Pizza Sarda con Fiore Sardo, Guanciale, Carciofi e Olive (Italian Sardinian Style Pizza with Fiore Sardo, Guanciale, Artichokes and Olives)
- Feb 1, 2025
- 12 min read
Updated: 22 hours ago
Italian Sardinian Style Pizza with Fiore Sardo, Guanciale, Artichokes and Olives
Sardinia possesses one of the most distinctive bread cultures in Italy. Durum wheat, semolina, natural fermentation, wood fired ovens and centuries of pastoral tradition have produced breads with completely different structures and purposes, from the extraordinary crispness of Pane Carasau to the softness of Spianata and the substantial character of Civraxiu.
This recipe takes inspiration from that Sardinian world without pretending to be an ancient traditional pizza.
Pizza Sarda with Fiore Sardo, guanciale, artichokes and olives is a contemporary interpretation of Sardinian ingredients built upon a dough rich in durum wheat character.
The objective is a pizza with a crisp, deeply golden base, an open but controlled crumb, pronounced wheat aroma and toppings chosen for balance rather than abundance.
Fiore Sardo contributes intensity and a characteristic sheep's milk complexity. Artichokes provide vegetal bitterness. Olives bring salinity. Guanciale contributes richness and crispness. Fresh rosemary provides the final Mediterranean aromatic note.
Every ingredient has a purpose.
Story of the Dish
This recipe is presented as a contemporary Italian preparation centered on artichoke and the ingredients named in the title. The culinary logic is based on preserving the artichoke's identity, balancing its natural bitterness, and using Italian technique to control texture, seasoning and service.
Recipe Information
Course: Main CourseCuisine: Italian, Sardinian InspiredYield: 2 large pizzasServings: 4Preparation Time: 35 minutesFermentation: 24 to 48 hoursFinal Proof: 2 to 3 hoursCooking Time: 8 to 12 minutes per pizza in a home ovenDifficulty: AdvancedRecommended Fermentation: 24 hours
Servings and Timing
Servings: 4. Prep Time: about 25 minutes. Cook Time varies with the cut and technique described above. Total Time: follow the doneness and resting cues in the method rather than the clock alone.
Ingredients for the Dough
400 g strong Italian type 0 flour
200 g semola rimacinata di grano duro
390 g cool water
15 g fine sea salt
12 g extra virgin olive oil
2 g instant dry yeast
Baker's Percentage
Total flour: 100%
Water: 65%
Salt: 2.5%
Extra virgin olive oil: 2%
Instant dry yeast: approximately 0.33%
This moderate hydration makes the dough manageable while still producing good internal structure.
Preparing the Dough
Combine the two flours thoroughly.
Place approximately 350 g of the water into a large mixing bowl.
Add the yeast.
Add approximately half of the flour mixture and begin mixing.
Gradually incorporate the remaining flour.
When a rough dough forms, allow it to rest for approximately 20 minutes.
This short rest allows the flour to hydrate before intensive kneading.
Dissolve the salt in the remaining 40 g of water.
Gradually work the salted water into the dough.
Finally incorporate the extra virgin olive oil.
Continue kneading until the dough becomes smooth, elastic and moderately strong.
Using a stand mixer, this will generally require approximately 8 to 10 minutes at low to medium speed.
By hand, allow approximately 12 to 15 minutes.
Desired Final Dough Temperature
Aim for approximately:
75°F to 78°F
24°C to 26°C
Temperature matters because fermentation speed depends heavily on dough temperature.
Developing Structure
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface.
Allow it to rest for 20 minutes.
Perform one set of folds.
Stretch one side gently and fold it toward the center.
Repeat from the opposite side.
Then repeat from the remaining directions.
Turn the dough seam side down.
Rest another 20 minutes.
Perform a second gentle fold.
The dough should now feel smoother, stronger and more elastic.
Cold Fermentation
Place the dough in a lightly oiled covered container.
Allow it to begin fermentation at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes.
Transfer to the refrigerator.
Ferment for:
Minimum: 18 hours
Recommended: 24 hours
Maximum: approximately 48 hours
Long fermentation improves aroma, extensibility and overall complexity.
The dough should develop flavor without becoming excessively acidic or structurally weak.
Dividing the Dough
Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
Divide it into two equal portions of approximately 500 g each.
Shape each portion into a tight but delicate ball.
Do not aggressively degas the dough.
Place each ball in a lightly oiled covered container.
Allow to proof at room temperature for approximately 2 to 3 hours, depending on room temperature.
The dough should become relaxed, aerated and easy to stretch.
Fiore Sardo: The Defining Cheese
Fiore Sardo is one of Sardinia's great sheep's milk cheeses.
