Pizza al Taglio: The Roman Street Food You Can Make at Home
If you’ve ever walked the streets of Rome, you’ve seen them: long rectangular trays of thick, golden pizza behind glass counters, sold by weight and cut with scissors. This is pizza al taglio — Rome’s most iconic street food — and it’s completely different from the round pizza you’re used to.
The good news? With the right base, you can recreate this Roman classic in your own kitchen in Thailand.
What Is Pizza al Taglio?
Pizza al taglio (literally “pizza by the cut”) is a style of pizza that originated in Rome’s bakeries and street food shops. Unlike Neapolitan pizza, which is round, thin, and baked in seconds at extreme heat, pizza al taglio is rectangular, thick, and baked in large trays (teglia) at a more moderate temperature for a longer time.
The result is a crust that’s completely unique: incredibly airy and light on the inside with large, irregular air pockets, and crispy and golden on the bottom. The texture is closer to focaccia than to traditional pizza — and many Romans would argue it’s superior to both.
What Makes It Special
- The crumb: Open, airy, almost bread-like. When you pull a slice apart, you see large holes and a honeycomb-like structure — the sign of proper fermentation and high hydration.
- The bottom: Crispy and golden from direct contact with the oiled tray. This crunch is what separates great teglia from mediocre teglia.
- The toppings: Anything goes, but Romans keep it simple. Classic combinations include potato and rosemary, zucchini flowers, mortadella and burrata, or simply tomato and mozzarella.
- The serving style: Cut with scissors, sold by weight, eaten standing up or wrapped in paper to go. It’s the original Italian fast food.
How to Make Pizza al Taglio at Home
Our Pizza in Teglia base gives you an authentic Roman al taglio starting point. Here’s how to finish it:
- Preheat your oven to 220–240°C
- Place the teglia base on a lightly oiled baking tray
- Add your toppings — remember, Roman style is generous but not overloaded
- Bake for 10–12 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the edges are golden
- Let it rest for 2 minutes, then cut into rectangular slices with scissors or a pizza cutter
Best Topping Combinations
Margherita al Taglio: tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil. The classic, in rectangular form.
Patate e Rosmarino: thinly sliced potato, rosemary, olive oil, sea salt. No cheese needed — the potato becomes the star.
Mortadella e Burrata: bake the base with just mozzarella, then top with thin mortadella slices and a ball of burrata after baking. The heat melts the burrata slightly. Extraordinary.
Zucchini e Fiori: sliced zucchini, mozzarella, zucchini flowers if you can find them (or substitute with thinly sliced courgette). A summer favourite in Rome.
Perfect for Sharing
The rectangular format makes pizza al taglio ideal for sharing — slice it into strips for appetisers, squares for a buffet, or larger pieces for a main course. It’s the most versatile format for parties, events, and casual entertaining.
