PZ - June 2023

JUNE 2023

CANADIANPIZZAMAG.COM

NO. 900

NAPOLITAINE GROWS Quebec pizza chain finding staffing success and advancing its craft

MIRKO D’AGATA, EXECUTIVE CHEF

Register for Pizza Summit East 2023 in October – details inside!

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P. 12 Reducing waste in your pizzeria P. 18 Pizza Summit West highlights!

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June 2023 Vol. 29, No. 3

DEPARTMENTS 6

From the Editor Price-raising strategies

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The Pizza Chef Single bake vs. double bake

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Industry News Movers, shakers, legislation and news you can use

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14 Making Dough Six quick reno ideas on a tight budget

16 Tools of the Trade New products

22 Recipe 100% Whole Grain Buckwheat Sourdough with Sesame, Honey and Beer

CONTENTS COVER STORY

PHOTOS: NO. 900 PIZZERIA NAPOLITAINE (COVER, TOP); BOOPHUKET/ ADOBE STOCK (12); BAKERS JOURNAL (18)

ONLINE

10 No. 900 Napolitaine grows

Event takeaways This year Pizza Summit West co-located with Bakery Showcase in Vancouver to bring pizza operators and bakers two shows in one. Read more highlights and takeaways at canadianpizzamag.com.

Quebec pizza chain No. 900 Pizzeria Napolitaine is finding staffing success and advancing its craft

By Colleen Cross

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CANADIAN PIZZA · June 2023

Cutting waste in your pizzeria is good for the environment, customer service and your bottom line

By Andrew Hind

18 Pizza Summit West highlights Summit West, part of Bakery Showcase Vancouver in May, was a buzzing hive of activity

By Colleen Cross

ON THE COVER No. 900 Pizzeria Napolitaine, a Quebec chain that specializes in artisanal pizza, has seen steady growth since opening in 2014. Executive chef Mirko D’Agata, a craftsman and mentor to other chefs in the business, shares strategies for innovative training, internal competitions and preserving Napoletana. See page 10.

12 Reducing food waste

20 Women in Pizza panel

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A recent panel discussion explored how successful female chefs and owner-operators have navigated the pizza industry and made their mark

By Canadian Pizza staff

CanadianPizzaMag.com

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FROM THE EDITOR

BY COLLEEN CROSS

June 2023, Vol. 29, No. 3

Price-raising strategies

H

ave you raised prices at your pizzeria this year?

When we look at how the restaurant industry is doing overall, things often look rosier than they are because dollar sales have risen but not overall unit – individual product or pizza – sales.

It’s never an easy choice but with sky-high ingredient costs, problems getting your preferred supplies and not enough staff to do the work, these days it’s a necessity for many.

There are a few creative options. Shrinkflation – shrinking portions without raising prices – is one way to go. Customers are used to seeing this in the grocery store and it is a relatively painless way to recoup some costs.

Or shrinking your menu choices, as so many are doing, to help prevent waste and make the kitchen shift more manageable.

Some operators have become good at the upsell, offering tempting add-ons.

Toronto hospitality leadership coach Matt Rolfe, speaking at a Restaurants Canada Show, suggested raising prices during your peak hours. If your Friday nights are always busy, why not take advantage of that built-in traffic to make small changes that can have a big impact on your bottom line.

Some operators raise prices strategically, for example, increasing most prices but still offering some specials to keep return customers happy. To do this it’s important to analyze your sales data and food costs. Others are bumping up prices across the board.

But how do you do that without alienating your customers?

Many restaurant experts say it’s important to be transparent and up front with your customers – but they differ on whether you should warn guests in advance or simply answer honestly when asked after the fact.

Whichever route you choose, be specific about costs that are rising. High prices on cooking oil, for example, are a challenge for many, forcing them to choose between

a lower-priced and usually lower-quality product that will may behave differently and definitely change the flavour of your menu.

Good storytelling is in the details. Whatever is keeping you up at night, tell that to your customer. It will become part of your pizzeria’s story.

The price of printing menus used to be another obstacle to raising your prices. It is less of a consideration now that most restaurants have adopted online menus and encouraged the use of QR codes.

In Is There a Right Way to Raise Prices? by ModernRestaurantManagement.com, Rick Camac, executive director of industry relations at the Institute of Culinary Education, shared wisdom on this topic: “When you have to raise prices (based on inflation, staffing and supply), you must still offer value to the diner (or at least the perception of it). While you can proactively make mention of the fact that prices just have to go up (whether in writing or in person), I feel, to a degree, that may “fall on deaf ears”, as has been my experience (as both a consultant and operator).”

Camac suggests several strategies to minimize the cost increase: Get some new bids on your menu and supply staples. Add more inexpensive items to a composed dish. Shorten the menu, allowing for less waste, fewer purchases and less labour. Mix those lesser priced items and lesser costing items into your menu, so that it’s not only higher prices your customers see (for example, take away an ounce of protein and add a few ounces of carbs). Check your competitor’s pricing.

And finally, be ready with messaging for when a diner questions prices. Be honest (but do not advertise it). Be reasonable in your increases and stand by your decisions.

Whatever you decide, have a great summer season and remember the joy and relief you bring others when you do the cooking. There is real value in that! | CP

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THE PIZZA CHEF

BY DIANA CLINE

Diana Cline is an award-winning pizza chef, a partner with Diana’s Cucina & Lounge in Winnipeg. In addition to creating award-winning recipes, Diana is a consultant to other pizzeria owner/operators in menu development, creating operational systems and marketing to help operators grow their business strategically. Contact her at diana@dianascucinaandlounge.com.

Single bake versus double bake

PHOTO: REDI PIZZA, MONTREAL

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ost fresh pizzas are cooked with a single-bake method, meaning the raw pizza dough is stretched out, or pressed out into a pan, sauced, cheesed and topped then fully baked at 450 F or hotter. The dough is baked alongside of the toppings and the cheese is melted and browned.

But there are some types of pizzas where a double bake, or parbake, is necessary. This method is where the raw dough is stretched out, and/or pressed into a pan, then docked, and baked on its own, until it’s essentially a fully baked pizza crust. Some pizza franchises choose to use this style of pizza crust for ease of operations with a centralized commissary. One big reason is that you eliminate the raw pizza dough component and its challenges in handling, shelf life and delivery to your stores. Several franchises offer a deep-dish style pan pizza, and they use a parbaked thick-crust pizza shell as the base for that option.

