Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- 325 g bread flour (2 2/3 cups), plus extra for dusting
- 200 ml warm water (about 38°C / 100°F)
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for greasing and finishing
- 8 g fine sea salt (1 1/4 tsp)
- 4 g instant yeast (1 1/4 tsp)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 250 ml tomato passata (1 cup)
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 300 g low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely grated (about 3 cups)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 100 g green olives, pitted and halved (about 2/3 cup)
- Semolina or fine cornmeal, for the peel
Do This
- 1. Mix flour, salt, yeast, and sugar. Add warm water and 1 tbsp oil; mix to a shaggy dough.
- 2. Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth; lightly oil a bowl, cover, and rise 60–75 minutes until doubled.
- 3. Preheat a pizza stone at 260°C / 500°F for 45–60 minutes (rack in upper-middle position).
- 4. Stir passata with grated garlic, pinch of salt and pepper; grate mozzarella and halve olives.
- 5. Divide dough in 2, ball up, rest 30 minutes. Stretch each to a 28–30 cm round.
- 6. On a semolina-dusted peel, spread 2–3 tbsp passata, add mozzarella, olives, and a pinch of oregano.
- 7. Bake 7–9 minutes until edges blister and cheese bubbles; finish with a light olive oil drizzle.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Authentic pizza a la piedra: thin, crackly crust with blistered edges straight from a blazing hot stone.
- Minimal sauce, maximum flavor: light passata keeps the base crisp while mozzarella melts into perfect puddles.
- Everyday ingredients, big pizzeria payoff at home.
- Fast rise option for tonight, with make-ahead tips for even better flavor.
Grocery List
- Produce: 1 small garlic clove, fresh oregano or basil (optional)
- Dairy: 300 g low-moisture mozzarella
- Pantry: Bread flour, tomato passata, dried oregano, green olives, instant yeast, sugar, fine sea salt, olive oil, semolina or fine cornmeal
Full Ingredients
For the dough (2 thin pizzas)
- 325 g bread flour (2 2/3 cups), plus more for dusting
- 200 ml warm water (about 38°C / 100°F)
- 8 g fine sea salt (1 1/4 tsp)
- 4 g instant yeast (1 1/4 tsp)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra for the bowl
For the sauce and toppings
- 250 ml tomato passata (1 cup)
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus black pepper to taste
- 300 g low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely grated (about 3 cups) or 350 g fresh fiordilatte (well-drained, torn)
- 100 g green olives, pitted and halved (about 2/3 cup)
- 1 tsp dried oregano (divided between the two pizzas)
For baking and finishing
- Semolina or fine cornmeal, for dusting the peel
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing (about 1 tbsp)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make a quick, supple dough
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, instant yeast, and sugar. Add the warm water and 1 tbsp olive oil. Mix with a spoon or hand until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes (or 5–6 minutes on low speed in a stand mixer) until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a clean bowl, add the dough, cover, and rise at room temperature for 60–75 minutes, until doubled.
Step 2: Heat the stone like a pizzeria
Place a pizza stone (or steel) on the upper-middle rack. Preheat the oven to 260°C / 500°F for 45–60 minutes so the stone is thoroughly saturated with heat. A fully heated stone is the key to a crackly, blistered base.
Step 3: Stir the light passata and prep toppings
In a small bowl, combine passata, grated garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper. No cooking needed. Grate the mozzarella (or tear well-drained fresh mozzarella), and halve the green olives. Keep the dried oregano handy for sprinkling.
Step 4: Divide, ball, and relax the dough
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured counter. Divide into two equal pieces (about 275–280 g each). Shape each into a tight ball, cover, and rest for 30 minutes. This relaxes the gluten so the dough stretches thin without springing back.
Step 5: Stretch thin for pizza a la piedra
Dust a peel (or the back of a baking sheet) with semolina. Working with one dough ball at a time, gently press from the center outward, leaving a 1 cm rim. Lift onto your knuckles and stretch to a 28–30 cm round. Aim for an even, thin center to bake up crackly on the stone.
Step 6: Top lightly and bake until blistered
Spread 2–3 tbsp of the sauce in a thin veil—less is more. Scatter about half the mozzarella evenly, then half the olives. Sprinkle with a pinch of dried oregano. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake 7–9 minutes, rotating once, until the edges are blistered and the cheese is bubbling with golden spots. Repeat with the second pizza.
Step 7: Finish and serve hot
Drizzle each pizza with a little extra-virgin olive oil and a final pinch of oregano. Let rest 1 minute for the cheese to settle, then slice and serve immediately.
Pro Tips
- Heat matters: give your stone a full 45–60 minutes at 260°C / 500°F. That deep heat makes the crust snap.
- Keep it light: too much sauce or cheese softens the base; use a thin veil of passata and 150 g cheese per pizza.
- Dry ingredients: pat fresh mozzarella dry and drain olives well to avoid excess moisture.
- Semolina on the peel: a light dusting acts like tiny ball bearings so the pizza slides cleanly.
- Broil boost: for extra blistering, switch to broil for the final 30–60 seconds, watching closely.
Variations
- Muzzarella y jamón: add 120 g thinly sliced ham under the cheese; bake as directed.
- Napolitana-inspired: add thin tomato slices, minced garlic, and a few basil leaves after baking.
- Picante: sprinkle with ají molido or red pepper flakes before baking for gentle heat.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Dough can be cold-fermented for deeper flavor: after the first knead, portion into two balls, lightly oil, cover, and refrigerate 18–72 hours. Bring to room temperature for 60–90 minutes before stretching. Leftover baked pizza keeps 3 days in the fridge; reheat on a hot skillet or in a 230°C / 450°F oven for 5–7 minutes to re-crisp. You can also par-bake bases for 3–4 minutes, cool, wrap, and freeze for up to 1 month; top and bake from frozen 6–8 minutes.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate for 1/4 of the recipe (half of one 30 cm pizza): 680 calories; 30 g fat; 64 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 1,250 mg sodium. Values will vary with brands and exact amounts.
