Roman Red Pizza: The Ultimate Vegan Crispy Pizza Recipe

The Secret to the Perfect Crispy Roman Red Pizza

Table of Contents

1 The Secret to the Perfect Crispy Roman Red Pizza

The Roman Red Pizza is a delight from the heart of Rome. This vegan, crispy pizza is as ubiquitous as its Roman white pizza counterpart in all the local bakeries and pizzerias across the capital. The art of crafting a perfect Roman Red Pizza involves an initial autolysis process and a 24-hour dough resting period in the refrigerator. This procedure results in a crust that’s irresistibly crisp, a signature of the Roman Red Pizza. The recipe for the Roman Red Pizza is beautifully simple, consisting of only a few ingredients: flour, water, yeast, olive oil, and salt. The key to its crispness lies in its double bake. This pizza is traditionally baked in trays, akin to a classic pan pizza, and is strictly topped with well-seasoned peeled tomatoes. It intentionally lacks other toppings, staying true to its traditional form as a red pizza without mozzarella.

PREPARATION TIME: 30 minutes for the dough, 20 minutes for rolling and topping RESTING TIME: 24 hours + 4 hours for proofing BAKING TIME: 15 minutes PORTIONS: Yields one 700/800 gram pizza RECIPE DIFFICULTY: Medium

INGREDIENTS:

For the Dough:

435g of medium strength 00 flour (300/320 w, 12/13g protein)
367g of room temperature water
3g of dry yeast or 9g of fresh yeast
13g of fine salt
12g of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

For the Topping:

250g of peeled tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh oregano
Salt
Pepper

HOW TO PREPARE THE ROMAN RED PIZZA:

For Autolysis: In a bowl, quickly mix the flour with 275g of water until it’s absorbed. Cover and let it rest for 2 hours at room temperature.
For the Dough: Dissolve the yeast in the remaining water and pour it into the bowl with the autolysed mixture. Begin kneading by hand or with a dough hook for 5-6 minutes until the dough forms. Once the dough is formed, incorporate the salt, then add the olive oil and continue kneading the dough for another 4-5 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto an oiled surface and perform 3-4 folds. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes. After resting, do another 3-4 folds and transfer the dough to an oiled container. Let it rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours, covered.
After resting, turn the dough out onto an oiled surface again and perform two quick folds. Shape it into a ball, place it in a container, and let it proof, covered, for 4 hours or until doubled in size.
For the Topping: Blend the peeled tomatoes until smooth, season with fresh oregano, EVOO, salt, and pepper. Cover and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
After the dough has proofed, turn it out onto a surface generously dusted with semolina flour. Also dust the top of the dough, and stretch it out using your fingertips, starting from the edges and moving towards the center, forming an oval shape. Transfer it to an oiled baking tray.
Dress the pizza with the tomato mixture, spreading it evenly. Bake in a static oven at 250°C (482°F) for 10-12 minutes on the lower rack. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes, then return it to the oven on the top rack to form the crust for a few more minutes at the same temperature.
As soon as the pizza comes out of the oven, brush the surface with some extra virgin olive oil. And voilà! Your beautifully crispy Roman Red Pizza is ready to be enjoyed.

Topics: How to make Roman Red Pizza, Roman Red Pizza recipe, Vegan Italian Pizza Recipe, Crispy Roman Pizza making, Traditional Roman Red Pizza recipe