Detroit Style Pizza Co. Reveals Tip Sheet on the Best Type of Oven to Use when Baking an Authentic Detroit Style Pizza
Detroit, MI (PRWEB) July 31, 2013 -- World Champion Pizza Maker Shawn Randazzo has revealed that one of the secrets to a perfect pizza is deck oven baking. As President of Detroit Style Pizza Co., Randazzo only uses deck ovens for his Authentic Detroit Style Pizza recipe, which was named World's Best Pizza at the 2012 International Pizza Expo. Detroit Style Pizza Co.'s use of deck ovens is in stark contrast to many national pizza chains, which use inferior conveyor pizza ovens to bake their pizzas.
Natural gas-fired deck ovens with stone or steel decks are fired from the bottom so they don't dehydrate vegetables and other toppings like forced air impingement conveyor pizza ovens tend to do. Authentic Detroit Style Pizza must be baked in deck ovens because it features a thick crust that requires a slower bake to achieve the perfect texture: light and airy on the inside, crispy and golden brown on the outside. The slower bake results in melted edge-to-edge cheese that caramelizes to the crust, a signature feature of Authentic Detroit Style Pizza, and seals in the natural flavor for a better-tasting pizza.
Many national pizza chains use forced air conveyor ovens because they cook pizzas faster, which lends itself to higher sales volumes and lower labor costs. But faster baking and cheaper labor comes at the expense of quality, and Randazzo says greater sales volume can be achieved by simply adding more deck ovens and pizza chefs to support the volume. Unlike conveyor ovens, deck ovens do require specialized training to properly operate. Randazzo trains his pizza chefs to achieve the perfect deck oven bake, including how to work with oven hot spots, when to rotate the pizza and how to tell when the dough is evenly baked.
“Our goal is to bake premium-quality Authentic Detroit Style Pizza rather than push as many pizzas through the ovens as we can,” said Randazzo. “It's not a time thing, and we don't use timers on our ovens. Operating a deck oven is a skill all of our pizza chefs have to master, and it's a big reason why Detroit Style Pizza Co. is the standard of excellence for Authentic Detroit Style Pizza.”
Some oven manufacturers have attempted to mimic a deck oven bake using conveyor ovens with infrared technology or stone belts; however, Randazzo hasn't seen one that can match the deep natural bake afforded by deck ovens. Ultimately, he says, people get what they pay for and they are willing to pay a little more for a better quality pizza.
“I'm often asked how Detroit Style Pizza Co. achieves high sales volume with deck ovens, when so many pizzerias use faster conveyor ovens. I'm against spitting out mediocre pizzas just to sell more. I want to bake a quality pizza,” said Randazzo. “Our customers are knowledgeable about what makes a great pizza, and they're excited to know we use real deck ovens to bake our pizzas. Deck oven baking is a major reason why we're able to give our customers the premium Authentic Detroit Style Pizza experience they expect and deserve.”
Authentic Detroit Style Pizza is different from other pizzas. First, fresh dough is pressed into a seasoned square steel pan – the same kind once used as utility parts trays by Detroit's automakers – then lined with pepperoni. Brick and mozzarella cheeses are sprinkled on before toppings are added. The pie is baked in a deck oven, where the cheeses caramelize on the crust for a pizza that's crispy on the outside, light and airy on the inside. After baking, signature red sauce is ladled on. This practice of placing the sauce on after baking has earned Detroit Style Pizza the nicknames “red top pizza” and “upside down pizza.”
For more information, visit http://www.detroitstylepizza.co.
Detroit Style Pizza Co. serves the award-winning Authentic Detroit Style Pizza in its three Metro Detroit locations and increases awareness of Detroit style pizza through expansion, education, and sharing its history while providing memories and opportunities for others. Owned and operated by Shawn Randazzo and his mother, Linda Michaels, Detroit Style Pizza Co. is located at St. Clair Shores (586-445-2810), Clinton Township (586-286-9030) and Roseville (586-439-0575); and delivers Detroit style pizzas coast-to-coast via mail order. Focused on quality, community and people, Detroit Style Pizza Co. is open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
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Shawn, Randazzo, Detroit Style Pizza Company Inc., http://www.DetroitStylePizza.Co, 586-489-4211, [email protected]
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