The pinsa Romana is a traditional Roman pizza that has very little resemblance to a classic Neapolitan pizza. The word pinsa is from the Latin “pinsere” to lengthen or stretch, which explains the shape of this fantastic Roman oval-shaped product, more digestible than the cousin pizza, due to a lighter dough and the presence of cold water, in the mix. It is nothing more than a schiacciatina or flatbread born before the pizza during Roman times, uniting different ground cereals (millet, oats, barley, and later farro, with water, salt, and aromatic herbs. It is another form of focaccia, made by local Lazio farmers. The classic recipe uses a mix of different flours, such as soft wheat, soy, and rice mixed with cold water. The water amount has to be 75-80 % of the dough and left to rise for 24 hours, to a maximum of 150 hours. The lengthy rising process provides a pinsa that is fragrant and easily digestible.
In his Aeneid, the poet Virgil wrote that local farmers created this humble blend by kneading a variety of grains with salt and fresh herbs, shaped oblong, and cooked over coals. The cake added the poet was very light and quickly digested. Legend asserts that the Trojan hero Aeneas sampled some type of Pinsa upon his arrival on the coast of Lazio region.
Considered to be sublime in flavor that the ancient people used to offer it to the gods to win their benevolence. There is a brand (Di Marco DOC), which has been able to recreate the classic flour mixture and trademarked. I am not sure if the mix is available in the States but will look into it. If you are not into ready-mix products, then you would have to create your own. As a first attempt, you may not achieve the same results as in a Roman Pinseria or a pizzeria that makes Pinsa, but after several tries, you’ll be successful.
Here’s a good recipe prepared with a 20 minutes prep-time, and sufficient for two people.
Pinsa Dough
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (00 Italian flour suggested)
½ cup of rice flour
One ⅔ cup cold bottled water
One tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + more for rubbing
½ teaspoon dry yeast in pockets
One teaspoon of Kosher salt
Directions
In a deep bowl, mix all-purpose flour, rice flour, and yeast. Add cold water while whisking continuously. Now add olive oil and salt. Cover the bowl with a kitchen plastic wrap, allowing resting for about 30 minutes. Add extra virgin olive oil and salt. After the 30 minutes, remix and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Remove dough from the bowl, and divide in two equals balls. You can now cut two parchment papers that fit a standard baking sheet pan—position paper on the pan, dust with some rice flour, and top with dough. Cover with a clean, linen towel and rest again for about 1 hour. While the dough is rising, you can work on the chosen topping. After the allocated rising hour, remove the cloth, drizzle olive oil on the dough, and stretch it, from the center outward shaping into an oval-style base.
Directions for assembling and cooking Pinsa
You are now ready for the final step in making pinsa Romana. Preheat oven at 400 F. for about 15 minutes. Arrange the topping on the stretched dough in a neat fashion, so that every area of the mixture is adequately covered and ingredients are not overlapping. The most secure area of the oven is probably the center rack, which offers a rounded heat dispersion.
The provolone cheese is added 5 minutes before removing the pinsa, which should have a nice browned look and crispy consistency. Scatter some fresh parsley, a dash of black pepper, and begin to Pinsare.
Pinsa Topping
One pound of mushrooms of choice
Twelve ounces of smoked Provolone cheese
½ cup dry white wine of choice
2 medium-size garlic cloves, crushed with the back of a knife
Fresh parsley, minced
One teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Over medium heat, begin warming a large skillet. Add your olive oil and garlic cloves, and sautee for 2 minutes extracting valuable oils from the garlic. Now, add your cleaned and sliced mushrooms, and blend. Cook the mushrooms for about 7 minutes, until partially dry. Minced parsley, salt, and pepper. Slice the provolone cheese.
