Thanks for joining our Pizza Class!

We hope you left with a deeper understanding of flour, tomatoes, and all the foundational ingredients that make a great pizza — plus a few tips and tricks to level up your home pizza game. Whether you’re aiming for crispy, chewy, bubbly, or bold, the basics are your best friend.

Inside, you’ll find dough and sauce recipes to get you started, along with some topping ideas for inspiration. Don’t be afraid to experiment — pizza is one of the challenging yet forgiving and fun foods to play with. Trust your taste, use what you’ve got, and see where your creativity takes you.

Keep experimenting with new flours, fermentation times, sauces, and toppings. Take notes, trust your senses, and don’t sweat the bubbles (or lack thereof). The best way to get better at pizza… is to make more pizza.

We’d love to see what you’re baking — tag us, send a pic, or drop by another class. And most of all, enjoy the process.

Remember: pizza night doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be fun (and delicious!).

Pizza Dough Recipes

Preferments

Biga

• 100g Tipo 00 flour

• 50–55g warm water

• Pinch of yeast
  

Mix loosely and allow to rest:

• Room temperature: 12 hours

• Fridge: 24–72 hours
  
  

Poolish

• 100g Tipo 00 flour

• 95–105g warm water

• Pinch of yeast

Mix until fully incorporated and allow to rest:

• Room temperature: 6–10 hours

• Fridge: 12–36 hours
  
  

Low Hydration 00 Dough

Best for: Crispy dough in open-flame ovens (Ooni, Gozney, etc.)

• 1kg Tipo 00 flour

• 585g warm water

• 2g instant yeast

• 25g salt

High Hydration 00 Dough

Best for: Softer dough in open-flame ovens (Ooni, Gozney, etc.)

• 1kg Tipo 00 flour

• 535g cold water

• 100g ice

• 3g instant yeast

• 20g salt

• 5g oil

Note: The ice helps control fermentation and maintain structure with higher hydration. It will also make it easier to portion the dough.

New York-Style Dough

Best for: Pizza stones, BBQs, or conventional ovens

• 1kg bread flour

• 580g cold water

• 100g ice

• 35g salt

• 10g sugar

• 6g instant yeast

• 25g oil

Tip: Cold fermentation for 24–72 hours improves texture and flavor. This is a very high yeast dough designed to keep thin crust pizzas super airy and crispy. Be sure to really press down your edges when you are stretching this dough.

Preferment-Based Dough Recipes

Biga Dough

Base Ingredients:

• 1kg prepared Biga

• 80–100g water

• 1g yeast

• 20g salt
  

Method:

1. Add about half the water to a mixing bowl, along with the salt, yeast, and biga.

2. Mix until the biga has absorbed the initial ingredients.

3. Gradually add the remaining water in small increments, mixing as you go.

4. Stop when you’re happy with the dough’s consistency — it should be smooth, elastic, and not overly sticky

Poolish Dough

Base Ingredients:

• 600g prepared Poolish

• ~400g flour (adjust as needed)

• 1g yeast

• 20g salt

Method:

1. Mix the poolish and yeast until fully incorporated.

2. Add the salt and half of the flour.

3. Mix until a sticky dough begins to form.

4. Continue adding the remaining flour in small portions until the dough pulls cleanly from the sides of the bowl and has a soft, workable texture.
   
