About
A Pizzaiolo's Weekend Project
PizzaParty.menu was built by a home cook who got tired of the chaos and decided to do something about it.
The Back Story
It all started the way most obsessions do: with a suspiciously well-chosen gift from friends who knew me too well. For our wedding, a few of them got us an Ooni Karu 12, right when the home pizza oven craze was taking off. I was instantly hooked. What looked like a thoughtful present turned into a full-blown obsession.
Pizza nights became a regular thing. I started experimenting with dough techniques, pre-ferments, hydration levels, and slowly got better. One upgrade led to another, eventually landing on a Gozney Arc XL in the backyard. Before long I was hosting get-togethers 3–4 times a month, cranking out around 12 pizzas a session.
Why I Built It
For years I ran the whole operation out of a notes app -- recipes, grocery lists, prep notes. When it was time to host, I'd decide which pizzas to offer, compile a menu and paste it into a group chat. Then build the grocery list, figure out prep, and coordinate from there.
It worked. But I was juggling two separate lists, full instructions for me and a clean guest-facing summary for everyone else. At some point I went looking for a menu app built for home cooks. Found nothing. So I built one.
PizzaParty started as a weekend project. The idea was simple: build a library of your pizzas, send a menu to guests, let them pick and let the app handle the rest. Soon, a friend started using it too, and I figured there had to be others who'd want something like this.
It's free with no ads. It's a niche app built by a home cook who just wanted pizza nights to run smoother. I'll be stoked if it helps a few other home pizzaiolos do the same.
My Setup
The Oven
I started out with wood in the Ooni Karu 12, but eventually switched over to gas. Cooking 12 pizzas in under an hour, it just makes more sense practically. And with Neapolitan cook times being what they are, you'd barely taste the difference anyway.
Gozney Arc XL
Current OvenA few years in, I upgraded to a Gozney Arc XL, a more efficient oven with a bigger deck making pizzas much easier to manage. A brick oven is still on the dream board someday.
The Dough
70% hydration, usually with poolish pre-ferment. I've experimented with biga and even combined the two, but poolish is my go-to. No mixer, always kneaded by hand. I do an overnight room-temperature pre-ferment, then 1-2 days cold-ferment in the fridge.
A pro-tip: get yourself a dough box container or individual dough ball containers. It will make life that much easier. Furthermore, you can stagger pulling the individual containers out of the fridge, so they rise just enough before cooking.
Products I Use and Recommend
Dough Storage
Dough Box
I got myself the DoughMate dough box off Amazon. It is just the right size to fit in a home fridge. Stack both boxes, put them in overnight, and the dough slowly ferments without a thin film forming on the dough. The seal is perfect. Link on Amazon
Individual Dough Containers
Easier to pull out as many as you need and stagger them out of the fridge. A bit more work to clean, but take up less space and very versatile. Link on Amazon
Dough Scraper
This spatula is all you need. Cheap and effective. Link on Amazon
Tools
Pizza Peels
Don't buy a random cheap peel off Amazon -- most are poor quality, made of a thin sheet of metal. If you want the best, invest in GI Metal (buy direct from their site, not Amazon) -- the quality is exceptional, though pricey. I suggest their round perforated peel for launching and the small turning peel for turning the pizza while in the oven. For more affordable options, Ooni peels were the original ones I purchased and they served me well. Perhaps slightly overpriced, but solid quality: placement peel, turning peel. Otherwise, can't go wrong with an off-brand peel like this.
Infrared Thermometer
Any thermometer that goes up to 1000°F (~540°C) works. This one is a solid budget option. If you want to go top-of-the-line, ThermoWorks makes excellent ones.
Flour
Caputo Pizzeria & Nuvola Super
I've been using Nuvola Super for my pre-ferments and the workhorse flour, Caputo Pizzeria, for the main dough.
Caputo Semola
Used for stretching. Keeps the dough from sticking without making it tough. Link on Amazon
Disclosure: Some links above are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Ready to simplify your pizza nights?
It's free, it's quick to set up, and your friends will love you for it.