Pizza alla Pala Nocciolata: The Chocolate Hazelnut Pizza Recipe

Who said pizza cannot be dessert, too? Consider this the perfect excuse to whip up an extra batch of pizza alla pala dough. For this sweet recipe, Eataly's bakers picked Nocciolata Chocolate Hazelnut Spread to pair with the high-hydration, long-rising dough that bakes into a crispy flatbread. For the Nocciolata range, Italian family company Rigoni di Asiago uses the highest quality organic cocoa and Tonda Romana hazelnuts to create a creamy, rich spread with a prominent hazelnut flavor that is perfectly decadent atop pala dough.

Ingredients for 5 people

For the Pizza alla Pala Dough

• 4 cups (500 grams) buratto flour
• 1 1/2 cups (375 grams) cold water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (5 grams) yeast
• 3/4 tablespoon (12 grams) salt, plus extra for sprinkling
• 3/4 tablespoon (10 grams) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

For the Topping

• 1/3 cup (100 grams) Nocciolata Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
• Sea salt, to taste

How to make Pizza alla Pala Nocciolata

1. Make the dough. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, cold water, yeast, salt and olive oil. Knead the dough until combined. Shape into a ball, place into a bowl and cover with a towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature for one hour.
2. Shape. Cooking the pizza on a cast-iron pizza pan or pizza stone is recommended. Place the dough ball on a lightly oiled pan and flatten it slightly by pressing down with the palms of your hands. Begin pressing into the dough with your fingertips, gently working outward and pulling the dough with them. Shape the dough into a long rectangle. Cover again and let rise for two to three hours at room temperature.
3. Preheat. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
4. Bake. Drizzle olive oil over the dough, sprinkle lightly with salt and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Top. Remove the pizza from the oven and top with Nocciolata Chocolate Hazelnut Spread while the pizza is still warm. Let the chocolate melt for a few minutes, then spread with your fingers or the bottom of a spoon.
6. Serve. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired, then cut and serve while still warm.

Tips

Shortcut

You can also buy pre-made pala dough at your local Eataly.

Variation: panino-style

To enjoy the Nocciolata pizza panino-style, cut the pizza in half horizontally using a serrated knife, spread the Nocciolata on the bottom layer, close it and dust with powdered sugar.