Our Philosophy
About our dough
After my first trip to Italy in 2004 I had noticed that when I ate the pizza, all throughout the country, I didn't have the same heavy feeling that I typically associated with Pizza back home in the U.S. As a chef for over 30 years, I decided to investigate this phenomena and the results blew my mind, and thus, led me down this rabbit hole to develop a better pizza to share with all of my family and friends.
The first discovery came from understanding the difference between the wheat grown and produced in the U.S. vs. that in Italy. Without boring you to death, here are the cliff notes and our reason for using Italian "00" flour in our dough.
- The American wheat varietal is most commonly hard, red wheat. Italian's grow soft, white wheat. This Italian soft, white wheat, is lower in gluten protein, by a substantial amount, often up to 30% lower.
- American wheat is typically treated with a common herbicide that has Glyphosate, an effective product in producing higher, more affordable and consistent yields (herbicide), which ultimately drives down the cost. Unfortunately, glyphosate is known to kill the enzyme (EPSPS) naturally accruing in wheat that helps our bodies digest wheat, which disrupts our immune health and microbiome.
My next discovery came from my understanding of baking and fermentation. As American's (myself included) we are always in a hurry and we long for instant gratification. My culinary education teaches the exact opposite. In order to get the best flavor from food you have to be patient and let the flavors bloom, emulsify and mature. This is especially true for pizza dough. While much of the Pizza made in the U.S. is fermented warm (made with hot water and allowed to rise at room temperature) and then put in the fridge for what is called a "cold crash". Our fermentation process is done cold from beginning to end. Ideally, 72 hours of cold fermentation, to be exact. This is because slow, cold fermentation allows the yeast more time to digest carbohydrates and release flavors, resulting in a light, airy crust and a more complex flavor.
And to tie in the art and science we'd be remiss if we didn't add a little "cowboy" to it by spiking each batch of dough with a bottle of beer. The beer acts as both a flavor enhancer and it aids in the leavening and fermentation process, ultimately creating the perfect chewiness to the dough.
And last but not least, we cook with ultra high heat. From a baking standpoint, this is common (especially in Italian Pizza) because high heat makes the outside crispy and the inside chewy. Our Italian designed cabinet ovens cook at 500º with very little room which traps the heat and produces an amazing pizza within 3:50 to 4:15 (depending on the specific gravity of the pizza), resulting in what we believe is the scientifically perfect pizza.
Our Cheese
All of our ingredients are procured with the same level of intensity and understanding as the flour in our dough. And trust me, all cheese is not created equal. First and foremost is understanding the additives that go into cheese. The most common is an anti-caking ingredient called cellulose. Cellulose is basically refined tree pulp (AKA Sawdust) and something we believe should not be in cheese or in our bodies. Our mozzarella is clean label, rBST free, cellulose free, GMO free and Kosher. If you want a little of the science on flavor, here you go. We use a very specific blend or whole milk and part skim, mozzarella. Whole milk is awesome because of the way it melts and the stretch (industry term is "Pull") that comes from whole milk mozzarella. However, whole milk mozzarella has a higher "milkfat" and lower moisture level than part skim mozzarella. So balancing these two pieces is critical so that we get the right "pull", the right flavor, the perfect amount of browning and so that we can avoid the fatty pooling from too low of moisture that can make a pizza look greasy.
The Sauce
Much like our tours of the grain fields and processors of flour in Italy, we look at our tomatoes the very same way. I remember, as a kid, the way tomatoes used to taste. My grandmother's ham and cheese sandwich with lettuce, tomato and mayo is something simple yet so hard to replicate. The tomato was distincly the star of the show. So much in fact that I would often just eat sliced tomatoes from her garden with a little salt and pepper. It was perfect!
As an Ag. kid growing up in Montana, I saw firsthand how industrial agriculture has pressured and shaped the current state of farming in the U.S. Big Agriculture's priority is more focused on consistency, uniformity, predictability, price and aesthetic than it is on flavor. However, in my many trips to Italy I noticed how the tomatoes tasted like those from my childhood. That is when I learned about a specific designation they use for products in Italy called D.O.P. (roughly, "protected designation of origin"). This is true products like Balsamic of Modena, Prosciutto Ham and of course San Marzano Tomatoes. This is a true heirloom, plum tomato, that can only be called a San Marzano by having the "D.O.P." and it is that tomato that reminds me of my childhood and thus the base of our sauce. All that is added to our sauce is salt & pepper (of course), olive oil, garlic and some fresh oregano. Clean and simple!
Vegetables
This is another point of pride for us. As I mentioned, growing up in a farming and ranch community in Montana, I remember growing corn and eating it fresh in the fields, right off the stalk. The sweetness of a raw product in the field shouldn't taste that amazing, but it dies and it is so hard to duplicate. Being a chef/owner and trying to buy that same kind of product is hard. There are issues of logistics, volume and safety to consider when owning a business but this is a piece that we will not compromise on when it comes to procuring that same type of freshness, quality and safety.
100% of our produce has to have a "5 Star Safety Standard" from field to fork. We know and have relationships with our direct growers but we also know the custody chain, the cold chain and the GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) posted and demonstrated by all these growers. I could bore you with more crazy details than you would ever want to know but here are the high level pieces most people find interesting.
1.) Our products are never harvested near roads or under power lines (avoids dirt, cross contamination, damage).
2.) Our growers have "Bird Dogs" (field inspectors) that walk every row to ensure the fields are free of rodents, game trails, damages.
3.) All growers and pickers label products that allow us to trace product back to what farm, what field, what row and what person handled the product. This is critical to food safety, traceability and response to any issue or potential recall due to food borne illness, cross contamination or product safety and recalls.
We are proud to visit these fields directly and meet with our grower partners and continue our education and relationships with these amazing people and their teams.
Dietary Restrictions
If you've made it this far into my food "nerdery", thank you! Wow! you're committed.
We are also committed, not just to the talking points of our core products, but to the whole of our product catalog that goes into making all of our recipes. That includes food sensitivities. I have a niece who is celiac and daughter who is vegan. As a the family chef responsible for holiday meals, and cooking in general, when we all get together, these two dietary sensitivities have been very challenging and educational because of my high standards and expectations when it comes to how food should taste and what should and shouldn't be in the ingredient label. And while we do not make claims to be Gluten Free, due to the high-probability of cross contamination, we do try to be gluten friendly and procure the best products available for other dietary needs and restrictions. Two of our most common questions on our products are about our gluten free pizza crust and our vegan cheese. Below are the ingredient statements for those of you curious.
Gluten Free Pizza Crust - from our Partners at Venice Bakery
INGREDIENTS: Water, Rice Flour, Modified Rice Starch, Potato Starch, Sugar, Tapioca Starch, Potato Flour, Canola/Olive Oil Blend, Yeast, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Cultured Brown Rice.
Vegan Cheese (Emily Approved) - from our partners at Good Planet Foods
INGREDIENTS; Filtered Water, Coconut Oil, Potato Starch, Tapioca Starch, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavors (Vegan Sources), Chickpea Protein, Calcium Citrate, Sea Salt, Konjac And Xanthan Gums, Annatto And Turmeric Extracts (Color), Powdered Cellulose Added To Prevent Caking