Rectangular pizza al taglio with open airy crumb, tomato and mozzarella

Pizza al Taglio alla Romana

Pizza al Taglio (Roman Tray Pizza) in a Pizza Oven

Name: Pizza al Taglio (Roman Tray Pizza) in a Pizza Oven
Yield: 4 pizza
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1090 g flour; 850 g water (78% hydration); 27 g salt; 2.2 g instant yeast; 33 g olive oil; 320 g crushed or puréed tomatoes; 360 g fior di latte or low-moisture mozzarella, torn; 80 g extra virgin olive oil; 4 g dried oregano; 8 g fine sea salt

Rome, Lazio · rectangular tray · airy crumb · sold by weight

Pizza al taglio ('by the cut') is Rome's daily bread — enormous rectangular trays of differently-topped pizza displayed at forno counters, sold by weight and cut to order with scissors. The dough is extraordinary: 75–80% hydration, very low yeast, cold-proved for 48–72 hours to develop flavor and structure, producing a crumb as open as ciabatta inside a thin, crispy shell. It is stretched directly into an oiled tray, proofed again until puffy, then topped and baked low and slow. The oiled base crisps against the tray; the crumb stays soft and airy. Common toppings: simple tomato and mozzarella, potato and rosemary, courgette, or bianca (no tomato) with mortadella added cold after baking.

What sets it apart — The combination of very high hydration and a long cold prove produces a crumb unlike any other pizza style — large open bubbles in a thin, crispy shell. Cut a corner and the inside springs back like bread. This is not a thin pizza style; it is a bread technique applied to pizza.

How many pizzas?

makes 4 × 500g balls
2000 g total dough

The dough · baker’s %

Flourstrong 00 or bread flour1090 g
Water78% hydration850 g
Salt27 g
Instant yeast×1.25 active-dry · ×3 fresh2.2 g
Olive oil33 g

Bake

250–280°C · 480–540°F25–35 min

Low, patient bake in the oiled tray on the stone. The goal is a crisp, dark base and a moist open crumb — not a cracker-crispy result all the way through. Rotate at the halfway mark. Test the base by lifting a corner; it should be deeply golden.

Serving

Cut with scissors into portions. Eat warm, or split and stuff with cold cuts — the Roman tradition is mortadella sliced onto warm pizza bianca al taglio.

Topping — scaled for 4 pizzas

Crushed or puréed tomatoes320 g
Fior di latte or low-moisture mozzarella, torn360 g
Extra virgin olive oil80 g
Dried oregano4 g
Fine sea salt8 g

Pomodoro e fior di latte

Spoon the tomato over the dimpled dough in a light, even layer — not too thick or it will steam instead of reduce. Add torn mozzarella, or hold it until the last 10 minutes if you prefer less browning. Generous olive oil. The tray's pooled oil will fry the crust base — do not skim it.

Ferment & prep: Use very cold water. Mix until just combined — this is a very wet, sticky dough; do not knead. Fold (lift and fold over itself) every 30 min for 2 h. Refrigerate 48–72 h. Remove 2 h before baking. Oil a rectangular tray generously. Tip the dough in and gently coax it toward the edges — do not push hard. Let it relax for 30 min, stretch again. Dimple lightly, add toppings, rest 15 min before baking.