Today I’ll take you on a journey through an authentic Roman culinary experience: pizza bianca in teglia, a type of pizza made famous by Gabriele Bonci. My version is inspired by the traditional recipe, although I don’t claim to replicate it perfectly. It’s my interpretation, crafted with the tools I have at home, so it might have some imperfections 🙂 To prepare it, I use a preferment called biga, which gives the pizza a unique texture and flavor. However, I must warn you, this recipe takes time: from 22 to 24 hours between fermentation and proofing.
Biga
Ingredients
- 280g strong Italian flour “tipo 1” (15% protein, W 380)
- 130g cold water
- 2.8g fresh yeast
Instructions ( day 1. 09:00 pm)
- Pour the cold water into a pitcher or glass.
- Dissolve the fresh yeast in the cold water, stirring until completely dissolved.
- In a large bowl, add the strong flour.
- Pour the yeast-water solution over the flour.
- Mix with a fork until the ingredients are just incorporated and a rough, shaggy dough forms. It’s enough for all the flour to be absorbed.
- Transfer the dough to a non-airtight container, ensuring the lid allows air to pass through.
- Let the biga rest at 18°C overnight for 18-20 hours.
Final Dough
Ingredients
- Biga prepared the previous day
- 70g medium strength Italian flour “tipo 1” (13% protein, W 280)
- 3g malt
- 150g cold water
- 8g salt
Procedure (day 2, 4:00 pm):
- Transfer the fermented biga into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add the medium strength flour, malt, and a portion of the cold water.
- Use the dough hook attachment and start the mixer at low speed.
- Gradually add the remaining water.
- Let the ingredients knead until well incorporated and a smooth, elastic dough forms.
- Gradually increase the speed, but be careful not to overheat the dough; check the temperature with a thermometer. Do not exceed 26/28°C (79/82°F).
- Add the salt and continue kneading at medium speed for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Folding at the bench:
- Transfer the dough onto a work surface.
- Perform folds on the dough to reinforce it without overworking it, folding it onto itself.
- Cover the dough and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Then, give it another reinforcement fold and place the dough in a greased container.
- Let the dough proof at around 26°C for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Shaping the dough (5:45 pm):
- Once the resting time is over, the dough will have doubled in size.
- Shape the dough into an elongated loaf without making it too tight.
- Place the loaf in a greased container and let it proof at around 26°C until doubled in size.
Baking (6:45 pm):
- When the dough has proofed, stretch the pizza by hand using plenty of semolina.
- Transfer the stretched pizza onto a 30×40 cm (approximately 12×16 inches) iron pan.
- Bake the pizza in the bottom of a preheated oven at 250°C (482°F). You can place an empty pan on the bottom of the oven to give an extra boost of heat and make the pizza rise faster, or you can use a well-heated refractory stone. It greatly depends on your oven, so experiment to find the best settings.
- Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the surface is golden and crispy.
- Once baked, remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving.
- You can top the pizza with your favorite ingredients and put it back in the oven for a few minutes if desired. I personally topped mine with freshly sliced mortadella.