As we have already mentioned, pinsa is a typical food of the Roman territory. Actually, this food is the revisiting of an old recipe of about two millennia ago.
Origins of pinsa
The first testimonies of a similar focaccia come from the 1st century BC, thanks to Virgil who spoke about it in the Aeneid.
At the time of ancient Rome, the peasants who lived near the city walls began to prepare a focaccia made with ground cereals (spelled, barley and millet), water, salt and aromatic herbs.
The dough was then stretched (in Latin “pinsere”, verb from which the name derives from it) and cooked on burning stones or charcoal.
The pinsa romana has undergone some revision over the centuries; although today the processing techniques have slightly changed, the chefs try to remain as close as possible to the original recipe.
The recipe
The classic recipe of the pinsa romana requires the use of a mixture of wheat, rice and soy flours, mixed with cold water, salt and a little of yeast.
Water represents well over 80% of the mixture, and this makes the pinsa a low-fat, carbohydrate, and calorie food as well as highly digestible. The dough has to rise for a long time, ranging from 24 to 150 hours (depending on the proportion of the ingredients).
Once risen, the dough is flattened and seasoned to finally be baked in a wood oven.
Talking about dressings, you can choose between the simple pinsa romana and the more elaborate versions with salami, vegetables, cheese… according to your preferences.