Il Circolo del Forno
This pizza is born from a simple yet stubborn image, very close to Hikmet's world: shared bread, the sea crossed by the wind, the melancholy that does not extinguish the love for life. I imagined an evening on the Bosporus, with windows open towards the water and a simple yet bright table. The base is Italian, slow and precise; the topping looks towards Istanbul and the eastern Mediterranean. The roasted eggplant brings the warmth of home kitchens, the feta adds that dry and white salinity characteristic of Aegean shores. The caramelized red onion brings sweetness and depth; the spicy honey closes like an unexpected yet necessary final verse.
The Rose of Bosphorus combines Italian technique and ingredients from the eastern Mediterranean: roasted eggplant, feta, caramelized red onion, and spicy honey. The dough with 65% hydration matures for 24 hours in the refrigerator. The feta — never cooked, always added raw — maintains its salty consistency contrasting with the spicy honey that finishes the bite.
In short
- Total time: 24 hours (including refrigeration maturation)
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Hydration: 65%
- Leavening: 24 hours in the refrigerator, dry brewer's yeast
- Result: tomato base, melted fiordilatte, roasted eggplant, raw feta, spicy honey
- Equipment: baking stone or tray, oven at 480 °F (250 °C)
Ingredients
Dough (65% hydration)
| Ingredient | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Type 0 flour W280-300 | 14 oz (400 g) | |
| Water at 68-72 °F | 1 cup + 1 tbsp (260 g / 260 ml) | |
| Dry brewer's yeast | ⅔ tsp (2 g) | |
| Fine salt | about 1¾ tsp (10 g) | |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 2 tsp (10 g) | |
| Finely milled semolina | to taste | for rolling out |
Filling
| Ingredient | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Thick tomato puree | 5¾ oz (160 g) | 80 g per pizza |
| Well-drained fior di latte | 6¼ oz (180 g) | 90 g per pizza |
| Large eggplant | net 8¾ oz (250 g) | 2 cm cubes, roasted |
| Red onion | 4¼ oz (120 g) | sliced and caramelized |
| Feta | 2¾ oz (80 g) | 40 g per pizza, raw |
| Pitted black olives | 1½ oz (40 g) | |
| Honey | 2 tsp (12 g) | mixed with chili |
| Chili flakes | 1 g | |
| Dried oregano, lemon zest, EVO oil | to taste |
Procedure
- 1Dough
Dissolve the yeast in water at 68-72°F. Combine the flour and knead for 4 minutes until a rough mixture forms. Add the salt and continue kneading, then incorporate the oil and work for another 6-8 minutes until a smooth and elastic mass is obtained. The ideal final temperature is 73-75°F.
- 2First proofing and folds
Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Perform a three-fold — gently stretch the dough, fold one third towards the center, then the other third on top. Reseal and let rest for another 30 minutes.
- 3Cold maturation
Divide the dough into 2 pieces of about 12 oz. Shape them well, place them in slightly oiled and covered containers, and let them mature in the refrigerator for 18-20 hours. This slow process develops the flavor and structure of the dough.
- 4Final proofing
Take the dough pieces out of the refrigerator 3 hours before rolling out. Keep them covered at room temperature, ideally 72-75°F. This final rest makes them soft and extensible without tearing.
- 5Preparation of the topping
Cut the eggplant into ¾-inch cubes, season with oil and salt, then roast in the oven at 425°F (220°C) for 18 minutes until golden. Slice the red onion and cook it in a pan with oil and salt for 12 minutes over low heat until softened. In a small bowl, mix the honey with chili flakes. Crumble the feta and drain the fior di latte well, cutting it into pieces.
- 6Preheat the oven and roll out
Place a baking stone or an inverted baking sheet in the oven and heat it to the highest temperature (ideally 480°F (250°C) static) for at least 40 minutes. Roll out each dough ball on a floured surface with semolina, gently stretching it from the center outward, leaving a border of about ¾ inch.
- 7Topping
Spread 2.8 oz (80g) of tomato puree on each pizza using the back of a spoon. Add 3.2 oz (90g) of torn fior di latte, then half of the roasted eggplant, half of the caramelized onion, and half of the black olives. Finish with a pinch of dried oregano.
- 8Baking
Bake one pizza at a time on the hot stone or baking sheet. Cook for 7-9 minutes in the lower part of the oven, then move it up for 1-2 minutes to color the crust. The pizza is ready when the edge is puffed and golden and the fior di latte is melted and slightly colored.
- 9Finishing and serving
Out of the oven, add to each pizza 1½ oz (40g) of crumbled feta, a few drops of spicy honey, the grated zest of half a lemon, and a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil raw. Wait 60 seconds, then serve. The pizza should be crispy on the bottom, soft in the center, flavorful, and slightly sweet in the end.
Technical notes
- Oven under 446 °F (230 °C): if your home oven does not exceed 446 °F (230 °C), extend the cooking time by 2-3 minutes and use less sauce — 2 oz (60g) per pizza instead of 2¾ oz (80g) — to keep the base dry and crispy.
- Raw feta: feta should always be added out of the oven, never during cooking. Heat dries it out and makes it chalky. When raw, it remains creamy and salty just right.
- Well-dried eggplant: roasting it at high temperature in the oven (not in a pan) ensures external caramelization without releasing water onto the pizza during cooking.
- Spicy honey: you can prepare it in advance by mixing wildflower or acacia honey with chili flakes and letting it rest for an hour. It becomes more balanced and less pungent.
- Recommended pairing: a fresh Vermentino from Sardinia or a Greek Assyrtiko pairs well with the saltiness of the feta and the aroma of lemon without overpowering the flavors.
Recipe by Il Circolo del Forno — April 2026