The Roman pinsa is a baked product typical of the gastronomic tradition of the capital. This recipe boasts ancient origins but, even today, it is one of the tastiest and most loved products not only by the Romans but also by tourists who visit the capital. 

The Roman pinsa was born, in fact, from the peasant tradition as a simple and genuine , tasty and tasty food , ideal for a quick meal before work without forgetting the rules of a healthy diet . 

Let’s discover the origins of this simple and ancient recipe that has been enriched over time, becoming the object of unique, tasty and original dishes.

How the Roman pinsa was born

The Roman pinsa consists of a sort of oval-shaped focaccia, soft and crumbly, fragrant and stuffed with different flavors.  

Traditionally this product was worked with cereals, salts, aromatic herbs creating a dough that was then crushed and stretched (” pinsere ” in fact is the Latin verb which means ‘to crush’). The ball of dough was then worked and stretched to obtain an oval shape. 

Its origins are lost in the mists of time.

It is certainly known that it was a traditional food of peasant families: it was obtained thanks to poor ingredients that peasant families had easily available.

In fact, different types of flours and the right leavening were used to make this product. Once cooked, it was stuffed with the ingredients that families had available: very simple ingredients. 

Considered a poor food, this focaccia is very fashionable today, so much so that it is considered a perfect street food to be enjoyed at any time of the day, as well as being cheap and nutritious . 

How to make the Roman pinsa dough

To obtain a truly tasty and savory product, the Roman pinsa dough must be made with wheat flour , rice and soy , and dried sourdough which allows perfect leavening and contributes to obtaining a unique fragrance in the final product. 

The use of different blends, on the other hand, guarantees freshness and unique goodness. 

Today, there are more than 5 thousand pinserie in the world: most of them are still concentrated in Rome, but more and more people worldwide are rediscovering the taste of eating the real Roman pinsa.  

How to make the Roman pinsa

To make a perfect Roman grip it is necessary to strictly adhere to the ingredients and kneading techniques. 

Being a very simple product, the goodness of the basic ingredients really makes the difference in obtaining a tasty product according to tradition. 

In addition to the use of very high quality flours, the correct humidity of the dough must be kept under control: many use the cold technique to allow the dough to rise slowly (up to 120 hours) in order to guarantee a perfect fragrance. the right friability and perfect digestibility of the final product. 

The right hydration of the dough is necessary to give lightness to the final focaccia. 

The perfect Roman pinsa is crunchy on the outside but soft and tasty on the inside. 

One of the best pinserie and pizzerias in Lazio is in Guidonia and is called La bussola rist’on the road. Initially tasted with a few simple ingredients, it is now possible to season it with various, many and particular ingredients that give the Roman pinsa more classic or original flavors.