Pinsa romana dough calculator
Oval pinsa on a wheat, rice and soy flour blend. A wet dough and a night in the fridge.
Pinsa romana is the oval Roman flatbread on a blend of wheat, rice and soy flour: light, crisp-bottomed and cloud-centered. The certified original is a trademark built on a patented flour mix; the blend here is Katie Parla’s respected home version.
How it works
The three-flour blend
The base splits into 86% bread flour, 9% rice flour and 5% soy flour. Rice flour crisps the crust, soy tenderizes and colors the crumb. The calculator shows each flour’s weight separately.
Wet dough, cold night
Water 69%, salt 2.4%, oil 2% and 0.5% instant yeast: roughly an hour of bulk at room temperature, then an overnight cold ferment, then 1–2 hours of proof. The blend absorbs eagerly, so the dough feels drier than the number suggests.
Pinched, not rolled
Pinsa is hand-pressed into its oval — never rolled. Stretch 165 g pieces to roughly 15 × 25 cm, and bake very hot (the professional style par-bakes around 300 °C for ~5 minutes before topping).
Sources & methodology
Every percentage in this calculator traces to the published sources below — nothing is invented. Where respected sources disagree, the default sits inside the documented range.
- Katie Parla — pinsa romana — The chosen home blend: bread + rice + soy flour, 69% water, salt 2.4%, oil 2%, overnight cold.
- PizzaBlab — dough formulas for every pizza style — Puts the style at 75–80% water — the band this home blend deliberately sits below.
- PizzaBlab — Italian pizza styles guide — Records that certified Di Marco pinsa is trademarked and “must be exactly 80%” water on the original flour blend.
FAQ
Is this the “real” certified pinsa?
The trademarked pinsa romana requires Di Marco’s patented flour and, per the certification, exactly 80% hydration. Home blends run lower: Parla’s at 69%, against PizzaBlab’s 75–80% for the style.
Can I substitute the soy flour?
The blend defines the style, so substitutions move you away from pinsa. If you must, keep the rice flour — it does the crisping — and expect a slightly different crumb without the soy.
Why an oval?
Tradition and mechanics: the word comes from pinsere, to press or stretch. The oval shape is how a wet, delicate dough naturally elongates under fingertips.
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