At Pizza with Purpose, we bring the pizzeria experience to you. We believe the crust makes the meal, which is why we offer 3 classic dough styles for your event.
Simply choose the base that fits your vibe, and we will handle the rest.
1. Neapolitan
Soft, Pillowy & Light The traditional Italian choice. This base has a soft centre and a tall, airy crust with beautiful char spots. It is light, delicate, and melts in your mouth.
2. New York Style
Crispy, Chewy & Sturdy The iconic "foldable" slice. Baked until golden brown, this dough provides a satisfying crunch and a chewy bite. It holds toppings well, making it perfect for eating while mingling.
3. Roman
Ultra-Thin & Crispy A lighter, cracker-like base. Rolled out paper-thin with no doughy rim, this style is crispy from edge to edge. Perfect for guests who want maximum flavour with less bread.
Know Your Pizza
Origins
Neapolitan Pizza (Pizza Napoletana) is widely considered the "original" pizza. Its roots can be traced back to the bustling streets of Naples during the 18th century. Originally, this iconic dish was created to provide sustenance for the city’s working poor, using simple and accessible ingredients. Its humble beginnings were transformed in 1889, when the Margherita pizza was first crafted, elevating Neapolitan pizza from everyday street food to a proud emblem of Italian culinary heritage. Today, Neapolitan pizza holds a revered place as the ancestor of modern pizzas, admired for its purity, simplicity, and strict adherence to time-honoured tradition.
The Ingredients & Fermentation
Authenticity lies at the core of Neapolitan pizza. The dough consists solely of refined Italian "00" flour, water, fine sea salt, and yeast—nothing else. Importantly, no oil or sugar is added, ensuring the dough remains true to its roots and delicate in flavour.
Fermentation Process
At Pizza with Purpose, careful attention is given to every stage of dough preparation to maximise both taste and texture. After the initial mixing, the dough is placed in the refrigerator for a slow, overnight fermentation. This extended resting period allows complex flavours to develop and come to the fore the following day. Next, the dough is left to rise gradually at room temperature, a gentle process that brings out the natural sweetness of the wheat. The resulting pizza base is light, tender, and easy to digest, reflecting the principles of Neapolitan tradition.
1. Neapolitan -Pizza Napoletana
Origins
As Italian immigrants arrived in Manhattan in the early 20th century, they adapted their recipes for coal-fired bread ovens. The result was a larger, sturdier pizza designed to be sold by the slice to busy workers. It is the Neapolitan evolved for the industrial city.
The Ingredients & Fermentation
The flour changes to high-protein bread flour to create chew. We add olive oil (for tenderness) and diastatic malt (for browning) to the mix. Unlike the Neapolitan, this dough undergoes a "Cold Ferment," sleeping in the fridge for 48 to 72 hours. This slows the yeast, developing a complex, savoury, almost sourdough-like flavour.
Method & Texture
To replicate the coal deck ovens of NYC, we drop the oven temperature to a moderate 340°C–370°C. A slower bake of 4 to 5 minutes allows the dough to dry out and crisp up without burning.
The sugar in the dough creates a consistent, deep golden-brown colour. The base is thin but rigid and crispy, allowing for the famous "New York Fold" without the slice flopping.
2. New York Style
Origins
The Tonda, or Roman Round, is the traditional, super-thin, round pizza found in trattorias across Rome.
As Rome rebuilt after the Second World War, there was a booming demand for cheap, quick meals for the working class. Pizzerias began utilizing electric deck ovens (which were easier to install than wood-fired ones). These ovens allowed for a longer bake at a slightly lower temperature than Neapolitan ovens
Unlike the soft Neapolitan style, this pizza is prized for its cracker-like texture and distinctive snap. It is a beloved staple of Roman cuisine, appreciated for its crispness and unique eating experience.
The Ingredients & Fermentation
The dough for this pizza is specifically crafted to deliver crunchiness. It uses a lower-protein flour and features a very low hydration level, typically around 55% water. To further "shorten" the dough and enhance its crisp qualities, oil or lard is added. Uniquely, this is the only authentic Italian pizza style where a rolling pin is used to roll the dough paper-thin, intentionally removing all air bubbles before baking.
Method & Texture
To achieve the characteristic snap without burning the crust, the pizza is baked at a lower temperature, approximately 330°C–350°C . This careful temperature control is key to attaining the desired crunchy texture.
Cooking Time
The pizza requires a longer bake, typically 3 to 4 minutes, to fully dehydrate the crust.
Texture & Colour The finished pizza is flat all the way to the edge, with almost no outer rim. It is uniformly golden-brown and offers a distinct, audible snap when bitten. The structure is rigid and sturdy, allowing it to hold its toppings firmly with no risk of flopping.
3. The Tonda/ Roman Round
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