Scrocchiarella Rustica Italmill: the crisp Roman pizza alla pala
Scrocchiarella Rustica is the par-baked frozen base for Roman pizza alla pala by Italmill, in the 55x25 cm format weighing 520 g, supplied in a box of 8 pieces (4.16 kg net). Its rustic, highly hydrated dough leavened with natural sourdough delivers the signature crunch and lightness that define an authentic scrocchiarella. Already par-baked, it simply needs thawing, topping and a few minutes in the oven.
What is pizza alla pala romana
Modern pizza alla pala was born in Rome after the Second World War as an evolution of pizza al taglio and traditional flatbreads. Bakers stretched a leavened dough to large dimensions and slid it onto the oven stone with a long wooden or aluminium peel (pala), serving it by weight or in slices. The Roman word scrocchiante, meaning crunchy and crisp, gives this high-hydration flatbread its name and its essence: if it does not crunch, it is not a scrocchiarella.
The producer: Italmill
Scrocchiarella was created in 2014 in the Italmill laboratory in Cologne, in the province of Brescia (Lombardy). Italmill was one of the first companies to believe in the pizza-alla-pala category, turning a Roman street-food tradition into a consistent professional product appreciated worldwide. The Rustica line stands out for its multigrain, seeded character.
Organoleptic characteristics
The high hydration and long leavening with pasta madre produce an open, airy crumb under a thin, crisp surface. Sunflower, sesame and flax seeds, together with rye, oat and barley flours, add a rustic flavour and aroma, while 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil supports friability and even browning. The result is a light, digestible base that stays fragrant after topping.
Technical specifications
The base is a par-baked, deep-frozen semi-finished product for professional use. Each piece measures 55x25 cm and weighs 520 g; the box contains 8 pieces for a net weight of 4.16 kg. It contains cereals with gluten and sesame and may contain traces of egg, milk, soy and mustard. It is hand-worked and must be kept at -18 °C; do not refreeze after thawing.
Professional uses in the kitchen
Thaw the base in a chiller at 0-4 °C, never at room temperature. For a contemporary Margherita, top with San Marzano DOP tomato and bake at 280-320 °C, adding well-drained fior di latte cut Napoli-style 3 to 4 minutes before the end. For a gourmet white pizza, bake the base plain with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, then finish out of the oven with San Daniele DOP ham and fresh stracciatella. Mozzarella di bufala and burrata must always be added off the heat, never baked. A standard pala (about 60x40 cm) takes 350 to 400 g of fior di latte; a single slice takes 80 to 100 g.
Pairings
Pair Scrocchiarella Rustica with San Marzano DOP peeled tomatoes, fior di latte julienne, Gaeta olives, anchovies, Gorgonzola DOP, porcini and extra virgin olive oil to build the full Roman repertoire, from marinara to boscaiolo.
Logistics and delivery by LAPA
B2B and B2C delivery of frozen products runs throughout Switzerland from the central LAPA warehouse in Embrach (Zürich), keeping the cold chain at a constant -18 °C. Our own fleet of refrigerated vans with digital HACCP monitoring serves Zürich, Winterthur, Bern, Basel, St. Gallen, Luzern, Frauenfeld and Aargau. For Ticino, French-speaking Switzerland, Jura, Neuchâtel and Graubünden we ship within 24 to 48 hours through food-grade partner carriers: Swiss Post Frigo-Express, Planzer, Galliker and Camion Transport AG.
Who it is for
Scrocchiarella Rustica is designed for pizzerias, restaurants, delis, hotels, catering operations, Italian grocery stores and demanding private customers who want consistent, crisp Roman pizza alla pala without a dedicated dough station.
