We built Bada Bing after a trip to Rome changed everything. One bite of pizza al taglio — cut fresh from the tray, weighed, handed over in paper — and the question wasn’t “should we do this?” It was “why hasn’t anyone done this properly in Dubai?” We trained with a Roman pizzaiolo, brought the method back, and have been fermenting dough for 72 hours every day since.
Walk into any pizzeria in Dubai and you’ll find round pies. Soft centres, charred crusts, toppings sliding to the edge. That’s Neapolitan-style, and there’s nothing wrong with it. But Roman pizza is something else entirely — and once you understand the difference, you’ll see why we built Bada Bing around it.
What is Pizza al Taglio?
Al taglio means “by the cut” in Italian. Roman pizza is baked in large rectangular trays, then cut to order with scissors — you point to the section you want, they cut it, weigh it, and hand it over. It sounds simple. The result is anything but.
The base is thick enough to have structure but light enough to feel nothing like focaccia. It holds toppings without going soggy. The crust is crispy on the bottom and pillowy inside. And unlike Neapolitan pizza, which is built to be eaten immediately, Roman al taglio holds well — the dough was made for it.
The dough is everything
What separates Roman pizza from everything else starts before any topping touches it. The dough is made with a high hydration ratio — more water than most pizza doughs — and fermented for 72 hours. That long fermentation breaks down the gluten structure, making the finished pizza lighter, crispier, and significantly easier to digest than fast-made dough.
At Bada Bing, the same 72-hour fermented sourdough that goes into our pizza goes into our sandwiches and pastries. It’s not a separate pizza dough or a bakehouse dough. It’s one dough, and it’s the foundation of everything.
The result is a base that does something most pizza doughs can’t: it holds weight. Brisket, burrata, nduja, truffle cream — toppings that would collapse a thinner base stay exactly where they should be, bite after bite.
Roman vs Neapolitan: the actual differences
Neapolitan pizza is round, thin in the centre, cooked at very high temperature for 60–90 seconds. It’s designed to be eaten immediately, while the edges are still charred and the centre is soft. It’s a specific style with strict rules — and it’s excellent when done correctly.
Roman al taglio is rectangular, thicker, baked at a lower temperature for longer. The base develops a deep golden crust underneath while staying open and airy inside. It’s designed to be cut, not slid from a peel. It’s sold by weight or portion, not by the whole pie.
Neither is better. They’re different things. But in Dubai, Neapolitan-style dominates. Roman al taglio done properly is rare. That’s exactly why we built Bada Bing around it.
Why it works at Bada Bing
We offer two styles — Roman and Classic — both built on the same 72-hour fermented base. The Roman is square, the Classic is round. Both use 100% natural mozzarella from Neapolitan makers based in Dubai, delivering daily. Both use San Marzano tomatoes. Neither cuts corners on ingredients because the base itself takes three days to make — it would be a waste to compromise at the topping stage.
Come in. Point at what you want. Let us cut it. That’s the Roman way, and it’s exactly how we do it in Dubai Marina.