bake - January 2016 - 34

Flatbread is Rising
As artisan bread baking continues to evolve as a craft in North
America, a growing movement exists to transport the best of
bread into the pizza category.
James Beard Award winner Jim Lahey, for example, brings a
simple yet magical ﬂavor proﬁle to the table when he creates
his immensely popular Pizza Bianca, made with King Arthur
ﬂour, coarse salt, a teaspoon of instant dry yeast, and topped
with drizzles of extra virgin olive oil and a sprig of fresh
rosemary.
The owner of Sullivan Street Bakery in New York City stretches
the dough nearly 6 feet on the bench and then presses down
with his ﬁngertips into the wet dough, working in dimples as
he moves the dough toward the edges. After baking for 10
minutes at 520 F, Lahey completes his work of art. "I never tire
of making Pizza Bianca," he says.

organically grown wheat that is milled into white ﬂour with
the wheat germ restored. The Flatbread Company promotes

Romel Tovar, marketing manager for Grandaisy Bakery, with

a local connection to customers by relying heavily on local

two retail locations in New York City, says that in a place

farms and producers, including goat cheese from Valley View

known for great pizza, ﬂatbread pizzas are taking the city by

Farm in Topsﬁeld, Massachusetts.

storm.
One of Flatbread Company's most popular ﬂatbread pizzas
"People have really responded to the ﬂatbreads we make,"

in the Northeast is the nitrate-free pepperoni and mushroom,

Tovar says. "Five or six years ago, we introduced a cauliﬂower

which is topped with whole milk mozzarella, Parmesan and

ﬂatbread, and it's still our No. 1 vegan pizza. Our latest intro-

organic wood-ﬁred cauldron tomato sauce. Consider that

duction is butternut squash, which we slice very thinly to put

pepperoni still ranks as consumer's favorite pizza topping,

on the ﬂatbread with some gruyere and breadcrumbs. The

according to point-of-sale research from Lavu, followed by

gruyere cheese doesn't overwhelm. It plays really well with the

mushroom, sausage, onion and spinach.

butternut squash, and that pizza is very popular as well."
Most of Flatbread Company's retail stores are found in New
Consumer studies continue to reveal that customers now

England, although one of its shops is located on the Hawaiian

appreciate the crust of pizza as much or more as the toppings.

island of Maui. This Pa'ia location features locally inspired ﬂat-

So it makes sense that better crusts are driving new sales in

bread pizzas such as free-range pork shoulder, organic mango

the pizza category. Plus, the trend has given rise to the popu-

barbecue sauce, Maui pineapple and a blend of Hawaiian goat

larity of ﬂatbread pizza chains.

cheeses.

One such example is The Flatbread Company, founded in 1998

More than Pizza

in Amesbury, Massachusetts. This 14-store retailer specializes

Flatbreads offer a world of tasteful opportunities for

in ﬂatbread pizzas made on fresh dough using 100 percent

bakeries and cafes serving sandwiches and pizzas, whether

34 < JAN 2016 | bakemag.com
http://www.bakemag.com
bake - January 2016

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