   

Pizza Sauce Recipes

Neapolitan Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 can crushed DOP San Marzano tomatoes
  
  

• Pinch of salt
  
  

• Splash of olive oil
  
  

Method:

1. Crush the tomatoes by hand until you're happy with the texture.
   
   

2. Add salt and a splash of olive oil.
   
   

3. No cooking necessary — it’s ready to use!
   

Pizzeria-Style Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 can crushed tomatoes (thicker varieties preferred)
  
  

• Generous dash of dried oregano
  
  

• Generous dash of dried basil
  
  

• Pinch of sugar
  
  

• Salt to taste
  
  

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
   
   

2. Simmer over low heat for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   

New York-Style Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 can crushed tomatoes
  
  

• Dried oregano, to taste
  
  

• Salt, to taste
  
  

• 5% olive oil (roughly 2–3 tbsp per can)
  
  

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
   
   

2. No cooking required — use straight from the bowl for that classic New York flavor.
   
   

Detroit-Style Sauce

Ingredients:

• 800g can of crushed tomatoes
  
  

• ½ can tomato paste
  
  

• 20g sugar
  
  

• 7g dried oregano
  
  

• 5g salt
  
  

• 5g garlic powder
  
  

• 5g onion powder
  
  

• 5g chili powder
  
  

• 3g black pepper
  
  

• 2g chili flakes
  
  

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.
   
   

2. Simmer on low heat for 30–60 minutes, until the sauce becomes thick, sweet, and richly flavored. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
   
   

White Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1kg heavy cream
  
  

• 1 small cinnamon stick
  
  

• 2 juniper berries
  
  

• 10 peppercorns
  
  

• 1 star anise
  
  

• 5g toasted fennel seed
  
  

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot and simmer on very low heat for at least an hour, or until the cream begins to thicken slightly.
   
   

2. Strain the mixture to remove the spices.
   
   

3. For traditional flavor and thickness, ask your local deli counter if they have any Parmigiano or Grana Padano rinds. Add as many as you can get your hands on while it simmers, then remove before straining.
   
   

If you can’t find rinds, stir in a generous handful of grated parmesan after straining and mix vigorously until melted and incorporated.

Topping Ideas

Italian-Inspired

Sicilian

Sundried tomato pesto, sliced olives, grilled artichokes, bocconcini, and anchovies(!!!) (optional, but try it!)

Prosciutto & Fig

Bake with cream sauce and sliced figs. After baking, top with fresh arugula, sliced prosciutto, and a drizzle of balsamic (fig balsamic if you’ve got it!).

P&G (Pear & Gorgonzola)

Bake with either cream sauce or olive oil, sliced pears, and gorgonzola. Finish with parmesan and toasted walnuts. Pro tip: Poach your pears in orange juice, wine, honey, and a splash of cider vinegar for insane flavor.

Charcuterie

Bake with tomato sauce, sliced provolone, grated fontina, Genoa salami, Calabrese salami, pickled eggplant, and grilled artichokes.

Trapanese (My favorite!)

Bake with almond pesto, bocconcini, charred broccoli, and Italian sausage. After baking, top with bruschetta, toasted almonds, and lemon zest.

Pork & Apple

Bake with red or white sauce, porchetta, thinly shaved apples, and dollops of your favorite pesto (I use pumpkin seed pesto). Finish with parmesan and a drizzle of honey.

Western-Inspired

Pepperoni & Hot Honey

Simple but a modern classic. Bake with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni. Drizzle with Shorty’s hot honey after baking.

Taqueria Pizza

Bake with ground beef, pulled chicken or sliced pork, and cheese. After baking, top with avocado crema (blended avocado, lemon, sour cream), pico de gallo, and your favorite sweet salsa (pineapple or corn are great). Pickled chilies optional.

Reuben

Add a shot of Dijon mustard to your cream sauce. Bake with sliced pastrami, pickles, and onions. Optional: add sauerkraut (I do!). Finish with honey mustard or garnish with sliced fried pickles.

ABC (Apple, Bacon, Cheddar)

Bake with red or white sauce, thinly shaved apples, and chopped raw bacon (it’ll render on the pizza). Near the end of baking, layer on slices of cheddar and finish in the oven—careful, cheddar splits easily! Drizzle with Shorty’s hot honey.

NYC Vodka Pizza

Bake with vodka sauce, mozzarella, sweety drop peppadews, and Calabrese salami. Garnish with toasted breadcrumbs for extra texture.