Buenos Aires has its own pizza tradition, distinct from Italian and American alike. Fugazzetta is its most iconic creation: double cheese stuffed between two thin layers of dough, topped with caramelised onion. No tomato. It changed how I think about pizza forever.
Argentinian pizza is its own genre. Thicker than Neapolitan, chewier than New York, heavier on cheese than either. Fugazzetta is the most uniquely Argentinian of the lot. There is no Italian original. It was created in Buenos Aires in the 1890s at a bakery called Banchero, when the baker Agostino Banchero started stuffing a classic fugazza (onion flatbread) with mozzarella and called it fugazzetta.
The defining features: two thin layers of pizza dough sandwiching a generous layer of mozzarella, topped with thinly sliced onion that is salt-cured to draw out bitterness, finished with dried oregano. No tomato. No basil. No pepperoni. The onion and cheese do all the work.
This recipe makes two pizzas (about 30 cm each) to serve 6 to 8. The dough needs 90 minutes to rise, so plan ahead.
Banchero, the pizzería that invented fugazzetta, is still open in La Boca, Buenos Aires. Five generations of the same family. The recipe has not changed since 1893. If you ever visit, the original location is on Avenida Almirante Brown.
In Sydney, our empanada equivalent is the Classic. Same Italian-Argentinian cheese tradition.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500 g plain flour (or bread flour for chewier base)
- 300 ml warm water
- 7 g dried yeast (1 sachet)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
For the topping
- 3 large white onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp salt (for curing the onions)
- 500 g fresh mozzarella, sliced or grated
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 60 ml olive oil
- Chilli flakes, to taste (optional)
Method
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Make the dough.
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water and let stand 5 minutes until foamy. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, make a well, pour in yeast mixture and olive oil. Mix to form a dough. Knead on a floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and leave in a warm spot for 90 minutes until doubled.
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Prepare the onions.
While the dough rises, thinly slice the onions. Place in a colander, toss with 2 tsp salt, and leave to drain for 30 minutes. This draws out the bitter liquid. Rinse well, squeeze dry in a clean tea towel.
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Preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 230°C with a pizza stone or heavy baking tray inside. This needs 30 minutes to heat properly.
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Divide and shape the dough.
Once risen, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece on a floured surface into a 30 cm round. You want thin rounds, about 3 mm thick.
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Layer the fugazzetta.
Place one rolled-out round on a piece of baking paper. Cover with half the mozzarella, leaving a 2 cm border. Top with a second rolled round. Press the edges together firmly to seal. Repeat with the other two rounds.
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Add the onion topping.
Scatter the rinsed and dried onions evenly across the top of each fugazzetta. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with oregano and chilli flakes if using.
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Bake.
Slide each fugazzetta (on its baking paper) onto the hot pizza stone or tray. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the base is golden, the cheese is melted through the layers, and the onion is just starting to caramelise.
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Rest, slice, serve.
Let rest 3 minutes before slicing. Cut into wedges. Eat with your hands.
Chef's notes.
Rinse and dry the onions properly. If you skip salting them or skip the rinse, they release too much water during baking and make the top soggy.
Seal the edges firmly. If the edges come apart in the oven, the cheese escapes. Press with a fork all around the border to secure the seal.
No tomato. Adding tomato sauce makes it no longer a fugazzetta. If you want a red pizza, make a different pizza.
Hot oven is essential. 230°C with a pre-heated stone is the minimum. Lower temperatures make the dough bake dry before the cheese melts through.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between fugazza and fugazzetta?
Fugazza is the original: a single layer of flatbread topped with onion and oregano, no cheese. Fugazzetta is the invention from Banchero in 1893: two layers of dough sandwiching mozzarella, topped with onion. The -etta suffix marks it as a richer version.
Why no tomato sauce?
Because that is not fugazzetta. Argentinian pizza has several distinct types (muzzarella, fugazza, fugazzetta, napolitana) and each has specific defining features. Fugazzetta is specifically the onion-and-cheese version without tomato. Adding tomato turns it into something else.
Can I use store-bought pizza dough?
Yes, though the texture will be different. Supermarket pizza dough is usually thinner and crisper. Argentinian pizza dough is slightly thicker and chewier. If using store-bought, buy two balls (not one) to make a proper stuffed fugazzetta.
Can I make individual mini fugazzettas?
Yes. Divide the dough into 6 or 8 smaller pieces, roll thinner, and assemble as individual stuffed pizzas. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Great for parties.
What cheese should I use?
Fresh mozzarella is ideal. Bocconcini, sliced, works excellently. Avoid pre-shredded supermarket mozzarella (it has anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting). A mix of mozzarella and provolone is a common Argentinian upgrade.
The Classic empanada, same cheese tradition.
Our Classic empanada captures the same provolone, parmesan, mozzarella profile in a portable format. Bake from frozen in 18 minutes.