QUESTION: How important is salt to the texture and taste of dough? ANSWER: Salt is very important to the texture, taste and performance of the dough and the finished crust. Without salt, the finished crust will have a bland flavor. Also, the dough will rise quickly and might even “blow,” … More
Business & Marketing
Ancient Grains
Ancient grains—including quinoa, freekeh, Kamut, farro, amaranth and others—have been used by chefs for thousands of years, but they’ve started making headlines the past couple of years for their tip-top nutritional values as well as their versatility. And pizzeria owners have noticed; today, customers may encounter a variety of these … More
Food & Ingredients
Start Me Up!
Cheesy bread, mozzarella sticks, hot wings—these popular appetizers are ubiquitous on menus today. But (pardon the pun) those are just for starters. As customers’ palates become more sophisticated, many pizzerias have begun to experiment with their appetizer menus, serving up regional favorites ranging from poutine and haddock in New Hampshire … More
Food & Ingredients
High-flying wings
To your average barnyard chicken, wings are worthless—she’s got two of them, but, bless her heart, the poor critter still can’t fly. For hungry humans, though, wings make for a delightful delicacy—meaty, succulent and just plain finger-lickin’ good. They’re hotter than ever these days, and pizzerias around the country have … More
Business & Marketing
Zio’s pizzeria and grill
A dollar won’t buy you much in Manhattan, but a hungry diner on his lunch break can find a few pizzerias here and there selling slices for 99 cents. Usually, you can’t even buy a soda for that price! Surprisingly, selling high-quality pizza at a low price can yield a profit, and Zio’s Pizzeria and Grill (ziospizzasyosset.com) in … More
Food & Ingredients
In Lehmann's terms: sticky situations
Question: A major problem we have is wet and sticky dough when we take it out of the dough boxes after a night in the cooler. We have tried reducing the amount of water added to the dough, but this has not helped. What is the solution? Answer: Your description of your dough management procedure tells … More
Food & Ingredients
Pesto, change-o
As with many Italian foods, pesto emigrated to the States during the post World War II period, but while spaghetti and pizza flourished, the traditional basil-based paste proved a late bloomer. However, today pesto boasts a wide fan base that has elevated it to chain eatery menus nationwide, and it’s now available in a variety … More
Food & Ingredients
The big cheese
Cheddar Information provided by Mark Todd (aka “The Cheese Dude”), consultant for the California Milk Advisory Board The most popular cheese in the world, cheddar is named after the Cheddar Gorge in England, where it was first developed by cheese makers. Cheddar describes a family of semihard and hard cheeses, offering a range of flavors, from mild … More
Chef Santo Bruno
Apple bread pie
When I was thinking about what to write for this month’s issue, I grabbed my old recipe book and found a very easy-to-make recipe, for Apple Bread Pie. You will enjoy this one because it’s so simple to throw together; you can do all the prep work for it in 20 minutes … More
Food & Ingredients
Flavorful focaccia
QUESTION: I’m interested in serving focaccia bread as a starter; do you have a recipe you can share? ANSWER: Focaccia is similar to pizza in that both are topped with various ingredients. As compared to pizza, focaccia is sparsely topped or accented with olive oil, herbs, coarse sea salt, and thinly sliced onions, tomatoes or olives. … More
Business & Marketing
Ready made
Dough—whether hand-tossed, rolled or sheeted into shape, whether thin-crust, deep-dish or pan style—is the foundation of a pizza and the pride on which many a pizzeria is built. And, while many owners rely on tried-and-true (in some cases, second or third-generation) recipes, with advances in technology and manufacturing, many premade dough and crust suppliers report that “frozen” … More
Food & Ingredients
Selling sandwiches
The true origin of the sandwich is murky, but one popular myth points to English nobleman John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, who, during a lengthy card playing spree in the 1700s, requested a meal that he could eat without getting his hands dirty—or interrupting his game. In 20th-century America, sandwiches grew to be associated with different regions of … More