Thin crispy Roman pizza with a uniform crunch from edge to center

Pizza Romana Tonda (Scrocchiarella)

Roman Pizza (Scrocchiarella) in a Pizza Oven

Name: Roman Pizza (Scrocchiarella) in a Pizza Oven
Yield: 4 pizza
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 475 g flour; 265 g water (56% hydration); 12 g salt; 2.4 g instant yeast; 7.1 g olive oil; 260 g crushed or puréed tomatoes; 280 g low-moisture mozzarella, grated or torn; 32 g extra virgin olive oil; 4 g dried oregano; 4 g fine sea salt

Rome, Lazio · round · thin throughout · crispy

Where Neapolitan is soft and yielding in the center, Roman tonda is uniformly thin and crispy — the scrocchiarella ('little crackle') of the pizzerias around Testaccio. A stiffer, lower-hydration dough (55–58%) that can be rolled with a pin rather than hand-stretched. No puffy cornicione; the edge is thin and crisps rather than puffs. It bakes longer than Neapolitan at a slightly lower heat, developing a cracker-like snap. Topped more generously than Neapolitan — the crispier base can carry more weight.

What sets it apart — Uniform crispiness from center to edge — no soft spot. The lower hydration and rolling technique create a denser, crunchier texture that snaps when you bite through it.

How many pizzas?

makes 4 × 190g balls
760 g total dough

The dough · baker’s %

Flourstrong 00 or bread flour475 g
Water56% hydration265 g
Salt12 g
Instant yeast×1.25 active-dry · ×3 fresh2.4 g
Olive oil7.1 g

Bake

350–400°C · 660–750°F3–5 min

Roll paper thin — 28–30cm from a 190g ball. Launch onto the stone. Rotate halfway through. The base should be fully crisped and the top set. Watch the edges, not the center.

Serving

Cut into wedges or squares; hold one piece flat — it should not fold without cracking. Eaten at room temperature in Roman pizza al taglio shops.

Topping — scaled for 4 pizzas

Crushed or puréed tomatoes260 g
Low-moisture mozzarella, grated or torn280 g
Extra virgin olive oil32 g
Dried oregano4 g
Fine sea salt4 g

Pomodoro e mozzarella

Season the tomato and spread in a thin even layer — no pooling. Add mozzarella, then oil and oregano. The crispier base can carry more topping than Neapolitan; resist the urge to pile it on.

Ferment & prep: Mix a firm dough. Short bulk-ferment 1–2 h at room temp. Ball, rest 30 min, then roll thin with a pin — hand-stretching is too gentle for this dough.