Name: Homemade Pizzette Rosse, a classic Italian snack
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 250 g farina 00 or all-purpose flour; 150 g water, at room temperature; 2 g dry yeast (or 5 g fresh yeast); 15 g evo oil + more for topping; 5 g salt; tomato passata, or pureed canned San Marzano tomatoes; black pepper, oregano, optional, for sprinkling

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Pizzette Rosse brings me back to Rome and to the bakeries that sell them. Pizzette means small pizzas (pizze) in Italian, and Rosse means red, because of the tomato sauce and no other added topping.
Song of the day: Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen

Pizzette Rosse

Crunchy bottom and edges, soft middle, pools of tomato sauce and plenty of evo oil. You might think these pizzette rosse are simple, but don't be fooled by their lack of toppings. They are amazingly flavorful!

A very popular snack, or quick lunch, among kids and grown-ups in Italy, there is no one who doesn't love or have memories associated with Pizzette Rosse. I adapted this recipe from an Italian blogger.

Steps of the preparation

The preparation is not difficult. There are only a few steps involved, mostly regarding the waiting/rising times. You can make the dough by hand or, for a faster result, a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.

After you've made the dough, in the stand mixer or by hand, place it in an oiled bowl, lightly oil the top and cover with plastic wrap or a towel.
Let rise for 1 hour away from cold air or air draughts.

After the rising time, divide the dough in 4 and shape into 4 small balls. Use a scale to have the same weight (about 100 g).
Cover with a towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

Place one of the dough balls and place it on an oiled baking sheet. Stretch slightly with your fingertips, and let rest for 10 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 450°F (250°C) convection and arrange a lower shelf and a top shelf.
Finish stretching the dough to get to a diameter of 18 cm (8 inch), more or less. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Then, spread the tomato passata or pureed canned tomatoes all over the surface and the egdes, not leaving any empty space, paying attention not to drop any tomatoes on the baking sheet.
Drizzle with abundant evo oil, and sprinkle with salt. Optional, black pepper and oregano. Repeat for all the 4 dough balls.

Place on the lower rack of the preheated oven and bake for 10-11 minutes, rotating the pan if you see that they are coloring more on one side. Then, carefully, open the hot oven and move the baking sheet from the lower rack to the top rack. Bake for additional 2-3 minutes. Continue until you've cooked all the 4 pizzette. I cooked two at a time.

A Taste of Home

Pizzette Rosse were not only my snack when I was at school, but also my grab and go lunch when I used to work downtown. A stop at the bakery, fornaio, and I was set. Also, in the summer, they were my packed snack to eat at the beach. Nothing better than a pizzetta rossa, warmed up by the sun, eaten under a beach umbrella. Oh, those glory days...

Homemade Pizzette Rosse, a classic Italian snack-feature-four on wood board

How to eat Pizzette Rosse, the Italian way

Once you get the pizzette out of the oven, you are going to be pretty excited to taste these. The best way, fold it in half and bite in. It makes really great for packing them for snack or lunches. This way you preserve the sauce and don't lose any in the wrapping. More so, a good way to keep you hands somewhat clean.

The aroma of these pizzette rosse is addictive. The richness of the sauce, the slight char on the crust (a true characteristic of the pizzette), the thicker edges covered in sauce, make each bite a delicious delight.

Enjoy a true taste of Italy!