There are many reasons why one would choose to double bake a pizza: Detroit-style pizzas are typically made this way, because the amount of raw dough in the pan needs its own time to fully bake. This allows the crust to fully form into its mostly finished state before adding the sauce, cheeses and toppings. By parbaking the crust ahead, the cooking time for finishing the pizzas is reduced: a thick-crust pan pizza, made with raw dough might take 45 minutes to fully cook, but by using a parbaked crust, that bake time is eight to 15 minutes, depending on your temperature and the amount

CANADIAN PIZZA · June 2023

If you can, always allow your pan and dough to warm up at least 25 minutes before baking.

of cheese and toppings. Some high-hydration pizza dough recipes are by nature automatically panned, because they are too difficult to hand stretch: they literally stick to everything, and the more they are handled the tougher the crust becomes. These high-hydration recipes are often twice baked, so that the cell structure of the crust is fully formed and isn’t compromised by the heaviness of the sauce and cheeses.

It’s the same idea for flatbreads and extra-thin pizzas. When you parbake the pizza dough into a shell, you’ve significantly reduced final cook times. At Diana’s, we do this with our flatbreads, and Crispy Thin Crust, not only to reduce final cook times, but also because we love the extra crispness twice-baked flatbread produces.

The other advantage of having a double-baked crust is that it eliminates the dreaded gum line.

All fresh, single-baked pizzas will have a gum line – it’s the layer of raw, uncooked dough between

the cooked crust and the sauce – but some fresh, single-baked pizzas have an overpronounced gum line, which makes the pizza unpalatable. With a double-baked or parbaked crust, there is no raw dough left to create this gummy texture: it’s all baked out. For tips on reducing the gum line on single-baked pizzas, check out my article “Reducing the Gum Line.”

I know of a couple of woodfired oven pizzerias that have periods of customer peaks that are so busy they have difficulty keeping their oven at the top 900 F temperature. If you’ve ever worked with this kind of oven, you know that if you can’t give the oven time to recover, your bake times drop significantly, and if you’re not careful, you can send out undercooked pizzas. For the sake of consistency and ease of operations, these wood-fired pizzerias parbake their crusts in the early afternoon. That way, during the peak times, they can still bang out pizzas in short time.

If you’re doing a pan-style pizza in a stone-floor oven and putting that pan of raw dough in the oven straight from the cooler, you’re going to pull a ton of heat out from your oven stone. It’s going to take even longer to bake that pizza, and it will require longer recovery time for that spot in your oven.

It’s another reason many choose to double bake a pan-style pizza, and to parbake the crust at an earlier non-peak time. Whether you choose to single or double bake all or only some of your pizzas, consider the style of pizza you’re offering and the consistency you need in the kitchen during peak times to do it well. | CP CanadianPizzaMag.com

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PHOTO: CANADIAN PIZZA

INDUSTRY NEWS

Giuseppe Cortinovis is presented his award by judges Peter Jacobs of The Baker’s Workshop and Marzia Molatore, cookbook author and owner of Bella Cibo.

Giuseppe Cortinovis named Chef of the Year West for second time Giuseppe Cortinovis has been named Canadian Pizza magazine’s Chef of the Year for the second time. A veteran competitor, Cortinovis has consistently been a top finisher. Cortinovis, who runs his own business, Pizza Lab, and also works for Nightingale restaurant, impressed the judges with his “Nostalgia” pizza that he describes as “a unique and personal revisitation of a classic favourite of my childhood (the “Prosciutto e Rucola”). He wins a trip to Las Vegas Pizza Expo and will be featured on our cover.

Aaron Gehrman, owner of Emilio Finatti Pizzeria earned second place and $300 with “The Club Med” his version of “vacation in a pizza.”

“The Best Part of French 8

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Onion Soup” by Chef Steven Che of Wild Flour Pizza Co. in Burnaby took third prize ($200).

Watch for a profile of our Chef of the Year and the winning recipe in an upcoming issue.

Pizza Nova marks 60th anniversary with donation to hospitals; Webinar helps you support your team’s mental health; Flambéed pizza thought to have sparked deadly restaurant fire in Spain FOR MORE PIZZA NEWS, check out our website, canadianpizzamag.com

including views on eating at work, sustainability, digital adoption, health and mental well-being.

Facing higher costs of living, 77 per cent of Canadian gen Z and millennials would like employers to provide free or subsidized meals at work. Restaurants have something of an advantage as being provided food at work is viewed as a major asset in the war for talent, especially among gen Z workers.

Across all age groups, flexible working hours are considered the most appealing non-monetary

benefit that employers can provide, followed closely by staff restaurant.

Providing a sustainable and healthy food offer at work is most important, especially for younger generations, the research indicates. All age groups expect that food outlets should help them make healthier food and drink choices through the food they serve, peaking at 65 per cent among Canadian gen Z workers.

Younger generations are driving a meat-free revolution in the workplace, with 58 per cent of gen Z workers advocating for

STAFFING

Canadian gen Z want food at work, sustainability and digital adoption Gen Z workers 13-27 years old are calling for improved well-being, sustainable and digital benefits in the workplace, and are willing to look at alternative employers if their needs aren’t met. This is according to new research from Compass Group, a leading food-services company, and global market intelligence agency Mintel.

Compass Group’s Global Eating at Work Survey 2023 analyzed insights from 35,000 global workers across 26 countries on their workplace preferences,

ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN FRAY

PIZZA COMPETITION

ON THE WEB

June 2023 · CANADIAN PIZZA

more plant-based options.

Compare that to 46 per cent of gen X. Of any generation, gen Z are most open to digital food-service innovations that can improve their productivity and health at work.

For details, visit compass-canada.com.

BUSINESS

General Assembly sells frozen pizza assets to Piano Piano in Toronto General Assembly Holdings has sold its assets related to its production, sale and distribution of frozen pizza. The company sold its frozen pizza assets to Piano Piano Inc., a private Italian restaurant.

The asset sale will improve balance sheet, reduce go forward investment and allow for financially viable refocus, General Assembly said in a news release.

The sale includes the equipment, contracts, inventory and intangible property solely related to the frozen pizza business.

Piano Piano has assumed senior indebtedness in the aggregate amount of $1.76 million owing to certain arm’s length creditors of the company and other liabilities of the company in respect of its manufacturing facility lease, equipment financing commitments and certain other accounts payable, totalling, together with the assumed CANADIAN PIZZA · June 2023

debt, approximately $2.98 million.

Certain employees of the frozen pizza business have been offered new employment with Piano Piano.

General Assembly retains ownership of its registered and unregistered trademarks and all related branding, logos and designs. The company has agreed not to compete with the frozen pizza business for a period of five years.

GA said it performed a strategic review of its operations and concluded the sale of the frozen pizza assets was the best option to allow it to refocus and move forward.

and technical training, on-the-job learning, and improving job readiness and interview skills. The projects include mentorship, job placement and mental health resources.

