The Slice That Started It All: Breaking Down Our Signature Pie

Every great pizza shop has one pie that sets the standard. At Pizza Cafe Canal St, it’s the Margherita. No toppings to hide behind. Just dough, tomato, mozzarella, and basil—executed with precision, every time.

1. The Dough
It starts with our 48-hour fermented dough. Cold-proofed for flavor and structure, hand-stretched to protect the air pockets. The result is a crust that’s crisp on the outside, soft inside, and never flat.

2. The Sauce
We don’t cook our sauce ahead of time. It’s raw crushed tomatoes with a touch of sea salt and olive oil—nothing else. The bake handles the rest, unlocking natural sweetness and acidity without the heaviness.

3. The Cheese
We use fresh, whole-milk mozzarella—sliced, not shredded. It melts into soft, creamy pools that brown just enough under heat. No filler, no blend, no shortcuts.

4. The Toppings

• Fresh basil leaves, torn and placed post-bake for aroma and contrast

• Extra virgin olive oil, drizzled right before cutting
  No extras. No overload. Every component is visible, balanced, and deliberate.

5. The Bake
Stone-deck oven. 650°F. No conveyor belts. No pan grease. The pizza is watched, turned, and pulled at the exact moment the crust blisters and the cheese bubbles.

6. The Why
The Margherita exposes everything—bad dough, weak sauce, low-quality cheese. We use it to measure ourselves. If we can’t get this right, nothing else matters.