Pinsa with tomato and mozzarella

This pinsa recipe uses three flours and a long, cool rest. The soft dough is shaped into ovals, baked briefly on its own, then topped with tomato and mozzarella.

Ingredients

400 g wheat flour
60 g rice flour
40 g soy flour
400 ml cold water
3 g instant yeast
10 g salt
10 ml olive oil
200 g tomato passata
200 g mozzarella

Step-by-step preparation

Mix the flours and yeast. Add most of the water, followed by the salt, remaining water and olive oil. Knead into a wet dough.
Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Fold the dough twice during this time with wet hands.
Divide into 3 portions and leave for 1 hour, then gently stretch into oval flatbreads.
Bake on a thoroughly preheated tray at 250°C for 7 minutes. Add the passata and drained mozzarella and bake for another 5-7 minutes.

Time and yield

40 minutes of active work, plus rising time; 3 flatbreads.

Tips and variations

Wet your hands when folding the sticky dough.
Heat the baking tray along with the oven.
Use toppings sparingly so the centre cooks through.

Wet dough and rising

Mix the three flours before adding water so the yeast is evenly distributed. Pour in most of the water and combine, then gradually add the rest with the salt and oil. The dough will be much softer and stickier than a typical dough for rolling. Avoid adding a lot of flour immediately: wet hands and a short rest make it easier to handle.

Transfer the dough to a large covered container with room to rise. During its cool rest, fold it twice. Wet your hands, lift one edge and fold it towards the centre, then repeat with the other edges. Folding helps bring the dough together without adding much flour. Close the container and return it to the refrigerator after each fold.

After chilling, divide the dough into three pieces. Handle them gently without pressing out all the air. Leave the portions covered for an hour before shaping; a dry surface would be harder to stretch without tearing.

Shaping and baking

Lightly flour the counter. Transfer one portion to it and gently shape an oval with your fingertips, working from the centre towards the edges and leaving the edges a little thicker. Avoid a rolling pin if you want to preserve the air bubbles. The dough should be easy to transfer to baking paper without tearing. If it shrinks back strongly, cover it briefly and try again.

Heat the tray with the oven. Transfer the shaped flatbread to the hot tray on baking paper rated by its manufacturer for the specified temperature. Take care when pulling out the hot tray. The initial bake without toppings helps the base set. Spread a thin layer of passata over it, add drained mozzarella and continue baking until the cheese melts and the edges brown.

Ovens and trays heat differently, so watch both the top and base near the end. If the top darkens too quickly while the base remains pale, move the tray lower. Transfer the finished pinsa to a rack or board and let it rest briefly before slicing.

Toppings and serving

Season the passata with salt, pepper and dried oregano before spreading, if you like. Drain and tear or slice the mozzarella in advance so excess liquid does not soften the base. Apply toppings sparingly, especially in the centre, where too much sauce or cheese can prevent the base from cooking through.

For a variation, add thinly sliced, previously roasted vegetables. Add fresh herbs or a handful of rocket after baking. Olive oil can be served separately. Once cool, keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator and reheat on a tray or in a dry pan until the base is warm again.