Two of the programs focus on the food-service and hospitality industry.

Calibre Recruitment Inc. is receiving $590,365 for a project that aims to reduce the barriers that people with previous interactions with the criminal justice system face when trying to access employment, while also helping local employers address critical labour shortages.

Scale Hospitality is receiving $6,000,000 to support micro-credential training programs and increasing accessibility for those who face barriers to employment through community partnerships.

These projects are funded through the Skills Development Fund, a $700 million initiative, which supports programs that connect jobseekers with the skills and training they need to find well-paying careers close to home. The government will announce more programs to help people with disabilities in the coming months.

STAFFING

Ontario programs support secondchance hiring in hospitality and other sectors The Ontario government is providing $12 million in funding to support nine innovative projects, including hospitality projects, designed to help people leaving the justice system or with prior criminal records find meaningful jobs with local businesses.

The new programs will prepare job seekers for well-paying careers in construction, manufacturing, hospitality, food and beverage processing, and other industries. They will provide a range of employment and training needs through apprenticeship Untitled-1 1

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2023-04-14 9:10 AM

COVER STORY

NO. 900 PIZZERIA NAPOLITAINE GROWS Quebec pizza chain finding staffing success and advancing its craft

BY COLLEEN CROSS

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Mirko D’Agata specializes in both Napoletana and Roman in teglio pizza styles and has won many accolades for his work, including the pizza world championship Romana in teglia at the World Championship in Naples in 2019.

red sauce pizzas, six white sauce pizzas, appetizers, salads and a carefully chosen wine list that includes local wines.

D’Agata believes in sharing knowledge. On the website are videos in which he teaches pizza lovers to make signature recipes such as spaghetti al pomodoro made with whole tomatoes and shares tips for dough stretching using the traditional schiaffo technique.

Born and raised in Turin, Italy, D’Agata started working in a Napoletana pizzeria at 16, has worked in Europe, operated

No. 900’s seasonal pizza in May is “Quebec Asparagus” featuring yellow tomato sauce, speck from Viandes bio de Charlevois, extra virgin olive oil and pecorino romano.

Turin’s Passamaneria and helped launch Cinemà pizzeria in Cuneo.

He worked for the master baker and world baking champion Gianfranco Fagnola, where he learned the techniques of fermentation with sourdough. In 2012 he came to Canada where he operated Bottega pizzeria, and in 2014 with pastry chef Sandro Carpené he opened the Italian bakery and pastry Arte & Farina.

In 2016 he began working with the No 900 group as a chef and trainer after Brian Vickers, pizzaiolo and director of operations, introduced him to the June 2023 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTO: NO. 900 PIZZERIA NAPOLITAINE

hen I meet Mirko D’Agata, he is wondering about his team’s results in the previous day’s International Pizza Challenge, he has just been called to compete in the new tandem competition and he and his team are getting set to open Morso, serving Roman-style in teglia pizza in the Limoilou neighbourhood of Quebec City early in April.

He has much on his mind and yet he gives me his full attention.

The award-winning pizzaiolo is executive chef for No. 900 Pizzeria Napolitaine. He couldn’t be prouder to represent this growing pizza chain.

No. 900 was founded by Alexandre Brunet and is owned by Brunet and Dominic Bujold. Since opening its first location in 2014 – Bernard near the Outrement theatre in Montreal – No. 900 has grown to 29 locations in Montreal, Quebec City and throughout the province. They also have one thriving location in Lyons, France and are planning to open another in Paris. All locations offer dining in, delivery, takeout and catering.

They have on the menu 10

COVER STORY

business. In 2018 D’Agata took on the role of executive chef responsible for the menu, product development and new projects.

He specializes in Napoletana and Roman in teglio pizza styles and has won many accolades for his work, including second place in the Napoletana category at the international pizza expo in Las Vegas in 2019 and first at the pizza world championship Romana in teglia at the World Championship in Naples.

Certification D’Agata is an AVPN-certified pizzaiolo since 2011 holding the title of Senior Verace Pizzaiolo. He is going for his Master certification and is head chef of the Canadian delegation of VPN. “All of our pizzerias are certified and we are the first chain to be certified,” he says. “The more people we can train and offer a job right after training, the better it is for us.

For me the next level of hiring people is to have the school.”

Becoming certified means that the chef meets certain standards including using only Italian flour, olive oil, cheese, and fermenting their dough. One big dream of his is to start a certification course in VPN, which he already teaches at No. 900.

D’Agata says you can be certified as an individual, but if you want your pizzeria certified it takes more time and dedication. And you can lose that certification if standards are seen to drop.

“It’s impossible to make sure things go perfectly in 29 locations. Things happen.

We’re prepared and we have a dedicated team.”

Attracting job candidates in unique ways Also on the website, a questionnaire asks potential job candidates about their favourite pizzas, what they are looking for in a job and how they would describe themselves. It’s a playful way of engaging young people and getting them excited about the product and company.

A colleague, Genevieve, came up with CANADIAN PIZZA · June 2023

‘It’s really important for me to let them have some space for some creativity.’

–Mirko D’Agata, No. 900 the idea of recording a video that follows people working in the franchise from ages 17-28. “For us this is about showing that we are able to offer you a path to a dream,” he says.

Another important way he shares this knowledge is by running an internal competition among team members to decide who will compete at Vegas Pizza Expo. They offer pizzaiolos support to create their recipe, set up a tasting station and choose three finalists.

This year Josh Della Cioppa, head pizzaiolo at the Vaudreuil location, won a trip to Las Vegas to compete alongside D’Agata and Fiodar Huminski, who is sous chef, R&D and owns three locations.

Della Cioppa, a proud Italian-Canadian, competed in the traditional division.

“It’s really important for me to let them have some space for some creativity. When you work in a franchise it’s always the chef that makes the decisions.

Sometimes it can be harder for them to explore the food world.”

D’Agata acknowledges that not many people see pizzaiolo as a career. “People are impatient. You need the passion to do this work. I want them to grow.”

Other benefits for employees include insurance, trips to events and the chance to gain VPN certification.

He has seen more styles become popular, including Napoletana, which exploded in last 15 years, the New York slice and Detroit-style. Roman-style is growing in popularity. No. 900 opened Roman-style locations before the pandemic.

Taking care of people and transferring knowledge are important to the chef.

“I’m lucky – I’m doing what I like to do and it’s important to me. Not

everyone gets to do something that’s important to them.”

“Opening the location in France was a really nice experience because Europe is a different world,” D’Agata says. “We had to change the pizza a little bit but the menu is pretty much the same. They follow changes we make to our chainwide menu too. The process took about eight months of preparation, including three weeks of D’Agata training the team in France, and a month of the owners and head pizzaiolo training in Canada.”

