Pizza Tongues

Pizza tongues, a delightful treat in the shape of crispy and tasty pizza dough strips, are an ideal snack for aperitifs or appetizers. Here’s how to prepare them:

Ingredients

• 500 grams of type 00 flour
• 300 ml of warm water
• 10 grams of fresh brewer’s yeast or 3 grams of dry brewer’s yeast
• 10 grams of salt
• 30 ml of extra virgin olive oil
• Dried oregano to taste
• Chopped rosemary to taste (optional)
• Coarse salt to taste

Preparation

1. Dissolve the brewer’s yeast in the warm water.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the water with the yeast and start kneading.
3. After working the dough for a few minutes, add the extra virgin olive oil and continue kneading until you get a smooth and elastic dough.
4. Let the dough rest in a lightly oiled bowl, covered with a cloth or transparent film, in a warm place, until it has doubled in volume (about 1-2 hours depending on the temperature).
5. After the dough has risen, take it out, deflate it slightly with your fists and roll it out on a lightly floured surface, trying to give it a rectangular shape and a thickness of about half a centimeter.
6. With a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough into long, thin strips, a couple of centimeters wide.
7. Arrange the strips on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving a little space between each one. Sprinkle with a bit of coarse salt, chopped rosemary, and dried oregano.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C (392 °F) for about 15-20 minutes or until they are golden and crispy.
9. Remove the pizza tongues from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack before serving.

Fun Facts

The narrow and elongated shape is reminiscent of a tongue, hence the name. They are perfect for accompanying cold cuts, cheeses, or sauces during an aperitif or as an alternative snack to chips and breadsticks. You can also enrich the dough with other toppings such as sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or different spices to vary the taste.