andrejthechef
ArgentinaPizzaDinnerVegetarian

Pizza Porteña de Muzzarella

A thick, airy pan pizza loaded with tomato sauce, a generous layer of mozzarella and green olives. Buenos Aires does pizza its own way.

prep
30 min
cook
20 min
total
50 min
serves
4
level
medium
Pizza Porteña de Muzzarella, a dish from Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires pizza is its own tradition, thick and bready rather than thin and crisp, piled with so much mozzarella that the cheese, not the crust, is really the point.

Give the dough its full, slow rise. That patience is what produces the airy, almost focaccia-like crumb under all that cheese, rather than a dense, chewy base.

Part of our 20 best Argentine recipes list.

method

  1. Mix the flour, yeast, warm water, olive oil, salt and sugar into a soft dough. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

  2. Oil a bowl, place the dough in it, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours, until well doubled; a longer, slower rise gives the best texture.

  3. Oil a round 30 to 32 cm pizza pan generously. Press the dough out to fill the pan, pushing it right to the edges, and let it rest, covered, for 20 minutes.

  4. Preheat the oven to 230°C (445°F).

  5. Spread the crushed tomatoes over the dough, leaving a small border, and sprinkle with oregano.

  6. Cover generously with the mozzarella, right to the edges, and scatter the olives over the top.

  7. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the crust is golden underneath and the cheese is fully melted and bubbling.

  8. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing, so the cheese sets slightly.

chef's tips

  • This is a thick, bready pan pizza, not a thin, crisp one. A long, slow rise is what gives it the airy crumb Buenos Aires pizzerias are known for.
  • Argentine muzzarella is softer and wetter than most mozzarella made for pizza elsewhere, and it melts into a thicker, gooier layer. A good fresh mozzarella, well drained, gets you close.
  • Olives are often served whole with the pit still in, following local habit. Warn anyone eating it, or pit them ahead if you would rather not surprise anyone.
  • Do not skimp on the cheese layer. A thin scattering is not how this style is meant to look or eat.