There is now demand for Morso in Paris, France, he says, excited at the prospect. Roman-style shops are “cropping up like champignons – mushrooms,” he says with a smile. “There are five or six at the moment. People need to develop the trust in the product,” he says. “That’s normal. It was the same with Napoletana – it took a while to become popular.”

“It’s really a team effort, honestly.

Our boss has a strong team with the right people in the right spot. He’s like a good coach. He is good at putting people together.”

“We have a niche product that nobody can find but with good volume I can have really good prices. I can standardize those products. I can have private label on some products. That’s an advantage for us. We have our own brand with products like olives, pickled onions, apricot spread, spicy oil that are used in all our restaurants.

“We try to expand logically. I need space in the back, so we keep everything – our products – in the front and we use the same products the customers are using.

Very efficient. No waste. It’s streamlined.”

That sums up No. 900 very well: focused passion. | CP CanadianPizzaMag.com

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FEATURE

REDUCING FOOD WASTE Finding ways to reduce waste in your pizzeria is good for the environment, customer service and your bottom line

C

anada has one of the highest rates of food waste in the world. When the entire supply chain is factored in, the number reaches a staggering 396 kilograms per person every year, according to a study from the Commission for Environmental Cooperation.

Much of this waste is lost in transport, at warehousing, in retail settings and at the private home. But restaurants are not immune: they are responsible for their share of this food waste crisis.

Thankfully, Canadian restaurateurs are eager to be part of the solution as well. Finding ways to reduce waste, perhaps even becoming a zero-waste business, is good for the environment, good customer service in an era when sustainability is increasingly front of mind for consumers, and good

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for the bottom line.

So, let’s take a closer look at food waste specifically within the restaurant industry. Studies have consistently shown that anywhere from four to ten per cent of food purchased in restaurants never gets to customers (largely due to improper storing, over-ordering and improper training), while 30 to 40 per cent of food served to customers never gets consumed (portions that are too large being the leading cause). That amounts to more than a billion dollars in waste every year just in Canada.

It’s a problem.

And restaurant owners know it.

In the Restaurants Canada “Restaurant Outlook Survey,” nine out of 10 respondents said they will invest in environmentally sustainable operations over the

RESOURCES: • Help end food waste – David Suzuki Foundation: davidsuzuki.org • Taking stock: Reducing food loss and waste in Canada: canada.ca • Waste Management – Restaurants Canada: restaurantscanada. org/resources • LEAF: leafme.org

next three years.

It helps that consumers have made it clear they know it as well, and that they will support with their patronage those restaurants that aim to do better.

While we don’t have recent numbers from Canada, statistics from the United States are illustrative.

There, 50 per cent of consumers say that they consider whether a business recycles, donates leftover food, or tries to reduce food waste when choosing a restaurant. Almost as many (47 per cent) are even willing to spend more at these restaurants.

But restaurant owners are already harried and profit margins thin. Can they afford the time and money to address this issue?

The answer is yes. The good news is that there are several relatively June 2023 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTO: BOOPHUKET/ ADOBE STOCK

BY ANDREW HIND

FEATURE

or month to ensure consistency. However, you can track different types of stock on different schedules.

You might track more perishable food every few days, and track bulk or less frequently used items every other week. Whatever schedule works for you is fine, but make sure you stick to it.

easy, inexpensive steps that can be taken to reduce food waste. And rest assured, the cost-to-benefit ratio of any investment of time or money spent in the process should encourage one to make the leap: studies have shown that for every dollar spent on food waste reduction, restaurants will see an average of $8 in savings.

METHODS TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE Focus on reducing waste, not recycling: Many restaurants have a comprehensive recycling program, some going so far as engaging in composting.

That’s laudable, but it’s more important to focus on reducing food waste in the first place. This should be front of mind for owners, management and staff.

Invest in software: Because food makes up the majority of a restaurant’s inventory, managing it well is vital to fiscal success. Inventory management can be accomplished the old-fashioned way with manual counting and spreadsheets. However, inventory management software helps ease the process and more accurately counts and tracks your products. It can also show important financial and performance data and reorder stock when it reaches certain levels.

Create an inventory team: Owners and managers can’t do everything. They need to delegate. Create a small team of responsible individuals (two or three people) who will be responsible for tracking inventory. If the same individuals perform this task every time, they will become more efficient and will spot trends and ongoing issues. Having more than one person ensures they can check each other’s work for errors and reduces the risk of theft.

Organize inventory: Put labels on shelving to help staff find items quickly. This makes restocking goods easier and quicker. Identify the most-used goods and keep them in the same easily accessible spot. Ensure that older product is always brought to the front.

ORGANIZE YOUR INVENTORY • Put labels on shelving to help staff find items quickly.

• Identify the most-used goods and keep them in the same easily accessible spot.

• Ensure that older product is always brought to the front.

Track inventory on a consistent schedule: Count and monitor your inventory on a regular basis to see how quickly you’re using food and ingredients (called cycle counting). Plan to take inventory at the same time of day on the same day every week

Studies have shown that for every dollar spent on food waste reduction, restaurants will see an average of $8 in savings.

CANADIAN PIZZA · June 2023

Do a waste audit: Create a team to do an audit on how much food is wasted, where the waste originates and the nature of the waste. The team should include kitchen staff, since they are familiar with the preparation process, and front-of-house and cleaning staff as they will be able to tell the quantity and nature of waste left when customers leave after eating. You may identify problems in preparation, perhaps due to lack of training. You may also identify which dishes are portioned too large or include items patrons don’t enjoy. An audit will best inform you as to where to focus your food waste efforts.

Address the menu: Change the menu as needed after the waste audit. Identify the dishes that record the most leftovers and reduce the size of the portion served. Change or eliminate sides that customers leave. Eliminate underperforming dishes. Keeping ingredients on hand just in case someone orders the item is a recipe for wastage.

Employee accountability: In business, it’s often said you are only as good as your staff. It’s certainly true in this context. Any success in reducing food waste is highly dependent on the buy-in of employees. Without their attention to detail and the result, it simply won’t work. Help them understand the program and the importance of it. Take the time to thoroughly train all staff on waste reduction efforts and be consistent in the efforts - it will soon become second nature. Make sure that you hold staff accountable for how well they perform these new tasks.

Finding ways to reduce waste will soon become second nature. It’s good for the environment, good customer service and good for the bottom line. | CP Andrew Hind is a freelance writer from Bradford, Ont., specializing in food, history and travel. He is the author of 25 books and the proud father of one.

