Roman-Style Sheet-Pan Pizza with Tomato-Mozzarella and Rosemary-Potato Halves
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
A light, airy, crisp-based tray pizza made from a cold-fermented dough, topped half with tomato, mozzarella and basil and half with thin rosemary potatoes and Parmesan. Cut into rectangles for a crowd.
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Method
- 1
Mix the wet dough. The day before, stir the flour and yeast together, add the water and 2 tbsp dough oil and mix with a spatula to a shaggy, sticky dough. Rest for 10 minutes, sprinkle over the salt and squeeze it in with wet hands, then rest for 20 minutes. The high water content is what gives the finished crust its open, airy holes.
- 2
Fold for strength. With wet hands, lift one edge of the dough and fold it to the middle, turning the bowl a quarter and repeating 6 times. Rest for 20 minutes and repeat the folds twice more, 20 minutes apart, until the dough feels smoother and holds its shape. Folding builds strength in this very wet dough without kneading; cover and refrigerate for 16-24 hours.
- 3
Press into the tray. Oil the tray with 2 tbsp of the tray oil, tip the cold dough onto it and press it out gently with oiled fingertips; it will not reach the corners yet. Cover loosely and leave at room temperature for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, pressing it towards the corners after the first hour. It is ready when it fills the tray and looks puffy and bubbly.
- 4
Prepare the toppings. Drain the tomatoes in the sieve for 10 minutes, discard the juice and blend with the oil, oregano and salt. Toss the potato slices with the oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Thinly sliced potatoes cook through in the same time as the dough and crisp at the edges.
- 5
Heat the oven. Put a shelf in the lowest position and heat the oven to 250°C (fan 230°C), or its maximum, for at least 30 minutes. Bottom heat crisps the oiled base of the tray.
- 6
Dimple and top. Dimple the dough all over with oiled fingertips. Spread the tomato over one half along the long side, and lay the potatoes over the other half in overlapping rows, then sprinkle the Parmesan over the potatoes and drizzle the last 1 tbsp oil over everything. Dimpling knocks out the biggest air pockets so the toppings sit evenly.
- 7
Bake and add mozzarella. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the base is evenly browned and crisp, the potato edges are golden and the tomato half is bubbling. Scatter the mozzarella over the tomato half and bake for 5 minutes more, until just melted. Adding fresh mozzarella late stops it releasing water and turning rubbery.
- 8
Rest and cut. Rest for 5 minutes, loosen with the spatula and slide onto the board. Scatter the basil over the tomato half and cut into 12 rectangles, 6 of each topping.
Storage
Cool leftovers within 2 hours and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot oven or a dry frying pan until piping hot (74°C).
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- spatula
- 30 x 40 cm rimmed metal baking tray
- cling film
- stick blender or food processor
- sieve
- mandoline or sharp knife
- thin metal spatula
- board and large knife
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 506 kcal |
| Protein | 15.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 58 g |
| of which sugars | 1.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 23.5 g |
| of which saturates | 6.4 g |
| Fibre | 3.4 g |
| Salt | 2.29 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.1 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
