Venetian Pizzette - sublime mini-pizza

Rachel Roddy’s recipe for pizzette with courgette, mozzarella and mint from The Guardian 2nd Oct 2025 introduced us to a whole new world of really interesting pizza and also to a wonderful cookbook Russell Norman’s Polpo: A Venetian Cookbook (of Sorts).

Great for sharing - serve two different pizzette for added interest

Pizzette Dough

makes 12

Dough

• 15g fresh yeast, or 7g fast-action dried yeast

• 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

• 15g fine salt

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing

Working in a bowl or jug, measure in 320g tepid water, then stir in the yeast and wait for a few minutes.

Put the flour, salt, the water and yeast mix and the olive oil in a large bowl and, using your hand like a dough hook, gradually bring it all together into a rough ball. Rub the dough from your hand, then rub both hands with a little water or oil. Still working in the bowl, knead the dough with a folding movement, bringing the edges up and over so the it smooths into a ball. Cover and rest in a warm place until it has doubled in size, which will take an hour or two, depending on room temperature.

Tip the risen dough on to a lightly floured work surface and cut it into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then arrange on a lightly floured tray or tea towel, cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes. (The balls can also be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours, just remember to pull them out 30 minutes before baking.)

Heat the oven to 250C (230C fan)/490F/gas 9½, and put a flat baking tray inside. Working on lightly floured surface, roll the balls into discs about 20cm across. Working with a couple of pizzette at a time, put your chosen toppings on the dough.

Carefully lift the pizzette on to the hot baking tray. Bake for six to eight minutes, then serve topped with a bit more good olive oil and some red chilli flakes etc, as you like.

Courgette, mozzarella and mint topping

• 200g well-drained mozzarella, thinly sliced

• 50g grated parmesan

• 24 mint leaves

• 1 courgette, thinly sliced (a mandoline is useful here)

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• Chilli flakes, to serve (optional)

Pork & Pickled Pepper Pizzette topping

for each pizzetta

• 2 tbs passata or tomato sauce

• a hand full of grated parmesan

• 2- 3 v thin slices of coppa

• 2 pickled jalpeno sliced thin

Spread with tomato, then some parmesan, the coppa, a little more parmesan then the peppers.

Asparagus, Talleggio and Speck topping

for each pizzetta

• 2 asparagus spears (blanched) and sliced into pieces on the diagonal

• hand grated hard block mozzarella

• small handfull of grated Talleggio (or similar soft rind cheese - fontina, brie or Camembert)

• 3 v thin slices of speck - cold smoked ham (or use prosciutto, serrano ham etc)

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• black pepper, to serve (optional)

Scatter the asparagus pieces over the dough and cook. When done, lay the speck over the top with a few folds to create some height. Just before serving, sprinkle with olive oil and grind over a little pepper

Other toppings - experiment !

•  green olives, mozzarella, basil leaves and anchovies