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MAKING DOUGH WITH DIANE

BY DIANE CHIASSON

Diane Chiasson, FCSI, president of Chiasson Consultants Inc., has been helping foodservice, hospitality and retail operators increase sales for over 35 years by providing innovative and revenue-increasing food service and retail merchandising programs, interior design, branding, menu engineering, marketing and promotional campaigns.

Contact her at 416-926-1338, send her an email at chiasson@ chiassonconsultlants.com, or visit www.chiassonconsultants.com

Six quick reno ideas on a tight budget

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You can bring a brand new look to your customers by renovating your pizza operation in simple, smart and inexpensive ways.

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Before new customers visit your pizzeria, they will observe your restaurant’s exterior. Aim to make a great first impression with a clean and inviting storefront.

Lights in areas that customers are exposed to should have different features than those used in the prep and staff areas.

There is no need for demolition or spending a big budget.

Instead, you will need only to freshen up your space with a new layout, revitalize furniture and use creativity. Your building and interior should reflect the service and quality of your food and drinks. Here are six quick reno ideas for a tight budget.

1. Have a plan in place You certainly don’t want to go over your budget, so the first step to getting your pizzeria a fresh look without breaking the bank is to make a comprehensive list of your renovation ideas. Spend some time in every area of your pizzeria. Get a good grasp of simple

ways to optimize flow and space. A well-designed pizzeria floor plan can increase your profit margins by enabling your staff members to move between the front and back of the house faster, serve your customers more efficiently and turn tables more quickly. Have a tour of your outside and inside space and get feedback from your team. Write a checklist of what’s working and what isn’t. Do you wish to make your pizzeria an attractive business to sell in the future? Will you be preserving the family business to pass on to the next generation? What are the most important things that you want to tackle first? What is your total budget?

June 2023 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTO: CANADIAN PIZZA

t’s time to think of making changes to your pizzeria’s look and feel to attract more tourists.

To most people, a restaurant is like a second home. Each customer expects to find a cozy, friendly environment, and they will be craving something new, such as a makeover, an overhaul or fresh renovations.

A restaurant is like a second home where each customer expects to find a clean, cozy and friendly environment. Do you think your clients can relax and enjoy great pizza and other treats if your pizzeria hasn’t made any changes for the past 20 years?

If your place is starting to look worn, it’s the perfect time of year to get your paintbrushes out and start your restaurant renovation.

Your pizzeria may need a quick restyling or makeover if you encounter these situations: • Other pizzeria stores and restaurant operations in your neighbourhood are getting facelifts.

• Your customers regularly comment about your dated look.

• There are consistently lower sales and cheque average.

• You are not receiving media attention.

• Your competitors are taking away your customers.

• You are constantly losing members of your team (chef, manager, server).

• The newest generation are not replacing your senior guests.

2. Make a great first impression People feast with their eyes before they feast on your food. Before new customers visit your pizzeria, they will observe your restaurant’s exterior. The first impression can help customers decide to go to your restaurant or your competitor’s pizzeria down the road. Your restaurant’s exterior greets guests as soon as they drive up. If you have a parking lot, make sure it is well organized, attractive, clean and has landscaped walkways. Get rid of any litter, cigarette butts on the ground and clutter to boost your overall appeal and invite customers into a clean, fresh space. The cleaner the area surrounding your pizzeria, Take a look at your entire the better your chance of customers wanting to come in and stay. space, and You can invest in a new move a few colourful sign on a tight budget, tables, chairs painting doors and windows. and merBut, whatever you do, your new chandising exterior should match your brand. displays to Creating a cohesive and unified reconfigure brand image is essential for any a new floor store or restaurant. layout.

3. Update your lighting Proper lighting is crucial for any restaurant operation.

Pizzerias are no exception. When choosing lighting fixtures for your restaurant, there are certain features you want to keep in mind, as lighting is not one-size-fits-all.

Lights in areas that customers are exposed to should have different features than those used in the prep and staff areas. In addition, proper restaurant lighting will be essential in creating the ideal sensory experience. A dining experience is all about ambience and lighting plays a very important part in a pizzeria’s sense of atmosphere.

This can be as easy as changing CANADIAN PIZZA · June 2023

the light bulbs’ lumens for those on a very tight budget. If you have a bigger budget, you can always update your old fixtures with new ones: new light fixtures will quickly make an area feel more modern. You should always direct LEDs and spotlights on the products you want to sell.

When designing your light fixtures, try to maintain colour consistency throughout the areas that are connected to one another. The areas separated by a door or walls, such as the staff and customer areas, can have drastically different colour temperatures. Always check your staff’s eyesight before finding the right restaurant lighting applications. The last thing you need is a staff member straining to perfect a pizza due to poor light.

4. Give new life to your furnishings and switch up the layout If your tables, chairs and benches look worn out, it’s time to get new furniture. Usually, tables are the first items to be updated. Before buying new tables, and if you have wooden tabletops, consider sanding back your tables and giving them a nice coat of paint, varnish or stain. Repainting or changing your tables will make your pizzeria look more colourful and inviting.

You can glue some tiles on top of the existing tables. You can also modernize them with textiles such as tablecloths or cushions. Finally, don’t forget to add new wall art, blackboards or prints in good taste.

Your investment will simply be in the elbow grease, a fraction of the cost of new fixtures.

If you can, re-upholster old chairs, touch up scratches and apply the same treatment as you did to your tables.

One of the best things to do is to play around with your floor layout. Take a good look at your entire space, and move a few tables, chairs and merchandising displays to reconfigure a new floor layout. This will instantly create the illusion of a whole new space, and it will not cost you a dime

5. Update the base colour If you need a quick and inexpensive makeover in record time, an excellent strategy is to change your wall colours. Changing or touching up your painted surfaces is one of the easiest, cheapest and most effective ways to significantly impact your pizzeria.

Check with your local paint store about types of paint that will hold up to the physical environment of your pizzeria: heat, spills and customer traffic.

Choose the perfect colours that psychologically will encourage customers to feel happy, relaxed and hungry. A fresh coat of paint will brighten up the most tired pizzeria inside and out. Painting a certain colour can also affect how big or small the space looks.

6. Freshen up the bathrooms Don’t forget about restrooms when you plan your pizzeria remodelling job. The bathroom is a very important space used by almost every customer who walks through your doors, especially after COVID and during cold weather.

Renovations could be as simple as a fresh coat of paint, new mirrors, counters and water-saving modern fixtures. Keep your bathrooms thoroughly clean and spotless and change out some of your light bulbs. No restaurant renovations are complete without a few new touches to your bathrooms. | CP CanadianPizzaMag.com

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE

GRATING EQUIPMENT

Labour-saving Cheese Hog grates large blocks of cheese The Palazzolo Cheese Hog has been engineered to absolutely devour cheese, we learned at Vegas Expo from owners Scott and Dana Palazzolo who are carrying on the business founded

by Scott’s father, Pete Palazzolo.

