How do you make pizza that still tastes great after it’s been delivered?
In this episode, Thomas McNaughton, Ryan Pollnow, and Elliot Armstrong of Flour + Water Pizzeria break down how they reverse-engineered a pizza that thrives in both restaurant and delivery settings. From dough hydration to custom cheese layering, they reveal the intentional systems that make their pies stand out, even 30 minutes after leaving the oven.
Highlights:
00:00 - Built for To-Go – Designing a pizzeria that prioritizes quality control for both dine-in and delivery.
01:13 - Not Neapolitan on Purpose– Choosing a stretch technique, semolina base, and custom dough recipe tailored for better hold and bite.
02:20 - Flour Matters – Blending high-protein and all-purpose flours for texture that holds up during delivery.
03:11 - Cheese as a Barrier – Why the first cheese layer protects crust, adds seasoning, and keeps heat like a grilled cheese.
04:17 - Classic Meets Chef-Driven – Homage to traditional pepperoni with quality toppings and intentional simplicity.
05:38 - The 13-Inch Decision – Why they landed on a unique pie size and the custom packaging it required.
07:00 - Versatile Dough Program – Using 300g and 600g weights to seamlessly switch between rounds and squares.
08:14 - 72% Hydration Game – Using poolish to push hydration levels for a more flavorful and stretchable dough.
09:40 - Textural Identity – Creating visual and textural diversity with dimpling and a unique stretch method.
11:01 - The Hot Hold System – Custom-built hot cabinet with venting tech to avoid soggy box syndrome.
14:22 - Delivery Stress Test – Every pizza is tested after 30 minutes in hot hold to ensure it still tastes fire.
15:14 - No Magic, Just Intentionality – How the team controls quality through lots of small, thoughtful choices.
17:00 - Know-How Over Myths – It’s not the water — it’s skilled training that ensures consistent, excellent pizza.
18:14 - Expanding Smart – Why the dough hub model lets them scale while maintaining control over quality.
20:21 - Building with Lessons – What they’d do differently if starting from scratch, including layout tweaks and budget restraint.
22:21 - Stretch and Cook Feedback Loop – Fixing layout issues so the team communicates better during service.
Check out Flour + Water Pizzeria here:
https://www.fwpizzeria.com/
https://www.fwpizzeria.com/home
https://www.instagram.com/flourandwaterpizzeria/?hl=en
Thank you to our show sponsors:
Bacio Cheese:
https://2ly.link/260Ri
Shot By Tristan Marr + Alexia Refil
Topics:
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