Equipment
Ingredients
Base
- 250 g stale sourdough or rustic bread, unsliced block
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
Toppings
- 150 g pizza sauce
- 150 g low-moisture mozzarella cheese, grated
- 20 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 g dried oregano
- 1 g salt
- 5 g fresh basil leaves, torn
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 760 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbohydrates
- 71 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 2442 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 12 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 16 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 55 mg
- Potassium
- 430 mg
- Calcium
- 694 mg
- Iron
- 1.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 43 mg
- Phosphorus
- 520 mg
- Zinc
- 3.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 198 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 9 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 24 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.34 mg
- Niacin
- 1.2 mg
- Folate
- 31 mcg
- Water
- 106 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the melted cheese from sticking to the pan.
Place the stale bread on a cutting board and use a serrated knife to slice it into 2cm thick pieces. Arrange the slices closely together on the prepared baking sheet to form a unified base.
Drizzle or brush the olive oil evenly over the bread slices. This creates a fat barrier that prevents the sauce from making the bread soggy while encouraging a crispy texture.
Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the oiled bread slices, leaving a small border around the edges. Sprinkle the dried oregano and salt uniformly across the sauce.
Distribute the grated mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauced bread. Top with the grated parmesan cheese if using.
Bake in the preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 12 to 15 minutes. Watch closely towards the end to ensure the cheese melts evenly without burning.
Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for 1 to 2 minutes on the tray. Scatter the torn fresh basil leaves over the hot cheese, then serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Using a robust bread like sourdough or ciabatta yields the best texture, as their open crumb structure holds up well to the weight and moisture of the sauce.
- Grating your own low-moisture mozzarella block will result in a superior, more cohesive melt compared to pre-shredded varieties, which are often coated in anti-caking starches.
- For an extra layer of flavor, lightly rub a halved clove of raw garlic over the toasted bread immediately after it comes out of the oven, before applying the sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Bread will soften in the fridge.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze unbaked, assembled slices on a tray before transferring to a freezer bag.
Reheating: Reheat in a 200°C oven for 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is crisp again. Avoid microwaving.
Troubleshooting
The bread base became soggy rather than crispy.
Cause: Too much sauce was applied, or the bread was not sufficiently coated with olive oil first.
Fix: Slide the parchment paper off the baking sheet and place the pizza directly on the oven rack for the last 3 minutes of baking.
Prevention: Always brush the bread with olive oil to create a moisture barrier before applying any wet ingredients.
The edges of the bread burned before the cheese melted.
Cause: The bread was sliced too thin or the oven heat was too concentrated from the top.
Fix: Cannot be fully fixed. Scrape off heavily burned edges before serving.
Prevention: Cut slices to at least 2cm thickness and ensure the sauce and cheese cover most of the surface area to protect the bread from direct heat.
Cultural Context
Repurposing stale bread is a cornerstone of cucina povera, the traditional Italian peasant cooking philosophy. Dishes like this rustic pizza, alongside classics such as panzanella and ribollita, were born out of absolute necessity to ensure not a single crumb went to waste, ultimately becoming beloved comfort foods celebrated for their hearty textures and resourceful ingenuity.
