Our Dough Process, Step by Step

If you walked into our kitchen on a Monday morning, you’d see Joe and one other baker measuring flour into a big spiral mixer at 7 a.m. Everything you eat at Arcadia Pizza Company starts there.

Step 1: Mix (Day 0, 7 AM)

We use a high-protein bread flour from a regional Arizona mill — flour matters, and a 12.7% protein flour gives us the structure for both styles. Into the mixer: flour, water (we measure by weight, not volume), salt, a small amount of fresh yeast, and a glug of olive oil for the Detroit batch. We mix at low speed for 10 minutes, just enough to bring everything together. Then 5 minutes at medium to develop gluten. The dough comes off the hook smooth, slightly tacky, around 76°F.

Step 2: Bulk ferment (Day 0, 9 AM – 12 PM)

We let the whole batch rest at room temperature for about three hours. The yeast wakes up; the gluten starts to organize. We do two stretch-and-folds during this window to build strength.

Step 3: Portion (Day 0, 12 PM)

We divide the dough into balls — different weights for Tavern (lighter) vs Detroit (heavier and pan-shaped). Each ball goes into its own oiled deli container with a lid. The containers are labeled with the date and time.

Step 4: Cold ferment (Day 0 – Day 2)

Into the walk-in cooler at 38°F. Tavern dough sits for 48 hours. Detroit dough sits for 24. During this window, slow fermentation does all the flavor work we don’t do ourselves.

Step 5: Bench rest (Day 2, 3 hours before service)

We pull dough out of the cooler three hours before the door opens. The dough comes up to room temperature slowly — too cold and the gluten is tight, too warm and it overproofs. We watch it.

Step 6: Stretch and pan (during service)

Tavern: hand-stretched to a thin round, docked (poked all over with a fork) to keep it from bubbling. Detroit: gently pressed into the seasoned blue-steel pan and given another hour to puff before topping.

Step 7: Bake

Tavern at 600°F for 5-7 minutes on a deck oven. Detroit at 525°F for 13-15 minutes in the pan. Out, cut, plated. On your table within 90 seconds of leaving the oven.

The math

Every single pie you eat at Arcadia Pizza Company was 48 or 24 hours in the making. That’s the price of doing it right. We think you can taste it.