Pizza Today - May 2018 - 35

M

y good friend Eric Marshall
is the founder and owner
of Tulsa's first and largest
brewery, Marshall Brewing. He's a master
brewer who studied in Munich, and I
think the world of him. He took a chance
and put everything on the line for his
craft, much like me -- and much like
most of us in this industry. He's still in
the mix everyday making his product the
best it can be. I asked him what annoyed
him the most about the craft movement.
He answered quickly: "All the people who
talk about brewing their own beer and
start with a Double Imperial IPA with
infused cranberries (but) don't know how
to properly ferment a basic lager."
I thought about it myself. I'm not above
getting peeved by things in our industry.
I'm all for getting eccentric with pizza
toppings, but it seems sometimes that
operators start with the name of the pizza
and work backwards to the actual recipe.
It's like thinking of a title for a movie
people will want to see with little to no
regard for the script.
I have a rule. When I go to a new pizzeria, I try their most basic cheese pizza.
If that's not on point, I don't really trust
moving on to their next level offerings.
A proper pizza has to have a great crust
and high-quality cheese -- but what gets
much less attention is the sauce. The sauce
is the difference between ok and fantastic.
When I first opened Andolini's, my sauce
was extremely basic. I didn't respect how
integral it is making a pizza all it could
be. I now look to the sauce to determine
how seriously another pizzeria takes their
pizza, and by default, their business.
LET'S GET INTO THE DETAILS OF GETTING
THIS FUNDAMENTAL INGREDIENT MADE
RIGHT:

The beauty of this industry is in its
variety. Do what you like and sell that
passion. If you want to do things differently, go for it. With that said, know the
industry standards before you put your
spin on it. Your typical pizza sauce will be:
* FROM A CAN -- not fresh tomatoes,
but from fresh-packed tomatoes in a can.
* UNCOOKED -- It's not a pasta sauce,
so it's not slow simmered for 12 hours.

It is cooked when it goes into the oven
for the first time with the rest of your
ingredients.
* NOT COLD. Sauce works best when it's
not cold but room temp.
* IS AT LEAST 12 HOURS OLD. When a
can is freshly opened and a sauce has just
been made, the acidity is at its strongest.
Your best bet is to prepare it and give it a
night for the acidity to calm down.
YOUR SAUCE COMES FROM A CAN, BUT
WHICH ONE? Even from a can, a proper

red sauce starts with great tomatoes. If
you are going for the sweetness of Italy's
San Marzanos be warned: there are
only so many San Marzano tomatoes in
the world and somehow the number of
bushels produced each year out numbers
the amount available. The answer to that
quandary is to do your research on the
company from which you buy. Know the
farm and company you order from so you
know what you sell your customer is not
a lie.
If your tomatoes are not from Italy,
California is a very popular option. One
walk through Pizza Expo will show you
a litany of choices. I suggest meeting
and tasting them all, also knowing what
you're looking for. The tomato companies
who come to Pizza Expo are reputable.
Differentiators or selling points for the
companies are:
* How fast the tomato is packed?
* Are there any additives at all?
* Is there any specific lining or seals of
freshness that are important to you?
Along with that, know what sauce you
want. Are you going for thick and chunky
or for thin and easy to spread? New York
style is less chunky typically, but you can
always buck that trend and use whole
unpeeled tomatoes in your sauce. Again, it
needs to be what you want it to be.
I use six cans of crushed tomatoes with
one can of tomato paste. I am for sure not
the first guy to do that. With that said,
which tomato you buy, and what you do
from there, can take the same recipe and
make it vastly different.
I add oregano, garlic, oil, Romano and
basil. Some people add sugar and other

spices like nutmeg or any number of different ingredients. I don't think a properly
sweet tomato needs cane sugar in addition to its natural sweetness; however,
when you're in the kitchen, take guidance
and then forge your own path.
Even though I just divulged what I add
to my own sauce, how much and what
kind of each ingredient will drastically
affect the final product. Consider:
* OREGANO. Will you use dried domestic or something from Italy? Try it each
way and make your choice.
* OIL. You can use EVOO or something cheaper, but you get what you pay
for.
* GARLIC. I say dice the peeled garlic on
site and add as much as you think your
customers will enjoy. That assumes you
like garlic.
* ROMANO (OR OTHER CHEESE). Again,
will you choose a version from Italy or a
domestic counterpart? I opt for Pecorino
after the bake and Wisconsin Romano
in the sauce. How much depends on the
final flavor you are seeking out.
* BASIL. A bag of basil isn't cheap, but
the aroma of fresh basil versus dried is
incomparable. I choose diced basil every
time and my customers notice.
BEAR IN MIND, THE FLAVOR WILL BE
MUCH DIFFERENT ONCE YOUR SAUCE IS
BAKED. Make small batches until you

reach the point you are not just comfortable with but proud of. Then taste-test it
against multiple brands and with variations of the toppings to see how it marries
up. Above all else, seek unbiased opinions
from people who respect you enough
to tell you the truth if you're the type to
fall in love with your product. If you are
overly critical of yourself and can never
land on anything, get to a point where
you are proud of it and unbiased tasters
agree and call stop there. Then advertise
and push the flavor of the sauce because
at that point -- after all that research and
development -- you'll know it's great. n
MIKE BAUSCH is the owner of Andolini's
Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is a
frequent speaker at the International Pizza
Expo family of trade shows.
M AY 2 0 1 8 / P I Z Z AT O D AY. C O M / 3 5
http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM
Pizza Today - May 2018

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