This recipe is really a tale of an artist and his masterpiece.
Bonci pizza was invented by the “Michelangelo of Pizza”, Gabriele Bonci! A dish of Roman origins, the “Pizza al Taglio” or “pizza by the slice” is one that’s sure to bring divinity to your home kitchen.
Gabriele Bonci is an Italian chef who braved innovation upon the long-standing tradition of pizza.
His hallmarks are quite obvious with this twist on an old classic, and it’s sure to bring even more excitement to your pizza parties!
Although this reinvented taste of Roman masterpiece might initially look like a challenge, it’s actually quite simple. Capture Bonci’s magic within the four walls of your home with this iconic retelling of a lovable dish!
In this article, we’ll talk about all things Bonci pizza, such as:
Let’s dig right in!
Bonci pizza dough to bring the best experimental toppings to life!
Pour flour into a mixing bowl
Add yeast to the mixing bowl with flour
Mix the yeast and flour until combined
Add 100 ml of water to the flour and yeast mix
Stir in another 100 ml of water, flour, and yeast
Continue stirring the mixture while slowly adding the remaining water into the mix
Stir until the mixture becomes thick
Cover the mixture with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm, dry place for 20 minutes
Add the remaining 125 ml of water while stirring the mixture with control
Continue stirring slowly and progressively add 1 tbsp of olive oil
Cover the mixture again with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm, dry place for 30 minutes
Use either 2 tbsp of olive oil or dust flour to cover a 12-inch by 12-inch area on a wooden board across a benchtop to create a surface that the dough will not stick to
Hold the dough ball like a burger and stretch it into a thick square shape with your hands
Grab two corners of one side of the dough cube and fold the dough in half over itself
Stretch the dough and fold it over itself for another 8–15 times
Cover the aerated dough with a kitchen towel or wrap and place in the refrigerator for 72 hours
Remove the dough from the fridge and check if the dough has successfully increased in size
Preheat the oven to 400 °F or 200 °C
Place dough in a warm dry area until the dough reaches room temperature
Prepare two baking trays with baking paper, or one that’s appropriately oiled, to prevent the pizza from sticking to the tray while cooking
Split the dough in half to create two dough balls
Place one dough ball on each baking tray
Mold one dough ball at a time using your fingertips into a rectangular shape approximately half an each thick on each of the baking trays
Drizzle approximately 1 tbsp of olive oil across each of the pizza bases, allowing oil to gather in the fingertip marks you left in the dough
Place both baking trays in the oven
Cook the pizza bases at 400 °F or 200 °C for between 5–7 minutes, observing closely to ensure both pizzas cook evenly
You can begin preparing your chosen seasonal toppings for your pizza base while the pizza bases cook partially
Swap the trays on the upper and lower oven shelves if necessary and cook for an extra 5–7 minutes or until it starts to crisp
Remove bases from the oven and place them on heat-safe surfaces to cool for 5–10 minutes
Leave the oven to reheat to 400 °F or 200 °C
Prepare the remainder of your chosen seasonal toppings of your choice while the pizza bases cool
Cover bases in desired toppings
Place bases back in the oven and cook for another 8–10 minutes or until crispy
Move the cooked pizzas onto a surface appropriate to cut the pizza on
Cut the pizza into 3–4-inch lengths using kitchen scissors or a large knife and across the width to make square or rectangular pieces
Sprinkle any extra raw toppings across the pizza evenly. Serve and enjoy!
Are you ready to recreate this iconic masterpiece at home? Here are notes and tips to follow before making your Bonci pizza!
Quality Ingredients Give Quality Results
Use great quality ingredients to give yourself the most incredible homemade Bonci pizza.
Italy may be a destination far away, but its quality can still find a home in your kitchen! A few ways to make sure you have high-quality ingredients are:
Use newer yeast. New yeast will be more active than older yeast in your dough mixture, helping the rising process become much faster and more efficient
Use high-quality flour. Bonci uses stone-milled flour, but you can substitute it with high-grade flour or Italian Tipo “00” flour
Use quality, in-season toppings. Pick delicious flavors of the season that pair well together with each pizza and have the heart of Bonci while you do it — feel free to experiment!
Trying a recipe at home is all about giving it a go!
For first-timers, take a leaf out of Bonci’s playbook, “Good things are made with good things and produced by people who genuinely care for the well-being of those who eat them.”
When your heart wants to craft delicious food for your loved ones, it’s hard to go wrong! Just make sure to commit to the process and don’t be afraid to be creative along the way.