Looks like pizza, but somehow isn’t. In fact, the pinsa romana is strongly reminiscent of the classic Italian pizza, the difference here is more in the detail – in the dough. While Italian pizza is made from white wheat flour (type 0 or 00), the Pinsa also uses rice and soy flour, which is meant to make it more digestible as a whole.
Even though the term “pinsa” might sound a bit new to you, the dish is actually said to be super old. A legend says that this form of pastry was already prepared and eaten in ancient Rome. Allegedly, the recipe was lost and only rediscovered a few years ago. Is it true or was it more of a marketing strategy used by resourceful Italian restaurateurs? Well, we can’t say for sure. It’s all delicious though.
Before we tell you exactly how to make pinsa yourself, we don’t want to withhold a few other pizza highlights from you. Just look:
Or how about super simple pizza toast? How exactly it works, we reveal step by step in the video:
Beware: If you want to take on the kitchen project Pinsa romana, you should definitely plan enough time. You have to start the preparation two days ahead of time, because the special dough needs to rest for a long time.
Pinsa romana: Like pizza, but different!
description
The extraordinary dough makes the Pinsa something very special. The preparation is not exactly easy – but the result is really worth every effort.
For the dough:
For coating:
preparation
-
Sift all the flour into a large bowl and mix well. Add 400ml cold water and mix with the dough hook of a hand mixer: first on low speed for 1 minute, then increase speed and continue mixing for 7 to 8 minutes. Dissolve dry yeast in the remaining water, then add this mixture, salt and oil to the dough and continue kneading for five to seven minutes. The dough will be very soft, but that’s how it should be.
Clue: As an alternative to the hand mixer, a food processor with a kneading function can of course also be used.
-
Let the dough rest in the bowl for half an hour. Knead once every four minutes – or run the machine briefly. This way the dough gets air and the whole thing becomes fluffy at the end. Then cover the bowl and let it rise in the fridge for about 48 hours to create a kind of sourdough.
-
On the day of the actual preparation, begin further preparation four hours before the meal. To do this, divide the dough into four equal portions and shape them into small loaves. Grease four plates with oil and let the loaves rest on them for another three to three and a half hours. The dough pieces should double in volume during this time.
-
Now preheat the oven to 240 degrees top/bottom heat and line a baking tray with baking paper. Place portions of dough on a floured work surface and press with your hands into the typical oval flat cake shape.
-
Mix a sauce of the tomato passata, tomato paste, salt, pepper and herbs. Spread it on the four flatbreads. Let the pinsa bake for about seven minutes beforehand.
-
Meanwhile, grate or chop the mozzarella. Wash the tomatoes, cut them in half and spread them together with the tomato halves on the pre-baked dough. Bake the whole thing for another seven minutes on the middle rack. Garnish with fresh basil before serving – and enjoy!