The machines, available in both automatic and manual models, allow pizza teams to grated a large block of cheese without having to break it down into smaller chunks first.

The machines weigh around 200 pounds (depending on the motor selected) and are completely wrapped in stainless steel for easy cleaning and sanitation.

The Cheese Hog can quickly be disassembled, and its removable parts are dishwasher safe.

Cheese Hog Commerical Grade Cheese Grater / Cheese Shredder equipment can easily shred whole blocks of mozzarella, provolone, pecorino romano, cheddar and many other types of cheese.

All machines are certified to UL and NSF Standards.

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The operator provides the air compressor while the Palazzolos provide the air drive head unit.

A 60-minute continuous run time would yield at least 3,000plus pounds of grated cheese. cheesehogmachine.com DOUGH BALLS

Alive & Kickin’ Pizza Crust NY-style dough balls bring signature flavour and chew

Alive & Kickin’ Pizza Crust has launched versatile, ready-to-use frozen dough balls crafted to deliver a traditional light chew and fresh, yeasty flavour.

Perfect for hand tossing or sheeting, the New York Style Dough Balls can help build

great-tasting, rolled-edge New York-style slices, stromboli, garlic knots or calzones.

“New York-style pizza crust has been a staple in the pizza industry for years, and we’ve developed our dough balls to deliver that tried and true flavour,” said Luke Siedow, corporate chef at AK. The dough balls are made using whole-wheat flour and have a light sourdough flavour. They are designed to withstand high temperatures and wood-fired ovens.

The company’s Low Moisture New York Style Dough Balls have a lower moisture content that works great with sheeters. akcrust.com BEVERAGES

Drink Sprizzi launches Limonata Vodka Spritzer in Nova Scotia Jennie Dobbs, owner of Morris East pizza in Halifax, has joined forces with winemaker Simon Rafuse to create Drink Sprizzi Limonata, a new ready-to-drink lower sugar, artisanal vodka spritzer that recently launched at Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation locations.

Dobbs’ vision was to bring a fresh, natural, spritzer where the consumer knows its origins and appreciates high-quality ingredients. The product was created for people who appreciate good food and want versatility in a ready-todrink cocktail, by either adding Limonata to other recipes or simply enjoying it straight up from the can. It’s for the customer who wants to drink less but better, Dobbs said in a press release.

The flavour profile is a vodka spritz expertly made with real lemonade and premium vodka.

It features aromas of real lemonade and a palate that drinks with clean, refreshing flavours of lemon and citrus zest. Mouth feel is light with a gentle sparkle. Not too tart, not too sweet.

Sprizzi Limonata will be sold in four-packs for $18 as well as single 355-millilitre cans for $4.50. Drink Sprizzi Cider products are also available at Bishop’s Cellar, Rockhead, at the Halifax Brewery Market each Saturday and through the Drink Sprizzi website. drinksprizzi.co CLEANING EQUIPMENT

Fog Tank laboursaving, compact cleaning and sanitizing system

The Canadian-made Fog Tank sanitizes itself. Because it is cool to the touch, it is a safe option for employees. A representative at the Restaurants Canada Show identified several benefits. The FogTank eliminates scrubbing time, reducing daily stewarding department work by three or more hours. Using Tiger Carbon Remover Powder efficiently and safely cleans your equipment with little to no scrubbing. It can save a single restaurant location June 2023 · CANADIAN PIZZA

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

over $3,000 per year in energy costs. It uses up to 60 per cent less space than a three-compartment sink and fits under the counter.

Operators can save over 340,000 gallons of water per year using this piece of equipment.

The Fog Tank is available in multiple sizes to accommodate bakeries’ large pans and kitchen equipment. It helps educational institutions maintain kitchens that meet HACCP standards while keeping overhead low. fogtank.com

MARKETING

Digital kiosks provide customer convenience in a staffing crunch

CONDIMENTS

Heinz launches spicy sauces

Heinz debuts four spicy sauces.

The Heinz Hot Varieties include a new lineup of three Spicy Ketchup flavours – Chipotle (medium), Jalapeño (hot), and Habanero (hotter) – and its first Heinz Hot 57 Sauce.

The Heinz Hot 57 Sauce is a red jalapeño twist on the brand’s classic 57 Sauce. It is the first new Heinz 57 product in over 10 years.

“We know consumers are hungry for a wider variety of spicy sauces and flavours, and as a consumer-obsessed brand at the forefront of food culture, we saw an exciting opportunity to innovate around our fans’ evolving preferences,” said Lindsay Davis, brand manager, Heinz Innovation, at the Kraft Heinz Company. kraftheinzcompany.com CANADIAN PIZZA · June 2023

a clean, empty, service-ready dining room. A Tablz concierge helps you pick your best tables and set pricing based on date and time.

The final step is to connect Tablz to your website’s reservation page, social media, and search engines to get the word out to customers. tablz.com

Short on front-counter staff and looking to speed up or smooth the ordering experience for customers at your bakery? BrandM3dia has you covered with all-purpose, double-sided, indoor-and-outdoor digital ordering kiosks. The smart intuitive hubs deliver information in real time and come with a lead-capture system that allows you to build a database of your customers when they opt in to share their contact information.

The kiosks are suitable for hightraffic areas to engage and inform customers while they wait.

The kiosks are available in a variety of models, including with the option for full-screen ads, smaller banner ads and promotional discount codes. They may be customized to any type of interface or application operating system. brandm3dia.com CUTLERY

Biodegradable, disposable wooden cutlery Greenwood was founded in 2000 and has been R&D and manufacturing biodegradable disposable wooden cutlery for 20 years. The

products cover 10 categories and 116 styles of bamboo and wooden disposable cutlery. The company’s research and development centre is constantly developing more wooden disposable cutlery styles to satisfy market demand. Greenwood has multiple certifications such as BRC, BSCI, FSC, SGS and LFGB to help ensure product quality efficiently, stably and safely. greenwoodcutlery.com

VEGAN PRODUCTS

NotCo uses AI to mimic animal-based foods for vegan market

FURNITURE

Tablz platform lets diners pay to choose their favourite spot in your restaurant With restaurants reeling from the pandemic as well as inflation and perennial tight profit margins, startup Tablz is helping operators generate a net new revenue stream by doing what airlines, hotels, sports arenas and others already do: selling premium seating during premium times.

The company’s platform allows consumers who opt in to take 3D walk-throughs of a restaurant’s dining room and pay anywhere from $5 to $100 extra for the seats of their choice at peak hours. This ability to monetize the physical real estate in dining rooms allows restaurants to boost sagging revenues with no additional labour costs.

