Roberta’s Pizza is a true New York icon.
Founded in 2008, Roberta’s nestled itself in a small corner of Williamsburg, NY, and became extremely well known for not only its Neapolitan wood-fired pizza but also its energy as a restaurant.
Roberta’s was started by Chris Parachini, Brandon Hoy, and Carlo Mirarchi – the chef behind the now-famous pizza.
The restaurant itself is known for its hipster-vibe, graffitied exterior, and radio station inside, making it more than just a New York Pizzeria. In a city known for pizza, it takes a lot to stand out – and that’s exactly what Roberta’s does.
As far as pizza goes, Roberta’s is known for its phenomenal cuisine and has even earned two Michelin stars!
The pizza dough is the star of the show here. It has a wonderfully crunchy yet soft texture from crust to base. It’s no surprise Mirarchi’s pizza dough recipe is sought after, and we’re going to tell you how to make it in this article!
We’ll detail:
- The exact steps to follow
- The ingredients required
- Secret tips to help you achieve that perfect Roberta’s dough.
Let’s get started!
How to make Roberta’s Pizza Dough – adapted by Sam Sifton of the NY Times
Uncovering Roberta’s Pizza Dough Recipe: Crafting Excellence
Description
This fluffy, crunchy, soft, delicious pizza dough recipe from Roberta’s Pizza in Brooklyn, NY, is sure to satisfy cravings and leave you wanting more. It even keeps well in the fridge!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Combine pizza flour, all-purpose flour, and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk together to get rid of clumps
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In a separate bowl, mix together 200 grams of lukewarm tap water, yeast, and olive oil. Add this to the flour mixture and roughly mix. Knead for 3 minutes until combined. Rest for 15 minutes
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Knead again for 3 minutes, then separate into two even balls for further rising. Let the dough rise under a damp cloth for 3-4 hours at room temperature, or alternatively in the fridge for 7-8 hours.
If the dough is refrigerated, remove it before baking to get it back to room temperature
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Once the dough is rested, stretch it into the desired pizza shape with your fingers, add your favorite toppings, and bake.
Note
Pizza flour is a finer flour than all-purpose, meaning it is ground coarser and lighter overall.
In Roberta’s recipe, this is particularly useful for ensuring a light and fluffy pizza. If you can’t find 00 flour, you can use bread flour as an alternative.
Whisking together the flour and salt will help separate any clumps of flour and create an even mixture before adding wet ingredients. Make a well in the middle to add the wet ingredients.
Yeast is an active ingredient that makes dough and bread rise, and it needs to be activated by warm water and sometimes sugar (but not in this recipe).
Don’t hesitate to make your tap a little warmer than lukewarm to kickstart the process. However, don’t make it hot by any means, or you could kill the yeast!
When combining wet with dry, making a well will help avoid mess and slowly incorporate the flours bit by bit. Stir from the middle, and more flour will add itself in as you go.
Kneading can seem intimidating, but moving the dough and getting air into it is all that matters. Flour up your hands to avoid sticking, and flour your surface too.
When letting the dough rise, it is a good idea to put a little olive oil or flour in the bowl to stop it sticking when you're ready to stretch it out.
For baking, get the oven as hot as you can. This will create the crisp edge and soft center that Roberta’s is known for! Cook on a baking tray or in an oven-safe pan to get that traditional flat base and deep crust.
