Focaccia Romana (Pizza Bianca)

Name: Focaccia Romana (Pizza Bianca) Pizza Dough Formula
Prep time: 1680 min
Cook time: 18 min
Yield: 1864g dough (1 large pizza or 3-4 small)
Cuisine: Rome, Italy
Ingredients: 1000g 00 flour (12.5% protein); 780g water (78% hydration); 20g salt (2% baker's); 60g olive oil (6% baker's); 4.00g instant-dry yeast (0.4% baker's)

Origin: Rome, Italy · Category: Regional Italian

Roman flatbread, first cousin to pizza. Salt + olive oil + rosemary on top. Light open crumb, crispy oily bottom. Often eaten as breakfast or aperitivo, sliced and stuffed with prosciutto + mozzarella.

Baker's percentages

Hydration: 78%; (75–82%)
Salt: 2%
Oil: 6%
Sugar: —
Yeast type: instant dry
Yeast %: 0.4%
Flour: 00 flour
Protein target: 12.5%

Example: 1000g flour scaled out

Flour: 1000g (00 flour)
Water: 780g
Salt: 20g
Olive oil: 60g
instant dry yeast: 4.00g
Total dough: 1864g

Fermentation + bake

Bulk (room temp): 2h
Cold ferment: 24h
Ball rest: 2h
Bake temp: 500°F
Bake time: 15–20 min
Vessel: half-sheet pan (12x18) generously oiled with olive oil

Focaccia Romana (Pizza Bianca) bakes in a half sheet panShop half sheet pan on Amazon →As an Amazon Associate, SourdoughHydration earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Technique

Cold-ferment 24-72h for flavor. Stretch into oiled pan, dimple with fingertips. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle salt + rosemary before bake. Bake 500°F until golden bottom and just-set top.

Source

King Arthur Baking — Focaccia (Roman style)

For full step-by-step recipe with photos and shaping technique, follow the source link above. This page provides the formula for use with the hydration calculator.

Related references on this site

Flour spec: 00 flour (12.5% protein) — protein, ash, absorption multiplier from publisher specs
Hydration page: 78% — crumb structure, technique notes, typical bread styles at this hydration
Sourdough cousin: focaccia genovese — sourdough-leavened version with similar shape and bake style
Baker's percentage explained — the math underlying every formula on this page
Temperature ranges — how kitchen temp shifts ferment timing (relevant for the 2h room-temp bulk above)

The gear that makes the math work

A short, honest baking kit. The scale matters most — every weight on this page is in grams. The Dutch oven is what turns a good crumb into a great crust.

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Digital kitchen scale (0.1 g)
Baker's percentage is by weight, not volume — a 0.1 g scale is what makes the math on this page accurate.
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Dutch oven / combo cooker
Traps steam for the first bake phase — the single biggest factor in oven spring and a blistered, glossy crust.
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Banneton proofing basket
Wicks moisture and holds shape during the final proof, so high-hydration dough doesn't spread flat.
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Bread lame
A sharp lame scores clean ears — the cut that decides whether the loaf opens up or bursts at the side.
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Bench scraper
Steel scraper handles wet, sticky high-hydration dough without tearing the gluten you just built.
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High-protein bread flour
The math assumes ~12–14% protein. Real bread flour absorbs the hydration you calculate — all-purpose won't.
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Danish dough whisk
Mixes shaggy, high-hydration dough in seconds without the gluey mess of a spoon or your hands.
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Or learn the craft by ear

The numbers here are the what; a good baking book is the why. An Audible trial gets you any title free — Michael Pollan’s Cooked(the “Air” chapter is the best story ever told about why bread rises) is a perfect first listen.

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Gear guides — what actually matters

Common questions

What hydration is Focaccia Romana (Pizza Bianca) pizza dough?

Focaccia Romana (Pizza Bianca) uses 78% hydration (range 75–82%). For 1000g flour: 780g water, 20g salt (2%), 60g olive oil (6%), 4.00g instant-dry yeast (0.4%). Source: King Arthur Baking — Focaccia (Roman style).

What temperature do you bake Focaccia Romana (Pizza Bianca)?

Focaccia Romana (Pizza Bianca) bakes 15–20 minutes at 500°F in a half-sheet pan (12x18) generously oiled with olive oil. Cold-ferment 24-72h for flavor. Stretch into oiled pan, dimple with fingertips. Brush with olive oil, sprinkle salt + rosemary before bake. Bake 500°F until golden bottom and just-set top.

How long do you ferment Focaccia Romana (Pizza Bianca) dough?

Bulk ferment 2 hours at room temperature, then 24 hours cold-ferment in the refrigerator. After dividing and balling, rest 2 hours at room temperature before stretching.

What flour is best for Focaccia Romana (Pizza Bianca)?

Focaccia Romana (Pizza Bianca) traditionally uses 00 flour flour with 12.5% protein content. Higher protein flours strengthen gluten for 78% hydration handling.