Pizza bianca romana

A simple Roman bakery staple, baked as a plain rectangular sheet seasoned only with olive oil and coarse salt, without tomato sauce or cheese, closely related to (and sometimes debated against) Roman focaccia traditions.

Disputed: Some food writers debate whether pizza bianca is more accurately classified as a focaccia relative than a pizza; PizzaHQ notes both framings exist without resolving the terminology dispute.

• No sauce, no cheese — seasoned simply with olive oil and coarse salt
• Baked as a plain rectangular sheet, similar in method to pizza al taglio
• Often eaten plain, or split and filled as a sandwich

Hydration

70-80 percent of flour weight (typically 75 percent of flour weight)

Salt

2-2.5 percent of flour weight (typically 2.2 percent of flour weight)

Oil

3-6 percent of flour weight (typically 4 percent of flour weight)

Bulk fermentation

3-6 hours (typically 4 hours)

Mixing: Machine or vigorous hand mixing given the high hydration

Kneading: Extended kneading or stretch-and-fold sessions

Shaping: Stretched into an oiled rectangular tray, dimpled with fingertips before baking

Expected crumb: Open and airy

Tolerance: Similar handling considerations to pizza al taglio dough

Calculate this dough with the dough calculator →

• Bread flourStrongly suitedGenerally accepted

  Supports the very high hydration (70-80%) this Roman tray style needs for its open, airy crumb.

• BigaTraditionalGenerally accepted

  Builds the dough strength needed to hold this style's very high hydration (70-80%) through a long fermentation.

1. Stretch dough into an oiled tray
2. Dimple with fingertips
3. Drizzle with olive oil and coarse salt
4. Bake

Traditional method: Deck or domestic oven, moderate-high heat

• Rolling pin shapingCommonly usedLimited evidence

  Fills the tray evenly without excessively degassing the very high-hydration dough.

  Domestic alternative: Hand-pressing and dimpling directly in the oiled tray, which is at least as traditional.

Simple, olive-oil-forward flavour with a crisp exterior and soft, airy interior

Sold by the piece, often split and filled as a sandwich (e.g. with mortadella)

Cut into pieces · Sold by weight or the piece

Derived from this style’s own structural ingredient data — see the construction order & topping load guide for why order varies by style.

1. Sauce: Olive oil base, No sauce (bianca style)

Straightforward in a standard domestic oven with a tray

• Under-salting, since there is no sauce or topping to otherwise carry seasoning

Roman focaccia: Closely related and sometimes debated as the same thing by food writers; PizzaHQ treats pizza bianca as its own named tray-bread tradition given its established distinct name and typical uses