Dough 8 min read
Pizza Dough Troubleshooting: Sticky, Tough, Dense, or Bland
Most pizza dough problems fall into four categories: sticky, tough, dense, or bland. Each has specific causes rooted in the interaction between flour,...
Dough 10 min read
Pizza Dough Recipe by Weight: 4 Formulas for 4 Styles
Cups and tablespoons are the enemy of consistent pizza dough. A "cup of flour" can weigh anywhere from 120g to 160g depending on how you scoop it. That...
Dough 11 min read
Pizza Dough Kneading: Hand vs. Stand Mixer vs. No-Knead
There are three fundamentally different ways to develop gluten in pizza dough, and they produce noticeably different crusts. Hand mixing gives you...
Dough 8 min read
Pizza Dough Hydration Guide: What Percentage Should You Use?
Hydration is the single number that determines more about your pizza than any other variable in your dough formula. It controls how the dough handles...
Dough 10 min read
Pizza Dough Cold Fermentation: The Complete Guide
If there is one technique that separates memorable pizza from forgettable pizza, it is cold fermentation. Not better flour, not a more expensive oven,...
Styles 8 min read
Pinsa Romana: Ancient Roman Pizza or Modern Marketing?
Pinsa Romana has a great story. According to the marketing, it descends from an ancient Roman flatbread — a humble peasant food made from mixed grains,...
Toppings 8 min read
Pepperoni Science: Why It Cups, Curls, and Crisps
If you have ever pulled a pizza out of the oven and noticed that some pepperoni slices curled into little cups filled with rendered grease while others...
Dough 10 min read
Overnight Pizza Dough: The Simplest Recipe That Works
This is the gateway recipe. If you've never made pizza dough before, or if every recipe you've tried felt like too many steps, too many ingredients, or...
Equipment 9 min read
Ooni vs. Roccbox vs. Home Oven: Honest Pizza Oven Comparison
The two questions every home pizza maker eventually asks: Do I need a dedicated pizza oven? And if so, which one?
Styles 8 min read
New York Style Pizza Dough: The Science Behind the Fold
The fold test is the ultimate structural benchmark for New York pizza. Pick up a slice by the crust edge, and if it holds its own weight with only a...
Styles 8 min read
Neapolitan Pizza at Home: What You Actually Need to Know
Neapolitan pizza is the only pizza style with a government-approved certification. The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) and the European...
Science 9 min read
Maillard Reaction vs. Caramelization on Pizza: What's Actually Browning
Every time you pull a pizza from the oven, you're looking at the results of two completely different chemical reactions happening simultaneously on the...
Toppings 7 min read
Low-Moisture vs. Fresh Mozzarella: When to Use Each on Pizza
The mozzarella you put on your pizza matters more than most toppings decisions you'll make. Not because one type is "better" -- but because each type...
Technique 11 min read
Launching and Rotating Pizza: How to Avoid a Stuck Disaster
The most stressful 30 seconds in home pizza making happen between the moment you finish topping your pizza on the peel and the moment it's sitting on...
Equipment 8 min read
Infrared Thermometer vs. Oven Thermometer for Pizza: Why You Need Both
Most home pizza makers own an oven thermometer. Fewer own an infrared thermometer. Almost none understand why the two give different readings and what...