Pizza Milano
A beautiful thin base pizza that requires time, but not much effort to make.
Skill Level
This pizza is easier to make than a neapolitan as the dough requires much less kneading. You can also use a rolling pin to shape the pizza base so less handling skill is required.
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Your Recipe
Time Required
Prep
1 Hour
Prove
1-3 Days
Cook
10 Mins
1-2 Mins
Equipment
Rolling Pin
Digital Scale
Pizza Peel
Airtight Container
Food Processor
Stand Mixer (optional)
Pizza Stone (optional)
Ingredients
The Dough Recipe
Step 1
Mix the yeast and the sugar into the water until dissolved. Leave for ten minutes until the water has a thick layer of bubbly foam on top, proving the yeast is active and good to use.
Step 2
Combine the flour and yeast mixture in a large bowl and mix together until combined into a shaggy dough. Then leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes. This initial wait is what’s known as autolysis and it will improve stretchiness in the dough and make it easier to handle.
Step 3
After 30 minutes, add the salt and briefly knead by either using your hand or a stand mixer until the dough is smooth. We’re just looking to smooth the dough, kneading isn’t necessary as the dough’s gluten structure will develop as it ferments.
PRO TIP
If the dough is too sticky to handle try soaking your hand with cold water first. This will help prevent the dough from sticking to your hand. Ensure you shake any excess drops of water from your hand before handling the dough to limit adding too much extra moisture.
Step 4
Cut the dough into 220g pieces and shape into balls. Place the dough balls into separate and lightly oiled airtight containers. You can also use a tray wrapped in cling film but leave a 10cm gap between each of the dough balls.
Step 5
Place the container in the fridge for 24-72 hours. After about 24 hours the dough will have risen and developed lots of gas bubbles. Leaving it to ferment for additional time will improve the flavour.
The Sauce Recipe
For Milano style pizza, I typically prefer using a sauce that is a little heavier on spices and herbs than a neapolitan. Given the lack of the thick bready crust, complexity of flavour really helps take this pizza to the next level.
Step 1
Use either a food mixer or handheld blender to blend the tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic and basil leaves until smooth.
Step 2
Stir in the remaining ingredients and adjust salt level to preference.
PRO TIP
Every tin of tomatoes is different, even when high quality. If the sauce tastes a little tart, a small pinch of sugar can help neutralize the acidity but be careful to not make it too sweet.
The Cook
Step 1
Take the dough out of the fridge a full hour before you plan to use it on the day of cooking. The dough will need to come back up to room temperature before it can be shaped.
Step 2
Preheat your fan oven at max temperature for 1 hour with either a pizza stone or metal pan inside.
Step 3
Once the dough is at room temperature, lightly dust it with flour, remove it from the container and place it on a lightly floured surface. Then use a rolling pin to evenly stretch it out into a round shape. Flip the dough every few rolls and lightly dust to prevent the dough sticking to the pin and surface. Be conservative with the dusting and only apply if the dough is sticking. Continue until the dough is about 30cm in diameter.
Step 4
Remove the pan/stone and gently place your pizza dough on top. You’ll want to work very quickly here as every moment the pan/stone is out of the oven it will lose heat which will affect how well the base cooks.
PRO TIP
Lightly dusting your stone/pan with either flour or semolina flour will help prevent your base from sticking to it.
Step 5
Quickly spoon on a thin layer of sauce to your pizza base and evenly spread it from edge to edge. This is a thin base pizza so keep the sauce coverage light. Just enough to stain the dough red. Over-saucing will leave you with a watery, soggy and messy to eat pizza that won’t cook properly. Add the mozzarella and parmesan and get that pizza in the oven as soon as you can.
Step 6
Pending on your oven, the bake should take about 6-10 minutes. Once the cheese has melted and the underneath has browned, remove the pizza from the oven. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and immediately serve before this thin pizza cools down on you. Enjoy!
The Cook
Step 1
Take the dough out of the fridge a full hour before you plan to use it on the day of cooking. The dough will need to come back up to room temperature before it can be shaped.
Step 2
Bring your pizza oven up to about 400C. Given how thin this pizza is, you really don’t want a higher temp than this as it will burn very quickly.
Step 3
Cut the mozzarella into 2cm sized cubes and grate the parmesan. The size you should cut the mozzarella is determined by the temparature of your oven and the cook time of the pizza. Ideally you want the cheese to melt at the same pace that the dough cooks. Given that this is a thin base pizza, cutting the cheese into smaller pieces than usual should ensure the cheese melts the right amount without risk of burning or not being melted enough.
PRO TIP
Always run a fresh mozzarella ball under the tap and taste a tiny piece of it first before adding to the pizza. At this point, the last thing you want is for rotten cheese to ruin your hard work.
Step 4
Once the dough is at room temperature, lightly dust it with flour, remove it from the container and place it on a lightly floured surface. Then use a rolling pin to evenly stretch it out into a round shape. Flip the dough every few rolls and lightly dust to prevent the dough sticking to the pin and surface. Be conservative with the dusting and only apply if the dough is sticking. Continue until the dough is about 30cm in diameter.
Step 5
Spoon on a thin layer of sauce and evenly spread it from edge to edge. This is a thin base pizza so keep the sauce coverage light. Just enough to stain the dough red. Over-saucing will leave you with a watery, soggy and messy to eat pizza that won’t cook properly. Add the mozzarella and parmesan and place the pizza on the peel.
PRO TIP
Although it is easier to sauce and add ingredients to your base once it is on the peel it is not recommended The longer your pizza stays on the peel, the more likely it is to stick to it. This will make shuffling it into the oven much more difficult. Lightly dusting your peel with flour or semolina flour will also help prevent the dough from sticking.
Step 6
Shuffle the pizza into your pizza oven and turn 90 degrees every 15-20 seconds until rotated fully once.
Step 7
Once the pizza has been fully rotated and the cheese is melted remove it from the oven. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and immediately serve before this thin pizza cools down on you. Enjoy.
Video
This brilliant video by Brian Lagerstrom was the inspiration for this recipe and covers the method in a very similar way. Watch this if you are uncertain on any of the steps.
