Pizza Tonda Romana: Rome's Paper-Thin Crispy Icon

What Is Tonda Romana?

Tonda Romana is Rome's answer to Neapolitan pizza: where Naples goes soft and puffy, Rome goes thin and crispy. Also called "scrocchiarella" (from the Italian scrocchiare – to crunch), this pizza shatters when you bite into it.

The Dough Philosophy

Everything about tonda romana dough is designed for crispness:

• 55–62% hydration – deliberately low for a tight, rollable dough
• Olive oil in the dough (3–5%) – creates tenderness within the crunch
• Strong flour (W 260–300) – provides structure during the aggressive stretch
• 24–72 hour cold fermentation – develops flavor without making the dough too elastic

Mixing and Fermentation

Mix all ingredients until smooth and elastic (this dough gets worked more than Neapolitan)

Bulk ferment 1–2 hours at room temperature

Ball and cold retard for 24–72 hours

Temper 2–3 hours before shaping

Shaping: The Rolling Pin Is Welcome

Unlike Neapolitan pizza, where a rolling pin is heresy, tonda romana embraces it:

• Start with hands to flatten the ball
• Use a rolling pin to achieve an impossibly thin disk
• The center should be nearly translucent – 2–3mm thin
• The edge (cornicione) is minimal – just a slight lip, not a puffy rim
• The final stretch often happens by draping over the fists and rotating

Baking

• Pizzeria oven: 300–350°C (570–660°F) for 2–3 minutes
• Home oven: Max temperature (250–280°C) on a preheated steel or stone, 5–7 minutes
• The pizza should have charred spots and bubble blisters across the surface
• When done right, you can see the toppings through the base in spots

Tonda vs. Neapolitan