Pizza Boscaiola

Pizza Boscaiola

Pizza Boscaiola is a traditional Italian white-and-red pizza from central Italy, particularly popular in Umbria and Lazio. It combines a tomato base with a swirl of cream, mushrooms and parsley for a rustic, woodsy flavor ('boscaiola' means 'in the style of the woods').

Prep

20 min

Cook

12 min

Total

32 min

Serves

2 pizzas (serves 4)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) bread flour (tipo 0 or 00), or strong all-purpose flour
• •300 ml (1¼ cups) lukewarm water, around 25°C / 77°F
• •7 g (2¼ tsp) instant dry yeast
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
• •200 g (7 oz) crushed San Marzano tomatoes, passata or peeled whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
• •120 ml (½ cup) heavy cream (panna da cucina), fresh cream with at least 30% fat; do not substitute with sour cream
• •300 g (10½ oz) champignon or porcini mushrooms, porcini traditional but seasonal; champignon is the common substitute
• •2 cloves garlic
• •15 g (½ oz) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus extra to finish
• •200 g (7 oz) fresh mozzarella fior di latte, well-drained and torn; scamorza is a smoky traditional alternative
• •60 g (2 oz) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, optional, for finishing
• •salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil for sautéing

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: in a large bowl mix flour, yeast and salt. Add the lukewarm water and olive oil and stir to a shaggy dough, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise at room temperature for 1½–2 hours, or in the fridge for 8–24 hours for better flavor, until nearly doubled.
2. 2 Prepare the mushrooms: if using fresh porcini, wipe them clean (do not soak) and slice; if dried porcini, soak 30 g in warm water for 20 minutes, drain and squeeze, reserving the strained soaking liquid. Slice the fresh mushrooms. Finely chop the garlic and parsley together.
3. 3 Sauté the mushrooms: heat 30 ml olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the garlic and parsley and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and pepper, and sauté over high heat for 5–6 minutes until they release and then reabsorb their liquid and begin to brown. Add a splash of the reserved porcini soaking liquid if using. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. 4 Prepare the tomato base: in a small bowl season the crushed tomatoes with a pinch of salt, a drizzle of olive oil and a small pinch of chopped parsley. Do not cook.
5. 5 Preheat the oven with a pizza stone or steel on the middle rack at its maximum temperature, ideally 250°C (480°F) / gas mark 9, for at least 45 minutes.
6. 6 Divide the dough into 2 balls (about 400 g each). On a floured surface, stretch each ball by hand into a roughly 30 cm (12 in) round, leaving a slightly thicker edge for the cornicione. Transfer to floured pizza peels if using a stone.
7. 7 Top each pizza: spread a thin layer of seasoned crushed tomatoes (about 100 g per pizza) leaving the border clear, scatter torn mozzarella, distribute the sautéed mushrooms evenly, then drizzle 60 ml of cream per pizza in a loose spiral over the surface. Finish with a little grated Parmigiano if using.
8. 8 Bake one pizza at a time: slide onto the hot stone/steel and bake for 8–12 minutes, until the crust is blistered and golden, the cheese is fully melted with a few light brown spots, and the base is crisp with no raw flour patches (lift with a peel to check; the underside should be evenly spotted brown).
9. 9 Remove, finish with a few leaves of fresh parsley, a light grind of black pepper and a thin drizzle of raw olive oil. Cut into wedges and serve immediately. Repeat with the second pizza.