Roman Al Taglio (Bonci-Style)
Roman pizza-by-the-cut. Sold by weight in Rome, cut with scissors, eaten folded on the street.
Intro
Gabriele Bonci is the modern reference. The parbake step is essential — toppings on raw dough will steam the bottom soggy. Cut with kitchen scissors, Bonci-style. Cold cuts (mortadella, prosciutto) go on AFTER baking, never before. Stracciatella is a finishing cheese — treat it like a sauce.
Ingredients
Sized for 1 × half-sheet (do two or three toppings) (1 half-sheet of 1 half-sheet/batch · 1× batch)
note · 80% hydration — not a typo.
Sized for 1 × half-sheet (do two or three toppings) (200 g of 815 g/batch · 0.25× batch)
note · Look for "Pomodoro San Marzano dell'Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP" with a stamp. Bianco DiNapoli is the best non-DOP option.
note · Optional — some pizzaioli let the pizza-finishing drizzle do this work.
Sized for 1 × half-sheet (do two or three toppings) (200 g of 250 g/batch · 0.8× batch)
note · Buffalo is richer but wetter — drain longer.
note · A small pinch — seasons from the inside and draws out water.
The process
- ◆ DOUGH
Roman Al Taglio Dough (Bonci)
↗ - 1
Mix
In a large bowl, mix the flour 500 g, salt 12 g, yeast 2 g. Add the water 400 ml. Stir with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains. Sticky and shaggy.
- 2
Add oil
Add the 20 g of oil. Mix in.
- 3
First fold
Cover, rest 30 minutes. Then wet hands, lift a corner, fold to the center. Rotate, repeat 4–6 times.
⏱ Rest + fold 130:00 - 4
Folds 2–4
Repeat the stretch-and-fold every 30 minutes, three more times. By fold #3 the dough transforms from a sticky lump to a smooth, billowy mass.
✶ Pizzaiolo tipDon't add flour during the folds, even when it feels impossible.⏱ Folds 2–490:00 - 5
Cold ferment
Cover and refrigerate 24–48 hours.
⏱ Cold ferment1440:00 - 6
Turn out
Three hours before baking: flour generously, turn onto a heavily floured counter. Cut into pieces sized to your pans.
✶ Pizzaiolo tipHeavy flouring of the counter is correct. You want to handle, not stick. - 7
Pan stretch
Stretch gently into oiled half-sheet pans with fingertips — never a rolling pin. If it resists, wait 10 minutes.
- 8
Pan proof
Proof in the pan, covered, 1.5–2 hours, until visibly puffed.
⏱ Pan proof90:00 - ◆ SAUCE
Raw San Marzano Sauce
↗ - 9
Drain
Drain the tomatoes 196 g briefly. Pour off the watery juice and keep the thicker pulp.
- 10
Hand-crush
Crush the tomatoes by hand in a bowl until each one breaks into rough chunks. Do not blend — texture is the point.
- 11
Season
Stir in the salt 1.23 g and olive oil 2.45 g. Taste and adjust salt. That's it.
✶ Pizzaiolo tipIf your tomatoes taste flat, a pinch of sugar fixes it. Don't tell anyone. - ◆ CHEESE
Fresh Mozzarella Prep
↗ - 12
Pull from brine
Pull the mozzarella from its brine or water.
- 13
Tear by hand
Tear into rough 1-inch pieces with your hands — never cut with a knife. Torn pieces melt more irregularly, which gives the mottled Neapolitan look.
- 14
Salt lightly
Place the torn pieces in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Sprinkle very lightly with salt — it seasons from the inside and draws more water out.
- 15
Drain
Drain at room temperature 45–60 minutes for fior di latte; up to 90 minutes for buffalo. Significant water will collect in the bowl.
✶ Pizzaiolo tipSome pizzaioli add the cheese halfway through the bake — works better in home ovens that can't reach 900°F.⏱ Drain55:00 - 16
Pat surface
Press gently with a paper towel to absorb any surface moisture before topping the pizza.
- ◆
Assembly
- 17
Preheat
Preheat oven to 500°F with a steel on the lowest rack.
⏱ Preheat60:00 - 18
Parbake
Add only the sauce 200 g / oil 25 g base layer (no cheese, no delicate toppings) and bake 8–10 minutes until the bottom is set and the top is just starting to color.
✶ Pizzaiolo tipThe parbake is essential — toppings on raw dough will steam the bottom soggy.⏱ Parbake09:00 - 19
Add cheese & finish
Pull out, add the fresh mozzarella 200 g and other toppings, return for 4–6 minutes until cheese melts.
⏱ Finish bake05:00 - 20
Cut & serve
Cut with kitchen scissors, Bonci-style. Add cold cuts (mortadella, prosciutto), stracciatella, basil AFTER baking.
✶ Pizzaiolo tipA biga pre-ferment (44% hydration, 16 hours) takes this to professional levels but adds a day.
Notes from the kitchen
No notes yet. Be the first.
From the pizzaioli
No pies yet. Be the first.
More like this
The goods
