La Pinsa and all the reasons for its success

Pinsa is made with a flour which has been studied and improved with time thanks to the passion and experience of the Di Marco Business, which has always been at the top in the flour and dough sector

Surely you will have already have heard that:

The term Pinsa comes from the Latin word “Pinsere” (to stretch, spread out). In fact the dough ball is, stretched and spread out, giving it its oval shape. In the past it was made by the romans.

Hence the full name “Pinsa Romana”.

This is why the full name is Pinsa Romana.

THE PRODUCT 

The Pinsa product has an incredible potential. The flour mix has already been targeted as excellent, therefore, it would be difficult to find a valid competitor.

This success is the outcome of the study of three different flours mixed together:

• Wheat
• Soy
• Rice

To complete this mix is a fourth element: dried mother dough which contributes to the fragrance and a correct rising process.

Many experts have carried out studies to optimise these amazing mixtures including Pizza maker partners and Pinsa Romana consultants. If on the one hand, their job as trainers for young pinsaioli and new pinserie owners is fundamental. On the other hand, they bring more passion to the ongoing researches taking place at Di Marco food-producing factories near Rome (Guidonia Montecelio).

The main Pinsa pioneers are Corrado Di Marco (inventor) and his son Alberto di Marco.

Demonstrations and representations that show the spectacularity of this product are carried out by two extraordinary representatives: Marco Montuori and Maurizio Capodicasa, first ranked in this sector.

Pinserie are increasingly flourishing and Pinsa is becoming much easier to find; for sure an excellent result, both by restaurateurs and by customers/consumers.

This “alternative” to the classic pizza is really appreciated by everyone!

Watch the video with all the more frequent questions and answers about Pinsa Romana.

PINSA: TECHNIQUE AND TOOLS

Let’s get straight to the point: Why pinsa is so good?

Technically speaking we can say that Pinsa Romana is an optimised product from every point of view: every detail is studied and verified by biotechnicians. Furthermore, during the development of the dough there are many aspects that must be kept under control.

TECHNIQUE

We start with temperatures and humidity (regarding ingredients and environment) to then focus on timing and methods of kneading.

The temperatures of the dough are fundamental to help us carry out the Cold Technique from which we obtain proper leavening and maturation.

OK, to sum up:

To sum up: when we talk about temperatures, we are talking about the water (which must be always refrigerated); about the flour; the dough before adding salt and finally of the dough once it has been completed.

The same applies to the humidity, a factor which, if not evaluated properly, can prevent the outcome of a perfect dough.

The cold technique is used primarily to permit the dough to rise more slowly (24 to 120 hours) and in as much time as possible, to allow a right maturation (ok after about 48 hours), fundamental for a noteworthy result.

For this reason, it is important to pay much attention to the temperatures. If you get them wrong you will not obtain a correct use of the Cold Technique.

The timing of the kneading are correlated to the temperature: the more you knead the more the dough will warm up, for this reason it is important to keep an eye on everything.

Many people say: “it can’t be difficult to make a dough, anyone can do it” or “how hard can it be to make Pizza”. However, this is true only if you are not bothered about the end result. But we all now that the end result is fundamental, both for who makes it at home and for restaurant owners.

Here you can see doses, ingredients and procedures in detail to make a dough.

To obtain the best results, the following rules must be followed: softness of the dough (80 to 85% of hydration), fragrance and digestibility of the finished product.

But this isn’t all: a good Pinsa must be crunch on the outside but soft on the inside, a combination which is nearly impossible to reach with any other kind of pizza.

Correctly following all of the various phases to prepare Pinsa, we obtain a final product which is low in fat and has few calories, but at the same time has a unique fragrance.

Another exceptional quality is the distinct honeycombing of the final product which allows a perfect leavening of the Pinsa.

TOOLS

To make the dough you need a good mixer (with 2 speeds), which allows the gluten shield to be well stretched and obtain very high hydration mixtures. Also important, but not essential, are the rising rooms or “stoves” which permit to more easily control the development of the dough balls.

As for cooking the Pinsa, there are special ovens designed to obtain the best performance.

This work is carried out by Rinaldi Superforni, a company specialised in this field.

We are talking about an electric oven equipped with al the more recent technologies. A real gift for all Pinsa Chefs.

ROLL OUT DUSTERS

Pinsa is a prominent product, with several distinctive characteristics, as for example the roll out dusting basic method to stretch/smooth the dough balls.

Two different types of flours are used in this process:

• Durum wheat semolina
• Rice flour

Durum wheat semolina has been used for a long time. This flour is grounded several times and studied specially to make a crispier Pinsa.

The heat-treated rice flour is another recent discovery by Di Marco’s team: this product temperatures are high enough to change the rice flour features, improving the rolling out dough performance.

The rice flour transition from low to high temperatures excludes the formation of any possible mould.

This is excellent for the conservation of precooked Pinsas, which will keep perfectly for two to three days without any problems.

THE HANDCRAFT BASES

The Di Marco family has excelled in innovation and inventiveness; one of their latest ideas is:

To activate a production of precooked Pinsas to freeze, obtaining a product that is in no way inferior to the fresh ones.

It is surely surprising that it is possible to have the best quality even from frozen pizzas, but that’s how it really is.

All of this is demonstrated by the various open days that take place in the Di Marco company, where Pinsa chefs “play a game” with the people present by letting them try fresh and precooked Pinsas, and they must decide which is which. Almost nobody can tell the difference!

This revolutionary idea permits countries with different culinary cultures to make excellent products.

The inexperienced Pizzaiolo will only need to season and bake their pizza, reducing the possibility of error by at least 90% and making the process much faster.

As the product delivered to the restaurant has already gone through the rising process, times are optimised. This method is a saviour especially for restaurant owners, who want to open their business abroad with no knowledge in this field.

This is an excellent way to expand the confines of the Pinsa and of the Italian culinary culture abroad.

THE SECRET OF THE FLOUR

As many will surely know, the recipe for the flour mix for Pinsa is an industrial secret. We have explained what the components of this mix are, but not the specific quantities. These proportions remain an exclusive secret of the Di Marco family, which have given the best of themselves researching and studying in this field to obtain the results they have today.

Therefore, to prepare the Original Pinsa Romana it is necessary to use the unique and original flour mix created by the Di Marco company.

IN CONCLUSION

• Pinsa is definitely a genuine and easy to digest food; without forgetting the unforgettable amazing taste
• Pinsa restaurants are present all over the world, and this trend will surely continue to expand.
• Pinsa is, therefore: light, digestible, fragrant, low in fats and has few calories. Furthermore, it is not a GMO product. Moreover, it is great for combinations between the chef’s cuisine and gourmet recipes.
• Since 2018 the Original Mix for Pinsa Romana is available for amatorial use and can be bought thanks to the service “Pinsa For You”
• To find out where you can eat Pinsa in your area, you can consult our Pinserie map.

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Written by Luca Bucciarelli