March 5, 2025

Tokyo Style Margherita with Spinach

Today, we’re diving into the refined and innovative world of Tokyo-style pizza. This Tokyo style inspired pizza takes a unique approach to dough stretching, shaping, and seasoning, resulting in a crust that stands apart from traditional Neapolitan-style pizzas.

From what we understand, Tokyo style pizza is a refined variation of Neapolitan pizza. This innovative style of pizza was Inspired by legendary pizzaiolo Susumu Kakinuma, of pioneering Tokyo pizzeria, Seirinkan.

From our research and observations, Tokyo-style pizza is distinguished by two key elements: its dough-stretching technique and the salt punch method.

Dough Stretching and Shaping

With traditional Neapolitan pizza, air is pushed outward to create a soft, round, puffy cornicione. From there, the dough is carefully stretched and shaped, taking care not to press out any air from the crust. With Tokyo style pizza (again, these are just our observations), the dough is also pressed from the center outward to form a rim. However, instead of the typical Neapolitan method, the dough is stretched by pinching the edges while rapidly rotating on a floured surface. This creates a jagged, rippled effect with a slightly crispier texture, rather than the smooth, rounded cornicione typical of Neapolitan pizza.

The Salt Punch

The salt punch involves throwing, not just a pinch, but a punch, of salt directly onto the pizza stone before launching the pizza into the oven. This technique seasons the underside of the pizza as it bakes, enhancing the crust with a deeper, more intense, and pronounced flavour.

For this Tokyo style Margherita, we started with a tomato sauce base made from San Marzano tomatoes, layered with fresh mozzarella and a generous sprinkle of Grana Padano for a nutty, savoury boost. A handful of fresh spinach adds a vibrant, earthy contrast, while a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) ties everything together with a smooth, rich finish.

Tokyo Style Margherita with Spinach

This pizza takes the beloved Margherita and refines it with Tokyo-style dough handling and seasoning techniques. The combination of San Marzano tomato sauce, creamy mozzarella, nutty Grana Padano, and fresh spinach results in a beautifully balanced pie with a crisp, yet light crust, and a bold, well-seasoned flavour profile.

While this isn’t a strictly traditional Tokyo Margherita, it embraces the essence of the style while incorporating the ingredients we had on hand. We look forward to experimenting further with this exciting approach to pizza-making!

To make this Tokyo Style Margherita with Spinach pizza you'll need a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time to prep the dough and toppings. Follow our step-by-step instructions and you'll be indulging in a slice in no time. Bon appétit! And don't forget to check out some of our other pizza recipes for inspiration for your next pizza making day!

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Servings people

Equipment

Outdoor Pizza Oven, Pizza Steel, or Stone (if using a home oven)
1 Pizza Peel
1 Sauce ladle
1 wooden chopping board or peel for prep and serving

Ingredients

1 pizza dough ball
1 ladle of pizza sauce
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Grana Padano cheese
Fresh spinach leaves
Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Prepare Dough: Follow any of our dough recipes. You will need to prepare the dough at least 24 hours ahead of time.
Prepare Sauce: We recommend our standard pizza sauce which is versatile, simple to make and is perfect for Neapolitan style pizzas. Spice up this sauce however you like, remember the best part about making pizza is the creative process!
Prepare Cheese: Place your fresh mozzarella in a container or bowl with a paper towel at the bottom to absorb excess moisture. Tear fresh mozzarella into medium-sized pieces. Finely grate grana padano. Set aside.
Prepare Spinach: Finely chop a handful of fresh spinach leaves. Set aside.
Preheat Oven:
If using an outdoor pizza like an Ooni pizza oven, aim for a temperature of 450-500°C at the center of your pizza stone. Use an infrared thermometer to ensure accuracy. It should take around 25-30 minutes to reach temperature.
For a home oven, using a pizza steel or stone, place the stone or steel inside the oven and preheat to the highest temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Prepare Base: On a lightly floured surface, stretch the dough using the Tokyo-style technique (video coming soon). Pinch and rapidly rotate the edges to create an irregular, rippled crust. Once the base is shaped, lightly dust your pizza peel and transfer the dough onto the peel.
Assemble Pizza: Assemble the pizza by spreading a ladle of sauce in a circular motion, starting from the center and working outwards. Add a generous sprinkle of grana padano cheese, distribute pieces of fresh mozzarella evenly across the dough, ensuring the pieces are about 2 cm in diameter and at least 1.5 cm apart. Finish with drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Salt Punch Technique: Just before launching the pizza, throw a generous "punch" of salt directly onto the pizza stone or steel. This seasons the underside of the crust as it bakes, enhancing its depth of flavour.
Bake Your Pizza:
If you're using an outdoor pizza oven, launch the pizza into the oven and bake for 60-90 seconds. Keep an eye on the pie and rotate every 10-15 seconds to ensure even cooking and to avoid burning.
For a home oven with a pizza steel or stone, the bake time should be around 7-10 minutes.
Serving: Once done, remove pizza from the oven and place on a serving board. Sprinkle with chopped spinach, followed by a final drizzle of EVOO. Leave to cool slightly before slicing. Now, it’s time to enjoy your Tokyo Style Inspired Margherita Pizza!