or Calabrian chili on the side for guests to add more heat. Refrigerate leftovers tightly wrapped and reheat in a hot oven or skillet for best texture.