Sourdough Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sourdough?
Sourdough refers both to bread, and to the starter used to make it. Starter begins with a combination of flour and water, and can range in consistency based on the type of flour and amount of water used.
When flour is mixed with liquid, the friendly bacteria (lactobacilli) and wild yeast in both the flour and your surrounding environment start working together. Within their flour-and-water mixture (now called starter), these tiny living creatures generate byproducts that cause bread to rise and give it the complex, rich flavor that we love so much.
How long does it take to make our Sourdough Pizza?
From start to finish, it takes at least 5 days for our pizza crust to go from dough to ready-to-serve.
Day 1: Mix a large batch of dough using our Sourdough Starter as the base. Place covered in refrigerator for 1-2 days to bulk ferment (break down and develop flavor).
Day 2: Start another batch of dough. (We always have multiple batches of dough in various stages in the kitchen.)
Day 3: Remove 2-day old dough from refrigerator. At this point, the dough will have increased considerably in volume. It will look bubbly and alive. Once portioned into greased pans, allow dough to rest before stretching it all the way to the edges. Once the base of the pan is covered from corner to corner, place on baking rack to rise overnight – 10+ hours.
Day 4: The next morning, bake off each pan of risen dough to a golden color. This is the first bake of two in the lifecycle of our pizza. Let cool, then wrap in plastic before placing in the freezer for 1-2 days. The freezing process allows the flavor of the sourdough to deepen just as a refrigerated sauce would only get better after a day or so in the fridge.
Day 5: Remove frozen pizza crust from freezer. Unwrap, top with our homemade pizza sauce, cheese and desired toppings. Bake for 12 minutes. Cut and serve!
Why do you sometimes run out of pizza?
Our pizza is made from scratch. A combination of the long process of making sourdough with the reality of a limited amount of cold storage and cooking space means we have limits to how much we can make in a week. We will always have pizza on the days we are open. We will always serve pizza at 4pm. If you’re in the mood, please come early to make sure you get your slice.
Why can’t I call ahead to order?
We’re just not there. And honestly, for the reasons above we might never be. The best place to eat a slice? At the Center of the Universe!