Its personality is very different from a mild melting cheese.
It is firm, intense and persistent, with flavors that can include sheep's milk richness, herbs, spice and characteristic smoky notes.
That intensity is precisely why it must be used intelligently.
This pizza should not be covered with a thick blanket of Fiore Sardo.
The cheese should function almost as a seasoning.
A little produces considerable character.
For melting structure, we will therefore combine it with a moderate amount of fresh mozzarella.
The mozzarella provides moisture and elasticity.
The Fiore Sardo provides identity.
Ingredients for the Topping
For Two Pizzas
250 g fresh mozzarella, preferably fior di latte
100 g Fiore Sardo DOP
140 g guanciale
180 g artichoke hearts
80 g Sardinian or high quality Italian green olives, pitted
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, very finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Fine sea salt, only if necessary
Fresh lemon zest, optional but recommended
Preparing the Mozzarella
Cut the mozzarella into small strips or pieces.
Place it in a fine mesh strainer.
Allow it to drain for at least 30 to 60 minutes.
This step is essential.
Excessive mozzarella water creates a wet pizza surface and interferes with proper browning.
The cheese should remain moist but should not release a puddle of liquid during baking.
Preparing the Artichokes
If using fresh artichokes, clean them carefully and remove the tough outer leaves.
Trim the stem.
Remove the choke if necessary.
Slice the hearts thinly.
Place immediately into lightly acidulated water to prevent excessive oxidation.
Drain thoroughly before cooking.
Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan.
Add the lightly crushed garlic.
Allow it to perfume the oil without burning.
Add the artichokes.
Sauté over medium high heat until lightly golden but still structured.
Season very lightly.
Remove the garlic.
Allow the artichokes to cool completely before using them on the pizza.
Do not place hot toppings onto proofed dough.
Preparing the Guanciale
Cut the guanciale into strips approximately 5 to 6 mm thick.
Place in a cold skillet.
Bring gradually to medium heat.
Allow the fat to begin rendering.
Cook only until the exterior begins developing color.
Do not make the guanciale completely crisp.
It will continue cooking in the oven.
Transfer to absorbent paper.
Reserve a small quantity of the rendered guanciale fat.
This is extremely flavorful and can be used very sparingly during finishing.
Preparing the Fiore Sardo
Finely grate approximately two thirds of the Fiore Sardo.
Break or shave the remaining portion into extremely thin irregular pieces.
The grated cheese will integrate with the pizza during baking.
The shaved cheese can be added selectively during the final moments or immediately after baking.
This produces greater aromatic complexity than simply melting all the cheese simultaneously.
Preparing the Oven
For a home oven, place a pizza steel or baking stone on the upper middle rack.
Preheat at the maximum available temperature for at least 45 to 60 minutes.
Ideally:
500°F to 550°F
260°C to 290°C
The oven itself may reach temperature relatively quickly.
The steel or stone does not.
Allow sufficient time for the baking surface to accumulate heat.
This stored thermal energy is what creates rapid expansion and proper bottom crust development.
Shaping the Pizza
Lightly dust the work surface with semola rimacinata.
Place one proofed dough ball onto the surface.
Using your fingertips, begin pressing gently from the center outward.
Leave approximately ¾ inch, 2 cm around the perimeter relatively untouched.
This preserves the gas accumulated during fermentation.
Turn the dough frequently.
Stretch gradually.
Do not use a rolling pin.
A rolling pin destroys much of the internal gas structure that you spent 24 hours developing.
Stretch to approximately 12 to 13 inches, 30 to 33 cm.
The center should remain thin but strong enough to support the toppings.
Building the Pizza
Transfer the stretched dough onto a lightly floured pizza peel.
Work quickly.
Add approximately 125 g drained mozzarella.
Distribute it evenly without completely covering the dough.
Add half of the sautéed artichokes.
Add half of the guanciale.
Add approximately half of the olives.
Finish with approximately 30 to 35 g grated Fiore Sardo.
Add a very small quantity of finely chopped rosemary.
Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
Do not add unnecessary salt.
Fiore Sardo, guanciale and olives already provide substantial salinity.
The Importance of Restraint
One of the easiest ways to destroy a good pizza is excessive topping.
More cheese does not automatically mean more flavor.
More guanciale does not automatically make the pizza better.
The dough must remain part of the dish.
Every bite should contain enough topping to provide flavor while still allowing the fermented wheat and semolina to remain recognizable.
This is especially important when working with powerful ingredients such as Fiore Sardo and guanciale.
Baking in a Home Oven
Slide the pizza directly onto the fully heated steel or stone.
Bake approximately 6 to 9 minutes, depending on your oven.
Rotate if necessary.
