The Unique Sliced Pizza Style You Might Find In Rome

Walking through the bustling piazzas of Rome, visitors and locals often stop at one of the many restaurants serving pizza al taglio, or "pizza by the cut." Why by the cut? Unlike the round pizza styles typically found in pizzarias, pizza al taglio is baked in long sheet pans and cut with scissors into squares or rectangles for on-the-go eating. The dough is baked in electric ovens, giving it an airy interior and crispy exterior that holds up to piles of specialty meats and cheeses. Designed to be eaten outdoors in Rome's many public squares, the wait for pizza al taglio in popular tourist spots can last up to 45 minutes at peak times.

From fig and gorgonzola to pumpkin puree and octopus, Roman pizza al taglio can be experimental and usually features locally sourced delicacies. Chef Gabriele Bonci, called the "Michelangelo of pizza" by Vogue (via The Atlantic), once developed 1,500 varieties of pizza in one year. In his Rome-based Pizzarium, Bonci offers innovative pizza al taglio flavors and is regularly featured on food tours. Ordering is easy: Tell the person cutting the pizza how big to cut the slice, then they'll weigh it, heat it, and charge by the kilo.

The key to a successful pizza al taglio is creating a dough that will be pillowy like focaccia bread when baked but crisp enough on the bottom to support the toppings. Beyond that, the process follows other methods of making pizza at home. So how do home cooks achieve that airy goodness? Higher hydration and a 16- to 24-hour fermentation in the refrigerator are key. Al taglio dough recipes typically call for more water than regular pizza dough, plus additional olive oil. When mixing, the dough should be stickier than a traditional pizza dough. Let it rest in the fridge overnight or up to a full day to create the fluffy focaccia texture. Short on time? Try a 45-minute pizza dough; its shorter room-temperature fermentation will achieve a similar result.

From there, top the pizza with olive oil and sliced tomatoes, if desired. Bake the dough in a sheet pan according to the recipe's instructions until it's golden on top and crisp on the bottom. After it bakes, add flavorful Rome-inspired ingredients, such as prosciutto and fresh figs or soppressata, provolone, and thin slices of potato. Return it to the oven to melt the cheese, then serve. One bonus tip from Chef Bonci — from Elizabeth Minchilli's conversation with him for Eating My Way Through Italy — be sure to limit toppings to three. To create a balanced flavor profile, choose only two to three toppings that meld well; "Anything more would be too much," Bonci said.