Different from white pizza, which is topped with cheese (no red sauce!), pizza bianca is a classic Roman flatbread with a crisp, golden crust and an open, airy interior. A bit of semolina flour in the dough lends a butter-yellow color and slight textural contrast. Eat pizza bianca plain or cut it open and stuff it with sandwich fillings like mortadella and burrata or tomatoes and mozzarella.
Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.
To prepare the dough: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flours, salt, and yeast. Add the water and mix to make a shaggy, sticky dough with no dry, floury patches, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl and gather the dough into a rough ball. Cover and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
To perform a bowl fold: Using your wet hand, grab a section of dough from one side, lift it up, then press it down into the middle to seal. Repeat, rotating the bowl 90° (a quarter turn) between each stretch, until the dough won’t elongate easily and forms a smooth, tight ball, about 10 to 15 times total. Turn the dough seam-side down in the bowl. Cover and let the dough rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
To perform a second bowl fold: Lift the dough from one side, stretch it upwards, then press it down into the middle to seal, repeating this motion 6 to 8 times and rotating the bowl between each stretch. Turn the dough seam-side down in the bowl.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 12 to 24 hours. The longer the dough rests at this stage, the more flavorful the final pizza bianca.
To preshape the dough: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Divide it in half (about 340g each). On another part of your work surface, create a bed of semolina flour.
Gently stretch each piece of dough into a roughly 7" x 5" rectangle, with the long edges running parallel to you. Fold the top side two-thirds of the way down, then fold the bottom side upwards to reach the top. After folding, each piece will measure roughly 7" x 3 1/2".
Transfer the dough pieces, seam-side down, to the semolina. Cover and let the dough rest until it’s relaxed enough to stretch, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
About 1 hour before baking, preheat the oven to 500°F with a baking stone or steel on the center rack.
To shape the dough: Working with one piece at a time, lift the dough slightly to make sure it's not sticking to the work surface, then heavily dust the top with additional semolina.
Using your fingertips, dimple the dough from end to end, pressing firmly but not through the dough. Lift the dough, allowing gravity to elongate it to roughly 16" in length. Transfer it to a piece of parchment, stretching as necessary to form an even rectangle measuring roughly 16" x 5". Repeat with the second piece of dough, placing it next to the first on the parchment.
Drizzle each piece of dimpled dough with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Transfer the dough, still on the parchment, to a baker’s peel or an overturned baking sheet.
Slide parchment and dough onto the preheated stone or steel and bake until the pizzas are golden brown and crispy, 12 to 14 minutes.
Remove the pizza bianca from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool briefly. Brush with additional olive oil, if desired.
Storage information: Pizza bianca is best enjoyed the day it’s baked. Store leftovers, loosely wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage. Re-crisp by heating in a 400°F oven, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, or in a toaster on a low setting.
Tips from our Bakers
The maximum temperature rating for most parchment paper is below 500°F, and at temperatures between 450°F and 500°F parchment’s exposed edges begin to char. To be safe, keep a close eye on anything being cooked at temperatures above 450°F (especially anything on an upper rack). Burned edges can also be minimized by trimming away excess parchment before baking.
For an extra crunchy sandwich made with pizza bianca, fill your sandwich and heat it in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through and crispy.
