Classic Roman-Style Pizza Dough (Romana Tonda)

If you love a pizza with a proper crunch, Romana Tonda is your style. This classic Roman dough is rolled ultra-thin and baked at fierce heat directly on the stone, producing a crisp, almost cracker-like base with a light, delicate bite. Unlike the pillowy Neapolitan style, Romana is all about texture — dry, snappy, and absolutely brilliant with simple toppings that let the base do the talking. The secret is low hydration, a long cold ferment, and a confident roll with the pin. Plan ahead: this dough needs 24 hours in the fridge, but your hands-on time is minimal.

Ingredients

Makes 2 pizza bases

• 500g 00 flour (or a 50/50 mix of 00 flour and plain flour)
• 300ml cold water
• 10g fine salt
• ½ tsp instant (fast-action) yeast
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. In a large bowl, mix together the 00 flour and instant yeast until evenly combined.
2. Add the cold water and olive oil, then mix until a rough dough forms with no dry flour remaining. Add the salt and continue mixing until the dough is smooth and comes together.
3. Cover the bowl and leave the dough to rest for 15 minutes — this gives the gluten a chance to relax before kneading.
4. Knead the dough briefly (5–7 minutes by hand) until it feels tight, smooth, and elastic. Romana dough is stiffer than Neapolitan — that's exactly right.
5. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, cover tightly with cling film, and refrigerate for 24 hours. This slow, cold bulk ferment develops flavour and improves the texture.
6. The following day, remove the dough from the fridge and divide it into 2 equal portions. Shape each into a ball, place on a lightly floured surface, cover loosely, and leave to rest at room temperature for 2 hours. This relaxes the gluten so the dough rolls out easily without springing back.
7. Fire up your wood-fired pizza oven and bring the stone floor temperature to 360–400°C. A good infrared thermometer takes the guesswork out of this.
8. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll each dough ball out very thin — aim for 2–3mm, working from the centre outwards. Romana is traditionally rolled, not stretched by hand. If the dough resists, give it a 5-minute rest and try again.
9. Optionally, dock the base all over with a fork to prevent uneven bubbling. Top simply — less is more on a Romana base.
10. Slide the pizza onto a lightly floured peel and transfer to the hot stone. Bake for 2–3 minutes, rotating halfway through for an even bake. The base should be golden, crisp, and slightly charred at the edges.

Originally published by DeliVita. Adapted for UK audiences by Cedar Kitchen in the Garden.