The Art of Making Pizza: A Personal Journey

I've been told by many people that I had to follow the traditional route when it comes to making pizza, with slices and a phone number being essential. However, I've always felt that this approach was restrictive and didn't allow for creativity or personalization. Luckily, I have friends who share my philosophy and encourage me to do things my own way.

We're currently at Pizzeria Billa, located on the corner of Gerard Avenue and Shaka Maxon Street in Philadelphia. The difference that makes it worth waiting two hours in line is the quality of the ingredients. It took me a long time to source the old gold cheese and Leoni mozzarella. I've spent time figuring out what I think tastes the best. Today, it's 9:30 in the morning on a Wednesday, and I'm ready to start making pizzas.

The first thing I do is come in and make sure everything is ready to go. I flower the counter and start the dough for the day. Yesterday morning, I came in and made this dough, and it's exactly 40 pounds – one pound of dough per pizza, which is correct. So, why do I make the dough the day before? It's because I want to coax out the good flavor of the grain. I use organic flour, fresh cake yeast, water, sea salt, a little sugar, and a little extra virgin olive oil. The overriding theme here is that making good pizza isn't an insurmountable task; it's just that people don't want to put in the time or effort.

I don't really follow any of the traditional pizza dogma. I've found that most of the best pizza places don't follow it either. Some people might use canned San Marzano tomatoes, but I prefer to use fresh, high-quality ingredients. In New Jersey, there are great tomatoes growing, and I like to use those for my pizzas. I've also discovered that using two cans of tomatoes and a bunch of garlic, sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil is the way to go.

When it comes to making pizza dough, I want to leave the crust alone as much as possible. I don't want to push it down too much because it won't rise naturally. First, I'll top it with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and aged mozzarella, and then it goes straight into the oven. You know that a pizza is done when you can hear it crack underneath the cutter – if not, it's probably not cooked properly.

Once the pizza is out of the oven, I'll dress it with a little Sicilian oregano, some old gold cheese, and finish it off with some extra virgin olive oil. This way, all the flavors come together in harmony. What I love about Pizzeria Billa is that there's something special about making pizza by one person. There's a sense of authenticity and personal touch that you just can't replicate when someone else makes it for you.

As I make each pizza, I'm reminded that I'm not doing anything special; I'm just doing it the right way. It's all about following my instincts and using high-quality ingredients to create something truly delicious.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthere were a lot of people who were um telling me that I had to go the more traditional route you know have slices and have phone number and all that stuff luckily I have other close friends who are like why don't you just do exactly what you want I just sort of listen to that we're at Pizzeria Billa on the corner of Gerard Avenue and Shaka Maxon Street in Philadelphia what's the difference that makes it worth waiting two hours in line for here I don't know if I would wait two hours um the difference is the quality of the ingredients you know it took me a long time to Source the old gold cheese or even the Leoni mozzarella those things all took some time to figure out what I thought tasted the best all right Joe so it's 9:30 in the morning on a Wednesday what's the first thing you do just come in make sure everything's ready to go flower the counter and start the dough for the day yesterday morning I came in and made the this dough you said 40 lb it's exactly 40 yeah 40 dough so there's a pound of dough in each pizza that's correct okay why do you make the dough the day before it's sort of I guess the only way to coax out the good flavor of the grain is with th you can't really cheat it it's just really a simple recipe uh really nice organic flour uh use a a fresh cake yeast water sea salt a little sugar and a little extra virgin olive oil I think the overriding theme Here is making good pizza is not an insurmountable thing it's just people don't want to put in the time right nobody ever really taught me how to do it I just sort of do it so why don't you use imported San Marzano Tomatoes I mean they grow great tomatoes right in New Jersey that I that I really like so I think it makes the most sense to use those Tomatoes I don't really follow any of that pizza Dogma what is that Dogma what are you talking about s Mars on tomatoes the z00 flour 900° and I've also found that most of the best pizza places don't follow that either two cans of tomatoes and then bunch of garlic sea salt and extra virgin olive oil that's it yeah these doughs are alive and ready to go you can see how ready that is with all those little bubbles first of all you want to leave the crust alone you don't want to push it down too much cuz it won't rise naturally then I'll top it with the tomato sauce fresh mozzarella an aged mozzarella and then it goes straight into the oven yeah you know it's done when you can hear it if the pizza comes out and you can't hear it crack underneath the cutter it's probably not cooked properly I'm going to cut the pizza dress it with a little Sicilian oregano some old gold cheese and then finish it with some extra virgin olive oil that's it all the places that I sort of felt something about in a deeper sense were all you know one person making pizza there's something inside of me that needs to make the pizzas the way that I think that they should be made I mean the thing is I'm not really doing anything special I'm just sort of doing it the right waythere were a lot of people who were um telling me that I had to go the more traditional route you know have slices and have phone number and all that stuff luckily I have other close friends who are like why don't you just do exactly what you want I just sort of listen to that we're at Pizzeria Billa on the corner of Gerard Avenue and Shaka Maxon Street in Philadelphia what's the difference that makes it worth waiting two hours in line for here I don't know if I would wait two hours um the difference is the quality of the ingredients you know it took me a long time to Source the old gold cheese or even the Leoni mozzarella those things all took some time to figure out what I thought tasted the best all right Joe so it's 9:30 in the morning on a Wednesday what's the first thing you do just come in make sure everything's ready to go flower the counter and start the dough for the day yesterday morning I came in and made the this dough you said 40 lb it's exactly 40 yeah 40 dough so there's a pound of dough in each pizza that's correct okay why do you make the dough the day before it's sort of I guess the only way to coax out the good flavor of the grain is with th you can't really cheat it it's just really a simple recipe uh really nice organic flour uh use a a fresh cake yeast water sea salt a little sugar and a little extra virgin olive oil I think the overriding theme Here is making good pizza is not an insurmountable thing it's just people don't want to put in the time right nobody ever really taught me how to do it I just sort of do it so why don't you use imported San Marzano Tomatoes I mean they grow great tomatoes right in New Jersey that I that I really like so I think it makes the most sense to use those Tomatoes I don't really follow any of that pizza Dogma what is that Dogma what are you talking about s Mars on tomatoes the z00 flour 900° and I've also found that most of the best pizza places don't follow that either two cans of tomatoes and then bunch of garlic sea salt and extra virgin olive oil that's it yeah these doughs are alive and ready to go you can see how ready that is with all those little bubbles first of all you want to leave the crust alone you don't want to push it down too much cuz it won't rise naturally then I'll top it with the tomato sauce fresh mozzarella an aged mozzarella and then it goes straight into the oven yeah you know it's done when you can hear it if the pizza comes out and you can't hear it crack underneath the cutter it's probably not cooked properly I'm going to cut the pizza dress it with a little Sicilian oregano some old gold cheese and then finish it with some extra virgin olive oil that's it all the places that I sort of felt something about in a deeper sense were all you know one person making pizza there's something inside of me that needs to make the pizzas the way that I think that they should be made I mean the thing is I'm not really doing anything special I'm just sort of doing it the right way\n"