Pizza Argentina
Pizza de Muzzarella
Buenos Aires-style pizza is nothing like its Italian ancestor — thick, bready crust piled high with an obscene amount of mozzarella cheese, with tomato sauce drizzled on top. Eaten standing at the counter with a slice of fainá on top.
Pizza Argentina (Pizza de Muzzarella)
Buenos Aires-style pizza is nothing like its Italian ancestor — thick, bready crust piled high with an obscene amount of mozzarella cheese, with tomato sauce drizzled on top. Eaten standing at the counter with a slice of fainá on top.
For the dough
- 500g (4 cups) bread flour
- 325ml (1⅓ cups) warm water
- 10g (1 packet) active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1½ tsp salt
For the topping
- 500g (1 lb) low-moisture mozzarella, thickly sliced (not shredded)
- 1 cup tomato sauce (smooth, not chunky)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Green olives, halved (optional but traditional)
Wine Pairing
House red wine (vino tinto de la casa) or a cold beer
- •Pizzería Güerrín (Av. Corrientes 1368, BA) — the cathedral of porteño pizza
- •Banchero (Av. Corrientes 1300, BA) — since 1932
- •El Cuartito (Talcahuano 937, BA) — open since 1934, walls covered in sports memorabilia
- 1
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand 10 minutes until foamy.
- 2
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture and olive oil. Mix until a dough forms, then knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- 3
Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise 1 hour until doubled.
- 4
Punch down and press the dough into an oiled 14-inch round baking pan, pushing it up the sides slightly. The dough should be about 1/2 inch thick — this is NOT thin crust pizza.
- 5
Let the dough rest in the pan for 20 minutes for a second short rise.
- 6
Layer thick slices of mozzarella over the entire surface, edge to edge. Argentine pizza is defined by its excessive cheese — don't be shy.
- 7
Spoon tomato sauce in stripes or dollops on top of the cheese (yes, sauce goes ON TOP of the cheese — this is the Argentine way).
- 8
Drizzle with olive oil, scatter green olives if using, and sprinkle with oregano.
- 9
Bake at 450°F (230°C) on the lowest rack for 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling with golden spots.
- 10
Let rest 5 minutes, then cut into squares — not triangles.
- ✦
Argentine pizza is cut into squares (a la piedra), not triangles. Use kitchen scissors for clean cuts.
- ✦
The cheese should be sliced thick, not shredded — this creates the characteristic stretchy, gooey pull.
- ✦
Don't skimp on the cheese. If you think you've added enough, add more. This is Buenos Aires pizza, not a diet.
Argentine pizza descended from the Neapolitan style brought by Italian immigrants, but evolved into something unrecognizable to Italians. The crust grew thicker and breadier, the cheese was piled on in massive quantities (always muzzarella, the Argentine spelling), and — heresy in Italy — the tomato sauce was often spooned on top of the cheese. The first porteño pizzerias opened in La Boca in the early 1900s, and the style quickly defined Buenos Aires street food culture.
Refrigerate leftover slices for up to 2 days. Reheat in a hot oven (425°F/220°C) for 8-10 minutes. Porteño pizza actually reheats well due to its thick crust.