History

Italian immigration brought pizza to Buenos Aires in the late 1800s. The Argentine al-molde style emerged with the great pizza rooms of the 1930s: Pizzeria Guerrin opened on Corrientes in 1932 and El Cuartito on Talcahuano in 1934. The Argentine version is deeper, more bread-like and topped with vast amounts of Argentine mozzarella. The fugazzeta (cheese-stuffed onion pizza) and fugazzeta rellena are local porteno inventions.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield Makes one 30cm pizza, serves 2-3Hands-on 30 minTotal 5 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g bread flour (W=300)
  • 350g water (70 percent hydration)
  • 8g salt
  • 3g instant yeast
  • 20g olive oil, plus extra for the tin
  • 400g fresh mozzarella, torn
  • 200g good tomato sauce, lightly cooked
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Fresh basil leaves, to finish

Method

  1. Mix flour, salt and yeast. Add water and oil, mix to a shaggy dough, rest 20 minutes (autolyse).
  2. Knead or fold the dough every 20 minutes for 1 hour, then leave to bulk-ferment at 22C for 3 hours until doubled.
  3. Oil a 30cm deep pan or pizza tin generously. Stretch the dough to fit, push to the corners. Let it relax 30 minutes.
  4. Heat oven to maximum (250C-280C / 480-540F).
  5. Spread tomato sauce, sprinkle oregano. Bake 8 minutes until the base is set.
  6. Pull out, top with torn mozzarella to the edge. Bake another 8-10 minutes until cheese bubbles and edges are crisp.
  7. Finish with fresh basil. Cut into squares. Serve with a wedge of faina on top of the slice.

Tip from the editors. Argentine pizza is wetter and breadier than New York. Don't undermix; long rise builds the flavour.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat pizza al molde

Pizza al molde in Buenos Aires

El Cuartito ★ 4.3

microcentroUntil Daily 12:00-01:30

Microcentro pizzeria since 1934, open until 01:30 daily. Fugazzeta and faina, paper napkins, tin tabletops; reliable mid-Corrientes post-club move.

Try: Fugazzeta and faina

Talcahuano 937, C1013 Buenos Aires

Pizzeria Guerrin ★ 4.3

microcentroUntil Mon-Sat 11:00-01:30, Sun 11:00-01:00

Corrientes 1932 pizzeria, the canonical post-theatre slice. Cuarta de muzza standing at the counter; full sit-down service in the back room until close.

Try: Cuarta de muzza and fugazzeta rellena

Avenida Corrientes 1368, C1043 Buenos Aires

More cities are in research. Want pizza al molde covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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