Pizza in Teglia — Prosciutto e Funghi

Ingredients

Dough

• 400 g bread flour (RED BELL, ~13.5% protein)
• 320 g water (80% hydration), at room temperature
• 10 g fine salt (2.5%)
• 2 g instant dry yeast (0.5%) — see timing note below
• 20 g extra virgin olive oil (5%)

Toppings

• 250 g crushed tomatoes or passata
• 200 g low-moisture mozzarella (or fresh mozzarella, drained and torn)
• 150 g mushrooms (button or brown), thinly sliced
• 80 g prosciutto crudo
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for the sauce)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh basil leaves (after bake)
• Drizzle of olive oil (after bake)

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Instructions

1. Make the dough

24-hour cold ferment (recommended)

1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour and yeast.
2. Add the water and mix until no dry flour remains — it will be shaggy and sticky. Rest 20 minutes (autolyse).
3. Add the salt and olive oil. Mix and fold until incorporated — use wet hands or a dough scraper, it’s too sticky for dry hands.
4. Perform 4 sets of stretch and folds, 15 minutes apart. The dough will transform from a sloppy mess to a smooth, extensible slab.
5. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for 18–24 hours.

Same-day (8 hours)

1. Same as above but use 4 g yeast instead of 2 g.
2. After the stretch and folds, let it bulk ferment at room temperature for 6–8 hours until it has roughly doubled and looks bubbly.

2. Prepare the sauce

1. Combine the crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper.
2. Do not cook the sauce — it goes on raw and bakes in the oven.

3. Prepare the mushrooms

1. Heat a dry pan over high heat.
2. Sauté the sliced mushrooms for 3–4 minutes until they release their moisture and start to brown.
3. Season lightly with salt. Set aside to cool.
4. This step is critical — raw mushrooms on pizza will make it soggy, especially at these hydrations.

4. Pan the dough

1. Pour 2–3 tbsp olive oil into your sheet pan (~35×25 cm) and spread it around the bottom and sides. Be generous — this creates the fried, crispy bottom.
2. Gently transfer the dough to the pan. Don’t punch it down.
3. Using oiled fingertips, press the dough outward from the center toward the edges. Work slowly — if it resists, wait 10 minutes and try again.
4. Stretch it to fill the pan, getting it into the corners. It should be about 1–1.5 cm thick.
5. Cover with a damp towel or oiled plastic wrap and rest 2 hours at room temperature. It should puff up noticeably.

5. Top and bake

1. Preheat the mini-oven to 230°C (450°F), or as hot as it goes. If it has a convection setting, use it.
2. Spread the raw sauce evenly over the dough, leaving a small border.
3. Scatter the mozzarella.
4. Distribute the sautéed mushrooms evenly.
5. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top.
6. Bake for 18–22 minutes — the crust should be golden on top and bottom, the cheese bubbling and lightly spotted with color.
7. Check the bottom by lifting a corner with a spatula — it should be golden and crisp.

6. Finish and serve

1. Remove from the oven.
2. Drape the prosciutto crudo over the hot pizza — don’t cook it, it will wilt and become tough. The residual heat is enough.
3. Top with torn fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of good olive oil.
4. Let it rest 5 minutes before cutting.
5. Cut into rectangles and serve.

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Tips

• The oil in the pan is not optional. This is what gives teglia its signature fried bottom crust. Don’t skimp.
• High hydration is the point. The dough will feel unmanageable at first. Trust the process — the stretch and folds build structure. By the end it will be smooth and cohesive.
• Don’t punch down the dough. When transferring to the pan, handle it gently to preserve the gas.
• Mini-oven tips: Use the convection setting if available for more even browning. Place the pan in the lower-middle position for good bottom heat. If the top colors too fast, tent with foil.
• Prosciutto goes on AFTER baking. Always. Cooked prosciutto is a crime.

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Result

A thick but impossibly airy square of pizza with a shatteringly crisp, olive-oil-fried bottom. The crumb is open and custardy inside, topped with tangy tomato, melted mozzarella, savory mushrooms, and the delicate salt-sweetness of prosciutto that melts softly from the residual heat. This is home pizza at its best — no fancy oven required.