The software’s 3D mapping typically takes under an hour and requires

NotCo, which produces NotMilk, NotBurgers and NotChicken – is more of a technology company than a food company. A company representative explained how the company developed its products using its patented artificial intelligence to identify and catalogue characteristics of common animal-based foods and use individual ingredients to build a product that mimics those tastes, textures and characteristics.

Its 100 per cent dairy-free product is available at select grocery stores and it seeks to work with Canadian food companies to develop custom products.

NotMilk and other products are available through Flanagan Foodservice. notco.com/us CanadianPizzaMag.com

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FEATURE

PIZZA SUMMIT WEST HIGHLIGHTS Summit West, part of Bakery Showcase Vancouver in May, was a buzzing hive of activity

BY COLLEEN CROSS

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In a popular demo, Andy Finlayson of 70 Pizzeria/The Rebellious Tomato treats Vancouver Community College instructors Mark Burton, Nav Sidhu and Leanne Bentley to his special brand of Sicilian pan pizza.

place and $300 with “The Club Med” his version of “vacation in a pizza” The owner of Emilio Finatti Pizzeria, with four locations in Langley, Port Coquitlam, White Rock and Port Moody, Gehrman made a pizza with Emilio’s 27 house sauce: a Mediterranean-inspired blend of herbs, spices, dates and tomatoes baked with our house cheese blend, edam and mozzarella, slow-braised New Zealand lamb shoulder, finished with a housemade cucumber mint slaw. The dough is a Canadian grain blend of winter wheat cold fermented for 48 hours with a 13 per cent protein content.

“The Best Part of French Onion

DID YOU KNOW? Margherita pizza wasn’t named for Queen Margaret.

African-American women chefs, specifically Alice Mae Redmond, likely invented Chicago deep-dish.

(Francisco Migoya, Modernist Pizza)

Soup” by Chef Steven Che of Wild Flour Pizza Co. in Burnaby took third prize ($200). It was inspired by a visit to a Paris café The dough features unbleached Canadian Hard Red Spring Wheat and Dark Rye; along with slow and long fermentation, to produce a crust that is flavourful, tender and structural. Topping included onions caramelized for three hours, white sauce, mozzarella, emmental, grueyere and crispy dry-aged beef fat.

The well-travelled chef placed second last year at our first Summit West held at Snow Cap Enterprises with his tasty “Butter Paneer Pizza” – a pizza he made June 2023 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTOS: CANADIAN PIZZA

iuseppe Cortinovis has been named Canadian Pizza magazine’s Chef of the Year for the second time!

A veteran competitor, Cortinovis has consistently been a top finisher. Cortinovis, who runs his own business, Pizza Lab, and also works for Nightingale restaurant, impressed the judges with his “Nostalgia” pizza that he describes as “a unique and personal revisitation of a classic favourite of my childhood (the “Prosciutto e Rucola”). The dough was made using a combination of a Biga and autolysis. The winning pizza features a layer of aged parmesan cream and tomato confit before baking, and on exiting the oven it is topped with stracciatella cheese and arugula pesto made with sunflower seeds.

Cortinovis wins a trip to Las Vegas Pizza Expo and will be featured on the cover of Canadian Pizza magazine. Pizza showman Aaron Gehrman earned second

FEATURE

for attendees during a lively demonstration the previous day at the Summit and Bakery Showcase.

Also on the Sunday, Andy Finlayson, owner of the health-inspired 70 Pizzeria/The Rebellious Tomato in North Vancouver and third-place finisher in 2022, demonstrated his unique, attractive and “gone-in-60-seconds” Sicilian-style square pizza.

First-time competitor Jamie Lutyk, owner of Lutyk’s Pizza and Treats in Lumby, B.C., presented a pizza that featured a lively cajun-marinated sirloin steak, bourbon barbecue sauce, sautéed red onion, bell peppers and gorgonzola.

We were fortunate to have award-winning pizza chef Diana Cline – no stranger to competition – as our lively host. During the competition, Cline shared some of her own experiences competing in Las Vegas and Italy.

The previous day, the creative chef and partner in Diana’s Cucina and Lounge in Winnipeg, demonstrated how she makes her famous beer pizza crust and played with some

unique international flavours on pizza.

Showgoers ate well, as did our stellar judging panel: • Francisco Migoya, celebrated chef and author of Modernist Pizza, Modernist Bread and other award-winning books • Peter Jacobs, Certified Master Baker, The Baker’s Workshop in Newmarket, Ont. • Marzia Molatore, known as Mamma Marzia, cookbook author and instructor, of Langley, B.C. • Hassi Sadri, chef and director of the Napoli Culinary Institute in Sacramento, Calif., and respected judge in international competitions Thank you, judges! And a special thank-you goes out to EM Bakery Equipment of Burnaby, B.C., for providing a beautiful Esmach Bakestone oven for the use of the competition and demonstrations.

Watch for more coverage of this action-packed event, including the first Women in Pizza:

BUTTER PANEER PIZZA DEMO BY STEVEN CHE, WILD FLOUR PIZZA CO.: “In our stretching process we use lots of flour because it is a really wet dough.

When I pull the dough off the tray my goal is to have it as relaxed as possible and not to activate the gluten.”

Expert judges Peter Jacobs, Francisco Migoya, Marzia Molatore and Hassi Sadri had their plates full evaluating different styles of pizza during the Chef of the Year competition.

CANADIAN PIZZA · June 2023

Canada Edition featuring host Stephanie Swane of Modernist Pizza, Diana Cline of Diana’s Cucina and Lounge in Winnipeg, and Suzanne Fielden of Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company in Vancouver, and the History and Culture of Pizza by renowned chef and author Francisco Migoya of Modernist Pizza Lab at canadianpizzamag.com, on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, and in our next issue.

The Baking Association of Canada’s Bakery Showcase Vancouver featuring the Canadian Pizza Summit and Chef of the Year Competition has been a wonderful and rare opportunity for pizzerias and bakeries of all sizes to connect and learn from experts in the art, science and business of baking.

More than 1,600 attendees and nearly 200 exhibitor booths filled the aisles of the show, the first to be hosted in Vancouver since 2017. Together we learned so much about what consumers are looking for in their local bakery and pizzeria, how small businesses are showing leadership in sustainability and where the baking business is heading.

Thank you to our sponsoring partners, AB Mauri, Ardent Mills, Bakemark, Caldic, Dawn Foods, EM Bakery Equipment, FCC, Fritsch Multivac, Lallemand and Puratos for supporting this key industry learning and networking event.

