Pizza Bianca (Simple Crispy Pizza)

A Roman Bakery Classic Done Right

Pizza bianca is the simplest pizza you’ll ever make and one of the most addictive. It’s the white, focaccia-style flatbread Romans grab from bakeries by the strip in the morning, anointed with good olive oil, flaky salt, fresh rosemary, and slivers of garlic. No tomato sauce, no cheese, just crisp, golden crust seasoned to bring out every note in the dough.

The dimpling step is where this comes alive. Pressing your fingertips deep into the rolled dough creates pockets that hold puddles of olive oil during baking, turning into crisp, oily craters with chewy ridges between them. Without those dimples, you get a flat cracker instead of true pizza bianca.

Flipping the dough as you roll prevents the gluten from snapping back and shrinking the round, a small detail that makes a big difference in shape and stretch.

Chef Tips

• Use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil. With this few ingredients, oil is a starring flavor, not a background player.
• Slice the garlic paper-thin. Thick slices burn before the crust browns.
• Sprinkle a coarse flaky sea salt right before baking. Fine table salt dissolves into the oil and disappears.
• Bake on the lowest oven rack for the crispiest bottom. The hottest part of the oven is closest to the floor.
• Eat within an hour of baking. Pizza bianca is at its peak fresh and goes leathery as it sits.

Variations

• Top with a thin scatter of grated parmesan in the last 5 minutes for a salty cheese crust.
• Add halved cherry tomatoes and a handful of arugula after baking for a Roman-summer version.
• Drape with thin slices of prosciutto and a drizzle of honey post-bake for a sweet-savory appetizer.