Roman Vs. Neapolitan Dough

[PIGMON]

Great sight. My first view on it today and I'm already hooked. Hopefully, this question hasn't been directly answered and I'm beating a dead horse or something but...

Can someone explain to me what exactly is the difference between Roman pizza dough and classic neapolitan pizza dough?

Thanks.

[Bill/SFNM]

Welcome Pigmon (is it pronounced Pigmin?  ).

This thread may flare-up into some controversy, but here is my take on your question.

Neapolitans have a very long and proud pizza tradition and although there will be some variance in the texture and flavor of the dough from pizzeria to pizzeria, the standard crust is very light and soft with a pronounced airy edge. It is often eaten with a fork and knife.

In Rome, I've eaten a much wider range of pizzas and focaccias, which is understandable given the size of the city and the diversity of its inhabitants. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "Roman" dough, but when in Rome I have sought out  "pizza alla romana" which is very thin, crisp, but also tender - stretched out in the oven in long strips. It looks nothing like the LTHForum Gruppo de Amici photo. Others here can probably speak more accurately to whether there is a definitive "Roman" dough and what it is.

Again, welcome.

Bill/SFNM

[PIGMON]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "Roman" dough, but when in Rome I have sought out  "pizza alla romana" which is very thin, crisp, but also tender - stretched out in the oven in long strips. It looks nothing like the LTHForum Gruppo de Amici photo.

Bill! What a shock!! I guess I shouldn't be surprised to find you on a magnificent site devoted to pizza.

Yes, my inquiry into this question was sparked by the Gruppo de Amici thread over at LTHForum.com. More specifically, I was really wondering whether the composition of the doughs of the two styles are any different from each other? Or maybe more accurately, is the dough being made for pizza in and around Rome any different from classic Neapolitan dough?


Thanks.

Again, wonderful site.

[Bill/SFNM]

Pigmon,

I think the answer to your question lies in whether there is a distinctive, uniquely identifiable style of pizza called "Roman". I don't know that there is - notice in the home page of this forum there are many sections for many styles, but not one for Rome. That is not to say there isn't a lot of pizza/foccacia in Rome, but others here can better answer whether one can generalize about it's texture, taste, and composition.

Didn't Marco (our resident Neapolitan pizza guru) once say something like Neapolitans don't consider what is made in the rest of Italy to be pizza? 

Bill/SFNM

[pizzanapoletana]

I did cover the subject at my early stages in this forum.... In Naples we called that style (roman and sicilian) types of focaccia, stiacciate or schiacciate....

Anyway, yes, for that long pizza and the same type baked in pans, they use a different method and dough. Neapolitan cooks in 30-90 seconds, Roman in 7-10 minutes... you need a different dough for each cooking scope.

Ciao