Perhaps it’s just more American bumptiousness, but in my opinion the English can’t do pizza. And so I’ve taken it upon myself to figure it out. I’ve experimented with different ratios of flour to water to yeast. Rising time. Rolling techniques. Sauces. Toppings. Oven temperatures. Metal. Then stone.
And with the experimentation, came the pizza party. I had to recruit a few more guinea pigs, otherwise Tom would inevitably turn into this kid. And with one party, came another and another. And then Columbia Road. For a very brief stint, I worked alongside Uyen of Fernandez and Leluu, selling pizza. And it was good.
But just when things were getting off the ground, I had to stop. We thought we were operating with the proper permits, but then were told otherwise. So back to the cutting board I go.
I can confirm that Jen's pizza is the finest. Mmmm-hmmmm.
Were there any Jonny-friendly editions?
Can we place orders for Double-Pepperroni, Four-Cheese combo?
Those pizzas look fantastic. The problem I find when I try making them at home is that my oven just doesn't get hot enough.
Do you do stuffed crusts? Only kidding – the headline photo looks stunning. I want pizza now.
You're definitely doing something right as the pizza's I tried the other night are some of the best I've eaten in the UK so far… particularly the meatball one which blew me away.
Thanks for all the great comments, guys! Feels good to know that the effort might be paying off.
JB -don't worry, non pork pizza toppings in currently in R&D.
Lizzie -I have to crank the oven as hot as that baby will go, and the key is a granite slab. Can't do without it.
Grubworm -Such high praise, I almost don't feel worthy. But thank you! Means a lot.
Mr Noodles – I would actually be quite interested to see a stuffed crust done domestically. It could be fairly amazing…
Jen – quite frankly I think you need more training. I expect pizzas this weekend for practice
I feel honoured to have been invited to your pizza party, I loved the pizze, the thin crust, the fresh and creative toppings. My favourite was the spiced meatballs, but they were all fantastic. Thank you again for a very delish and entertaining evening.
My highlight was the pudding personally.
Jen! I was super-into with pizza making this winter, too! But with Delfina Pizza 5 blocks away (& only 1 tempting block from the pool where I swim a few times a week), it's hard to feel…proud, or even satisfied with the results. I think I managed to make really good flatbread, but not pizza. And I'm just not as thorough as you are.
There's an essay in one of Jeffrey Steingarten's books (I forget which) about his quest for perfect pizza, and all the ways he tried to hack his cooking devices so they would get way hotter than they're supposed to! Now, that man is thorough.
P.S. Hell yeah for bumptiousness! Though I'm not really sure what that is or how to spell it…