And thank you to all presenters, baker attendees and exhibitors for bringing your energy and ideas to the West Coast!

Watch for coverage in Canadian Pizza and at canadianpizzamag. com. Meanwhile, visit our Facebook photo album and tag yourself and someone you connected with during Showcase!

Toronto Bakery Showcase is set for May 5-6, 2024. | CP CanadianPizzaMag.com

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FEATURE

WOMEN IN PIZZA: CANADA EDITION

S

tephanie Swane, pub wane, publisher of Modernist Pizza and Modernist Cuisine, led the talk.

Swane and Alexandra Mortati, Orlando Foods, are driving forces behind the Women in Pizza movement.

Swane talked with two bona fide pizza leaders.

Suzanne Fielden co-founded with her husband, Dominic Fielden, the award-winning family farm-to-pizza restaurant Rocky Mountain Flatbread in 2004. You can find Suzanne in the restaurant hosting pizza-making parties or in a community garden growing food with families. She also started EarthBites Society to connect youth and families with their food. Fielden is proud that 20

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Also, written agreements are good, but there’s something to be said for the handshake agreements where people look you in the eye and you just know that it’s an agreement of integrity.

Stephanie Swane, Suzanne Fielden and Diana Cline talk pizza at the Canadian Pizza Summit West on Mother’s Day.

Rocky is a thriving part of the farm-to-table movement in B.C. and Alberta.

Diana Cline is an award-winning pizza chef, and partner with Diana’s Cucina & Lounge in Winnipeg. In addition to creating award-winning recipes, she is a consultant to other pizzeria owner/operators. Here’s a taste of their conversation.

What do you wish you’d known before entering the business?

Suzanne: Looking back, I wouldn’t change anything I’ve done because it’s wonderful to bring the kids up with and I’m working with the whole-food sector now and spending time with our EarthBites society now building community gardens and teaching kids to

grow the food that goes on the pizza. I would have never guessed that would have happened. If you told me all the money pressures and the time pressures and the balance issues, probably I would have never jumped into it. But I’m so glad I did. And I love the business and everybody I’ve worked with.

Diana: Well, I started off as a delivery driver. And so it was like the first beginnings of being in the business. And then you saw other things around and within the jump to an owner-operator – that’s pretty big leap. But very much like Suzanne, it’s certain things that you only know when you’re going through it. Looking back, I can say, don’t be afraid to evolve and continue to prove your skills and learn.

Who has inspired you?

Suzanne: When we first decided to go into pizza, we kind of landed on pizza to bring all of that together. My husband was visiting different pizza places and the one that really stuck out for us was American Flatbread. And they were in Vermont and they had a pizza oven in a bar that opened on the weekends. And it was farmed pizza. They’ve grown over the years and actually we asked to buy a franchise, and they said, no – go do it yourself. So that’s what we did.

Diana: Over the years, it’s just this passion for ingredients and always wanting to learn and improve. I took an Italian pizza certification course to, I went to the American Institute of Baking in 2006, to take their pizza production technology course and learn about different styles of pizza.

I’ve been blessed and met some really fabulous people like Tony Gemignani, and Fabio, and just really good pizza makers in the industry. | CP June 2023 · CANADIAN PIZZA

PHOTO: CANADIAN PIZZA

Canadian Pizza Summit West in Vancouver saw an engaging conversation among women chefs and owneroperators who are industry leaders

PIZZA POWER PAGES EQUIPMENT

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2023-05-23 3:05 PM

RECIPE

BY MATTHEW JAMES DUFFY

100% Whole Grain Buckwheat Sourdough with Sesame, Honey and Beer tin immediately after baking to prevent the loaf from steaming itself.

• Let rest for at least 8 hours before serving (I know it’s hard but do your best!).

This buckwheat sourdough recipe is so easy to make and has a wonderful rich depth of flavour. The combination of buckwheat, sesame, beer and honey is one that will have you coming back slice after slice.

Notes:

Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 60 minutes Yield: 1 large loaf INGREDIENTS For the levain:

• 110 grams whole wheat flour • 110 grams dark rye flour • 230 grams water • 10 grams levain For the Buckwheat Sourdough:

• 115 grams whole wheat flour • 115 grams dark rye flour • 161 grams water • 69 grams beer • 12 grams salt • 460 grams levain • 229 grams toasted sesame seeds • 50 grams cracked buckwheat • 70 grams honey or malt syrup

Mix the dough:

• Mix the flours and salt together.

• Put the honey, toasted sesame seeds and cracked buckwheat on top of the flour.

• Combine the beer and the water and pour into the cointainer or bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Mix until well combined.

Bulk fermentation:

• Bulk ferment the dough for 30 minutes at 26 C (78 F).

• No folds are required during the bulk fermentation.

INSTRUCTIONS Final shape: For the levain:

Mix all the ingredients until well combined. Cover with a lid. I like to place an elastic band around the top of the levain at the beginning of the feed so I can monitor its growth. Let rise for about 1113 hours at 22 C (72 F).

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• Lightly oil your bread tin unless using a non-stick tin.

• Using a wet dough scraper, scoop the dough and place it into the dough tin. While filling the tin, lightly press down on the dough with a dough scraper to prevent any air pockets.

• When all of the buckwheat sourdough is in the tin, use a wet dough scraper to smooth the top and sides of the dough.

• Sprinkle the dough with a good coating of rye or whole wheat flour.

• Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel.

Final proof:

• Let rise for 30 minutes at room temperature. You should see the top JUST starting to crack.

Baking:

• Score a straight line or an X pattern in the bread with a wet blade.

• Bake with steam at 235 C (460 F) for 50-60 minutes.

Halfway through the baking time vent the steam. The buckwheat sourdough is done when the internal temperature reaches 97 C (206 F).

• Remove the dough from the

I am using freshly milled whole wheat and whole rye.

Depending on your grains and how they are milled, the hydration may vary. If you need to you can add a little bit of water after the mix to adjust accordingly. I like to mix the levain in a larger container so that I can mix the final dough in the same container. No-fuss, and most important, fewer dishes!

Pre-fermented flour refers to the amount of flour fermented BEFORE mixing the final dough. If using a stand mixer use the paddle attachment.

Editor’s note: Flour specs, levain instructions, baking schedule and other detailed information may be found at matthewjamesduffy.com.

Chef and bread fanatic Matthew James Duffy has thousands of social media followers. After 15 years of international industry experience, from specialty bakeries to Michelin-starred restaurants, Matthew is following his baking passion as a baking professor at Centennial College in Toronto with online courses and consulting. Follow “Sourdough Duffy” on Instagram @ matthewjamesduffy.

June 2023 · CANADIAN PIZZA

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