The crust should rise rapidly.
The exterior should become deeply golden.
The underside should develop distinct toasted coloration without burning.
The mozzarella should melt completely.
The guanciale should become crisp at the edges.
During the final minute, add several thin shavings of Fiore Sardo if desired.
Remove when the crust is properly developed.
Baking in a High Temperature Pizza Oven
If using a pizza oven capable of approximately:
700°F to 800°F
370°C to 425°C
reduce the baking time considerably.
Depending on temperature and oven configuration, approximately 2 to 4 minutes may be sufficient.
Rotate continuously for even coloration.
Because Fiore Sardo is an aged cheese and guanciale contains significant fat, extremely high Neapolitan temperatures require careful topping management to prevent scorching.
For this particular pizza, I prefer a slightly longer bake at moderately high temperature rather than a 60 to 90 second extreme temperature bake.
It produces better development of the semolina enriched crust.
Finishing the Pizza
Immediately after baking, add a few thin shavings of Fiore Sardo.
Add several drops of excellent extra virgin olive oil.
Finish with freshly ground black pepper.
Add an extremely small quantity of fresh rosemary.
Finally, grate a little fresh lemon zest over selected areas of the pizza.
The lemon zest is optional, but technically it performs an important function.
Guanciale and sheep's milk cheese provide considerable richness.
The aromatic oils from fresh lemon peel introduce brightness without adding the aggressive acidity that lemon juice would bring.
Use very little.
The diner should perceive freshness rather than obvious lemon flavor.
Professional Plating
Allow the pizza to rest for approximately 60 seconds after leaving the oven.
Transfer to a large wooden board or warm ceramic plate.
Cut into six or eight pieces.
Do not immediately cover the entire surface with additional cheese.
Instead, allow the colors and textures to remain visible.
You should clearly see:
The golden semolina enriched crust
White melted mozzarella
Green artichokes
Dark olives
Crisp guanciale
Fine shavings of Fiore Sardo
The presentation should appear rustic but controlled.
This is not fast food styling.
It should look like something prepared by a serious Italian kitchen.
Understanding the Flavor Structure
A good pizza requires contrast.
This recipe is built deliberately around several opposing sensations.
Semolina
Sweetness, wheat aroma and toasted flavor.
Mozzarella
Moisture and gentle dairy richness.
Fiore Sardo
Salinity, sheep's milk intensity, spice and smoky complexity.
Guanciale
Fat, savoriness and crisp texture.
Artichokes
Vegetal character and subtle bitterness.
Olives
Salinity and Mediterranean intensity.
Rosemary
Resinous aromatic freshness.
Lemon Zest
Brightness.
When these elements are correctly balanced, no single ingredient dominates.
Why We Do Not Use Tomato
Tomato would not necessarily make the pizza bad.
But it would change its architecture.
The purpose of this version is to highlight semolina, sheep's cheese, artichoke, guanciale and olive.
A tomato base would introduce acidity, sweetness and moisture powerful enough to shift attention away from those ingredients.
The absence of tomato allows the Fiore Sardo and artichokes to become much more expressive.
This is therefore intentionally a pizza bianca.
Common Mistakes
Using Too Much Semolina
Semola rimacinata provides extraordinary flavor, but excessive quantities can make pizza dough more difficult to stretch and potentially denser.
The blend used here provides character without sacrificing structure.
Underfermenting the Dough
A two hour dough will not develop the same aromatic complexity as a properly fermented 24 hour dough.
Give fermentation time.
Using Wet Mozzarella
Drain it.
Water released during baking can destroy the surface texture of the pizza.
Overloading with Fiore Sardo
This is a powerful cheese.
Treat it as an ingredient of concentration.
Cooking the Guanciale Completely Before Baking
It can burn during the second cooking.
Render it partially, then allow the oven to finish the job.
Using Raw Wet Artichokes
Excess moisture interferes with baking.
Cook and cool them first.
Adding Too Much Salt
Guanciale, olives and Fiore Sardo already contain salt.
Taste intelligently.
Using a Rolling Pin
Preserve the fermentation gases by stretching the dough with your hands.
Baking on a Cold Stone
Preheat for at least 45 minutes.
A hot oven with a lukewarm stone is not sufficient.
Wine Pairing
Cannonau di Sardegna DOC
Cannonau works beautifully when the guanciale and aged Fiore Sardo are prominent.
Its red fruit, Mediterranean herbal character and structure complement the richness of the pizza without disappearing behind the cheese.
Serve slightly cool at approximately 57°F to 61°F, 14°C to 16°C.
Vermentino di Gallura DOCG
For a fresher interpretation, particularly when the artichokes are more prominent, Vermentino di Gallura provides acidity, minerality and aromatic freshness.
