While many a home baker might be perfecting their sourdough bread (and who can blame them – we love a good loaf of pane rustico from our bakeries), why not bake outside the box? Italians have long been masters of leavening, whether it's bread made with tangy lievito madre (mother yeast) or fluffy pizza made with baker's yeast. Try your hand at these three iconic Italian dough recipes and take your baking skills up a notch. After all, is there anything more enticing than filling your home with the smell of freshly baked focaccia or pizza?
With just a bit of patience, flour, yeast, and water, you'll be covering your table (and impressing your dining partners) with freshly baked Italian specialties in no time. Be sure to choose high-quality flour – we're partial to Mulino Marino – that is naturally stone-ground: this preserves the nutrients and flavor of the wheat itself, and will give you notably delicious results.
1. PIZZA ALLA PALA
Made with a high-hydration, long-rising dough and baked in an electric oven, Roma's typical pizza is a delicious crispy flatbread. The dough is a good place to start for any baker, with just a few simple steps and a few hours of rise time. The best part? Make a few balls of dough, then top with fresh cheeses, vegetables, salumi and formaggi for a quick and hands-on pizza night at home.
2. FOCACCIA AI POMODORINI
Also known as focaccia barese, this focaccia recipe hails from Puglia, and is quite distinct from the classic rectangular version found in Liguria. This bread is dimpled with cherry tomatoes and dressed in olive oil – in fact, we recommend choosing a fruity, zesty extra virgin olive oil from Puglia for a truly regional treat.
3. PIZZA NAPOLETANA
With its tall cornicione (crust), charred bubbles, and soft texture, there's plenty of reasons why the pizza napoletana is beloved by pizza eaters around the world. This fresh pizza dough recipe from Rossopomodoro lets you recreate the same elastic, satisfying pizza that we serve up at our La Pizza & La Pasta restaurants.
Pro tip: this recipe is the perfect base not just for a classic Pizza Margherita (get the recipe here), but also for making a Calzone! Get the recipe to try this folded Neapolitan treat at home.
Get ready to seize the yeast! Find all the ingredients to master your Italian doughs at your local Eataly.
