Neapolitan pizza has held the limelight for too long, it's time you met its less well-known better-looking cousin, the popular Roman street food Pizza al Taglio or Pizza al Trancio which translates to Pizza by the slice.
"what is pizza al taglio" is a question I'm often faced with in-store and the easiest answer is it's the Italian equivalent of an open sandwich. Originating in Rome around 1950, it became a staple street food popular throughout Italy. The pizza is baked in a large rectangular pan, sliced, and sold by weight with prices varying based on the combination of toppings. Building the perfect slice starts layer by layer. Keep reading to find out how my version differs from the classic
The Base
The unsung hero of any pizza is the base and the part that arguably takes the most time and skill. This dough is probably one of the most difficult to get to grips with (quite literally) when you start working with it because of it's high hydration and folding technique. You can't even use a mixer because the dough hook can't gain enough purchase on the wet dough to knead effectively. The base layer can be broken down into 3 core stages.
Ingredients (Flour: water: yeast: salt)
Standard- typically you would expect pizza al taglio dough to sit around a hydration of 75% meaning for every 1kg of flour you would use 750g of water. You don't need much yeast due to the cold fermentation process so you're looking at between 5-7g of active dry yeast and 10g of salt. The water should be around 37C - 40C when you add the yeast. once all the ingredients are combined you leave it to rest for 10 minutes before beginning the folding process. To fold (definitely not knead) the dough you essentilly pick it up and fold it in on itself the turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 4 or 6 times, honestly though, the best way to understand the method of folding is to watch youtube videos of how the experts do it, that's exactly what I did over and over again until I could mirror them exactly.
My version- I can't give away my formula, but I can say after a lot of experimenting and tweaking my dough sits at hydration above 100% I was keen to achieve this because a wetter dough although harder to work with produces a lighter and softer pizza crust, which is exactly what I wanted for the flavours I would be creating. whilst the ingredient ratios I use are slightly different, there was no way I would change the folding process, it's a process that can't be skipped or tweaked and it's essential to achieve the best taste and texture. because it strengthens the gluten and enables the dough to trap gases from the yeast, as well as creating more layers in the dough
The fermentation process-
Standard- There's no set process as it's usually left down partly to the intuition of the person making the dough and the time they have, it's a fine balance. Generally speaking, the more time the dough has to ferment the better the flavour development, however, this isn't exactly true because too long or a long fermentation under uncontrolled temperature conditions can ruin the dough. The optimum fermentation period would be between 16-24 hours with the bulk of it being refrigerted. Before refrigeration, you would fold 2 to 4 times at 30-minute intervals followed by a 24-hour refrigeration period. You will find recipes online that require fewer folds and bake on the same day.
My Version- As I mentioned I've seen a few recipes online that say "same-day no-knead pizza al taglio", which although possible, doesn't do justice to this pizza because the cold fermentation process and high hydration is what sets it apart from other pizzas. I've learned how important fermentation is by testing different methods and proving periods to perfect my process. I can't give away all my secrets but I will reveal I always give my dough a 48-hour proof and 2 folds over 2 days without compromise
The Sauce
This is the first stage where you can start building up flavour and setting the scene for the finished pizza before this point it's just a blank bready canvas
Standard-Usually the base will be cooked first just with the sauce and it can be either a pizza rossa (red pizza) base or a pizza bianca(white pizza) but it's unlikely you'll see more sauces than this. The pizza bianca is one of the most popular varieties of pizza al taglio and it's simply topped with oil which also makes it an excellent base for a sandwich. The pizza rossa is of course topped with tomato sauce.
My version- I like to offer an equal option of white- and red-based pizza, howeer my sauces differ a little from the traditional. I make a mascarpone-based bechamel for my white base because it adds just a little extra level of luxury and coats the base nicely. my tomato sauce is mostly quite traditional with a little salt a little maple syrup and some good quality olive oil and garlic, I try to keep my base sauces quite simple so they leave the base open to taking on any flavours. In the past, I've done pesto bases or garlic butter bases but this can overtake the pizza and ruin the balance of all the individual elements. I still love adding extra sauces though, but I add these as finishing touches
The Toppings
Whether it's the classic Margherita or the controversial pineapple and ham, almost everyone has their favourite pizza combo so what can you expect to find in Rome
Standard- Pizza al taglio should be something that can be enjoyed cold as much as hot and the toppings usually reflect this with bright vibrant fresh ingredients like mozzarella, Italian ham, rocket, marinated artichokes and so much more. Pizzarium in Rome is known as the best place for Pizza al Taglio crafted by a Roman-born pizzaiolo called Gabriele Bonci who is known as the "Michelangelo of pizza" and the kind of Roman pizza. He treats the crust as a blank canvas to paint with toppings and he insists on no more than 3 toppings.
My Version- I take the concept of pizza as a blank canvas one step further, and I'll have to differ with the king of Roman pizza on one thing, I believe there is a place for more than 3 toppings when all the flavours balance and complement each other. However, I agree that there should be 3 core toppings with only a few small finishing touches to enhance the overall flavour. I think any Italian pizza purist may have trouble accepting my take as truly pizza because I see no reason why you can't showcase flavours from any country on the beautiful crust. One of my most popular pizzas is the korea-philly which boasts 5 toppings!
Finishing Touches
It could be a final drizzle of olive oil or balsamic glaze, perhaps a handful of toasted seeds or a fresh sprinkling of herbs. these last little touches can transform the final piece of artwork.
All that reading must have made you hungry for pizza, you know what to do now, come and grab a slice any day between 11am and 2pm on the Riverside in Haverfordwest!
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