Why this formula works
Only 50 g espresso is brushed onto a fully baked, partly cooled crust in two measured passes. It gives coffee flavor without saturation. Egg-free mascarpone cream avoids raw-egg risk, while ladyfingers are split between espresso-touched pieces and dry top crunch to reproduce tiramisu contrast.
Honest timing
| Active preparation | 30 min |
| Hydration / proof / preheat | 1 h |
| Cooking / baking | 9 min |
| Elapsed total | 1 h 39 min |
Ingredients
- mature room-temperature pizza dough ball240 g (8.5 oz)
- unsalted butter, melted15 g (0.53 oz)
- fine sugar20 g (0.71 oz)
- strong espresso, completely cooled50 g (1.76 oz)
- cold mascarpone180 g (6.3 oz)
- cold heavy cream120 g (4.2 oz)
- powdered sugar30 g (1.06 oz)
- vanilla extract2 g (0.07 oz)
- unsweetened cocoa powder8 g (0.28 oz)
- dark chocolate, shaved30 g (1.06 oz)
- crisp ladyfinger biscuits, roughly broken60 g (2.12 oz)
- fine sea salt1 g
Equipment
- digital scale
- espresso maker
- cold mixing bowl
- electric whisk
- pastry brush
- fine sieve
- pizza peel
- cooling rack
Exact method
- 1. Brew espresso and cool completely. Preheat the selected pizza surface according to the cold-finish dessert table.
- 2. Whip cold cream, mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt to medium-firm peaks. Chill at least 30 minutes while the oven heats.
- 3. Open dough to 28–30 cm, transfer to the peel and confirm sliding. Brush with butter and sprinkle fine sugar evenly inside the rim.
- 4. Bake the bare base with the matching setup until center is crisp and underside brown. Rotate once, then rack-rest 5 minutes.
- 5. Brush 30 g cooled espresso over the warm base in two light passes, waiting 30 seconds between them. Never pour it.
- 6. Toss half the ladyfinger pieces with remaining 20 g espresso; leave the other half completely dry.
- 7. Spread mascarpone cream over the cooled, no-longer-steaming base. Add damp and dry ladyfinger pieces evenly.
- 8. Sift cocoa over the surface and add dark-chocolate shavings immediately before serving.
- 9. Cut into six portions with a clean knife; do not leave assembled pizza warm.
How to know it is ready
- Baked base is crisp before espresso.
- Espresso darkens the surface without pooling.
- Mascarpone cream holds ridges.
- Ladyfinger topping includes both tender and crisp pieces.
Troubleshooting
- Wet base: espresso was poured or base was underbaked.
- Loose cream: ingredients were warm or mixture underwhipped.
- Grainy mascarpone: it was overbeaten after thickening.
- No crunch: every ladyfinger piece was soaked or assembled too early.
How to adapt the base recipe
- For adult flavor, replace 10 g espresso with 10 g Marsala and label alcohol clearly.
- For stronger coffee, use a more concentrated espresso, not more liquid.
- For 35 cm, use 300 g dough and scale cream to 380 g total, but cap espresso at 65 g.
Storage and food safety
Keep assembled pizza refrigerated and use within 1 day. Never leave mascarpone cream at room temperature beyond 2 hours. Store components separately for advance preparation.
Allergens
Egg, Gluten (wheat), Milk Depending on the selected product, may also contain: Soy.
Always verify every label and cross-contact risk; brand formulations can change.