As passionate home pizza bakers with plenty of experience and an authentic Italian wood-fired oven Valoriani Baby in the garden, we wanted to see how well Pinsa can be made at home. We knew it from restaurants, including Donna Isabella in Rothenbergen, and had a clear idea of the result we were aiming for.
Pinsa: delicious but tricky
The dough: high hydration, long rest
For an uncomplicated start we chose a Pinsa flour mix. The dough comes together quickly but is very soft because of the high hydration. After mixing we put it into a dough bin, close it and leave the dough in the fridge for 48–72 hours. With very little yeast the dough visibly develops during this time – a quick look into the semi-transparent bin is enough.
After around 60 hours the dough is extremely fluffy and full of bubbles. So onto the work surface: portion the dough, shape into ovals and let them relax until they – as the recipe noted – have noticeably increased in volume.
From plan to practice
The challenge becomes clear when shaping: bring them to size with your fingertips, flour the work surface generously – and then onto the launching peel. In theory they now go into the well-preheated wood-fired oven at approx. 300 °C for the pre-bake.
In practice the handling was the biggest hurdle: it wasn’t always possible to transfer the soft dough pieces intact onto the peel. And when inserting them, some deformed so much that the typical Pinsa appearance was lost. Another attempt with baking paper helped with the transfer but meant we left the rounds too small – they then became too thick.
Two-stage baking
After about five minutes of pre-baking the Pinsa should cool completely. Only then is it topped to taste and finished in the oven for a further 5–7 minutes. For toppings we stick to what we enjoy at home: everyone combines what they like.
Our learnings and practical tips
- Flour the work surface and peel liberally – the dough is very sticky.
- Gently stretch the dough with your fingertips and err on the side of making them a little larger rather than thicker.
- Baking paper can help for the pre-bake if transferring fails – make sure it is sufficiently large and strong.
- Preheat the oven thoroughly (approx. 300 °C) so the initial oven spring during the pre-bake occurs.
- Let the pinsa cool completely after the pre-bake before adding toppings and finishing it briefly.
- Allow time for practice: handling the soft dough improves with experience.
A small, practical buying tip: a well-floured peel and a suitable dough bin noticeably make the work easier – both are part of our basic kit at the wood-fired oven.
Conclusion
Handling Pinsa dough clearly takes practice. Even after several attempts shaping and transferring remain challenging. In terms of taste Pinsa convinces as a change from pizza: crisp on the outside, airy inside and pleasantly doughy. We’ll keep working on the look — it’s worth the effort.