I was puzzled by this because our recipe and methods have stayed the same since 1957 when we opened our doors. 

So I started digging. What I discovered is that the flour on the market today is markedly different than what we used in years past.

The world’s wheat crop was transformed in the 1950s and 60s with the development of high-yielding varieties of wheat.  Most wheat on the market today is bred to get as much yield as possible and to do everything reasonably well instead of doing specific things incredibly well.  As a result, the pizza made from this wheat simply didn’t taste as good and the texture was markedly different. 

That was not acceptable to us.

What we did about it...

We found flour from Italy made from wheat that is bred and processed specifically to make a perfect pizza crust. Italians invented pizza and they know what they are doing! It is also processed cleaner making the flour much healthier. Better yet, it tastes wonderful and it gives us a crispier crust - like our crust was in 1957. This flour is much more expensive, but we think our customers are worth it!

But it is about more than our flour

• Our sausage is made from whole pork roasts and made with a secret in-house recipe.
• We use lard. Lard is higher in monounsaturated fats, which are good for cardiovascular health. Lard is also rich in oleic acid, the same fatty acid that is in olive oil and praised for its health benefits.
• Our pepperoni and cheese is of the highest quality and our spices come from Europe, Egypt and Africa. Yummmm.
• We slice our peppers in house, so they are fresher and not full of preservatives.

OK, so most people don’t go into a pizza parlor thinking about health food. We get it. But doesn’t it make you feel good that at Pagliai’s, our food IS healthier, fresher, and tastes better to boot!