The contrast with the guanciale and Fiore Sardo can be excellent.
Serve at approximately 46°F to 50°F, 8°C to 10°C.
Chef's Notes
Use semola rimacinata, not coarse semolina intended primarily for dusting or porridge.
Allow the dough to ferment for at least 18 hours.
Twenty four hours is preferable.
Drain the mozzarella properly.
Partially render the guanciale before baking.
Cook the artichokes separately so their texture and moisture can be controlled.
Use Fiore Sardo carefully.
Do not overload the pizza.
Do not use tomato simply because the dish is called pizza.
Allow the dough to remain visible.
And finish the pizza only after it leaves the oven with the ingredients whose aromas benefit from minimal heat.
Chef Gianluca's Recommendation
The most important thing about this recipe is understanding what makes it Sardinian inspired.
It is not enough to take an ordinary pizza, add Pecorino and give it a Sardinian name.
The identity begins with durum wheat and semolina.
Then come the ingredients that speak clearly of the island: sheep's milk cheese, artichokes, olives, Mediterranean herbs and the strong pastoral character represented by Fiore Sardo.
At the same time, we should never invent a tradition that does not exist.
This is a contemporary pizza.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Italian cuisine remains alive precisely because tradition can inspire new dishes when the original ingredients and techniques are treated with intelligence.
For the best result, ferment the dough for 24 hours, use Fiore Sardo as a powerful accent rather than an ordinary melting cheese, control the fat from the guanciale, and keep the artichokes clearly recognizable.
The finished pizza should be crisp underneath, airy at the edge, aromatic from the durum wheat, rich without becoming heavy, salty without becoming aggressive and unmistakably Mediterranean.
That is the balance this pizza needs.
Serving and Presentation
Serve at the temperature intended by the recipe, on a clean plate with the principal ingredient immediately recognizable. Use sauce in a controlled amount, keep garnishes edible and purposeful, and finish with fresh herbs, cheese, oil or acidity only when they improve the final bite.
Professional Technique
Bring the meat to an appropriate working temperature, dry the surface before searing, and respect the resting period after cooking. Use a thermometer when the cut benefits from precise doneness. Braised preparations should simmer gently rather than boil, while quick-cooking cuts should be removed from heat before carryover cooking pushes them past the target.
Chef Tips
Trim artichokes consistently, protect cut surfaces from oxidation, season every component independently, and reserve final acidity and delicate herbs for the last stage of cooking. For the cleanest result, taste the assembled dish rather than judging each component in isolation.
Nutritional Information
Approximate values per serving
Calories: 720 kcalProtein: 28 gTotal Fat: 31 gSaturated Fat: 11 gCarbohydrates: 78 gFiber: 6 gSugars: 4 gSodium: 1,150 mg
Nutritional values are approximate and depend on the flour, cheese, guanciale, olives, artichokes and amount of olive oil used.
Sardinia and the Culture of Bread
To understand this pizza, it is necessary to understand why durum wheat plays such an important role.
Sardinian bread making developed around wheat, semolina, water, salt, fermentation and extremely skilled manipulation of dough.
The island does not possess one single bread tradition.
It possesses many.
Pane Carasau is extraordinarily thin, crisp and twice baked.
Spianata is softer and more flexible.
Civraxiu is larger and more substantial.
Other breads change according to village, celebration, agricultural calendar and local custom.
This diversity tells us something fundamental about Sardinian cooking.
Flour is not merely an ingredient. It is part of the cultural identity of the island.
For this reason, the dough of this pizza incorporates semola rimacinata di grano duro rather than simply placing Sardinian ingredients on an ordinary pizza base and calling it Sardinian.
The identity must begin with the dough.
A Sardinian Inspired Pizza, Not a False Tradition
There is an important distinction to make.
This is not presented as an ancient Sardinian pizza recipe.
There is no need to invent history.
Instead, this is a contemporary Italian pizza constructed around ingredients and flavors strongly associated with Sardinia.
That distinction makes the recipe more credible, not less interesting.
Italian cuisine has always evolved.
Tradition provides the vocabulary.
The chef decides how respectfully to speak with it.
The Dough
The objective is not to produce a heavy semolina bread.
Pure durum wheat dough can become considerably more difficult to stretch and can produce a denser pizza structure.
For that reason, the formula combines strong wheat flour with semola rimacinata.
The semolina provides color, aroma, flavor and Sardinian character.
The strong flour provides the elasticity and gas retention necessary for a lighter pizza.
Storage and Reheating
Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a small amount of stock, water, or sauce as appropriate. Avoid repeated reheating because it damages texture and can dry proteins or overcook starches.
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