The Art of Perfect Pizza Dough: A Journey with Chef Marco Benedetti

At Salvatore, the journey to creating the perfect pizza begins long before the oven is fired up. It starts with a philosophy, a dedication to craft, and the skilled hands of head chef Marco Benedetti, who has spent over two decades perfecting the art of pizza dough. In this exclusive interview, we delve deep into the techniques, traditions, and innovations that make Salvatore's pizzas truly exceptional.

"The dough is the soul of the pizza," Marco explains, his hands dusted with flour as he demonstrates his technique in Salvatore's bustling kitchen. "Everything else—the sauce, the toppings, the cheese—they're all important, but without a perfect base, you don't have a pizza. You have something else entirely."

The Foundation: Traditional Italian Techniques

Marco's approach to pizza dough is rooted in the traditional methods he learned growing up in Naples, Italy. His family has been making pizza for four generations, and those time-honored techniques form the backbone of every pizza that comes out of Salvatore's kitchen. The process begins with selecting the right flour—a crucial decision that impacts everything from texture to flavor.

"In Italy, we use tipo 00 flour," Marco shares, holding up a handful of the finely-milled wheat. "It's ground to a powder-like consistency, which creates a dough that's both elastic and tender. But here at Salvatore, we've adapted this tradition to incorporate some exceptional Canadian wheat varieties that bring their own unique characteristics to the dough."

The Canadian Connection: Locally-Sourced Ingredients

What sets Salvatore's pizza apart is the innovative fusion of Italian tradition with Canadian ingredients. Marco has spent years building relationships with local farmers and suppliers across Canada, sourcing ingredients that meet his exacting standards while celebrating the bounty of his adopted homeland.

"When I first came to Canada, I was determined to recreate the exact pizzas I made in Naples," Marco recalls with a smile. "But then I discovered the incredible quality of Canadian wheat from the prairies, the pure water from British Columbia, and I realized—why not create something that honors both traditions?"

The wheat used in Salvatore's dough comes from a family farm in Saskatchewan, where the cold winters and hot summers produce grain with exceptional protein content. This Canadian wheat is blended with imported Italian tipo 00 flour in a proprietary ratio that Marco has perfected over years of experimentation. The result is a dough that has the characteristic chewiness of Neapolitan pizza with a slightly nuttier flavor profile that reflects its Canadian terroir.

Water quality is another crucial factor that Marco emphasizes. "In Naples, we have very soft water, which affects how the gluten develops," he explains. "Here in Canada, depending on the region, water can be quite different. We filter and adjust our water to achieve the perfect mineral balance for our dough. It's a detail most people never think about, but it makes all the difference."

The Science of Fermentation

Perhaps the most critical aspect of Marco's dough-making process is the extended fermentation period. While many pizzerias use dough that's only a few hours old, Salvatore's dough undergoes a minimum 48-hour cold fermentation process. This extended timeline isn't just about tradition—it's about science.

"During fermentation, the yeast breaks down the complex carbohydrates in the flour," Marco explains, gesturing to the temperature-controlled fermentation room where dozens of dough balls rest in carefully arranged trays. "This process creates flavor compounds that you simply cannot achieve with a quick rise. It also makes the dough more digestible and gives it that characteristic slight tang that people love in our pizza."

The fermentation room is maintained at a precise 18°C (64°F), a temperature that Marco has found optimal for developing flavor while preventing over-fermentation. Each batch of dough is carefully labeled with the date and time it was made, ensuring that no dough is used before its time or kept past its prime.

"We make fresh dough every single day," Marco emphasizes. "Even though our dough can technically last up to 72 hours, we prefer to use it at the 48 to 60-hour mark when the flavor is at its peak. It's more work, yes, but it's worth it for the quality we deliver to our customers."

The Art of Hand-Stretching

Walk into Salvatore's kitchen during the dinner rush, and you'll witness what looks like a carefully choreographed dance. Marco and his team of trained pizzaiolos move with practiced precision, transforming balls of dough into perfectly round pizza bases in a matter of seconds. But this seemingly effortless skill is the result of years of practice and an intimate understanding of dough behavior.

"We never use a rolling pin," Marco states firmly. "Rolling compresses the dough and pushes out all those beautiful air bubbles that formed during fermentation. Those bubbles are what give you the characteristic leopard-spotting on the crust and that light, airy texture everyone loves."

Instead, Marco demonstrates the traditional hand-stretching technique, starting by pressing the dough ball flat with his fingertips, working from the center outward while leaving a slightly thicker edge for the crust. He then lifts the dough and uses gravity and gentle rotation to stretch it further, occasionally draping it over his knuckles to achieve the desired thinness.

"The key is to work quickly but gently," Marco advises. "If you overwork the dough or stretch it too aggressively, you'll tear it or create an uneven base. The dough should almost stretch itself—you're just guiding it. When it's properly fermented and at the right temperature, it becomes incredibly cooperative."

Training the Next Generation

Marco's commitment to excellence extends beyond his own work to training the next generation of pizza makers. Every member of Salvatore's kitchen team undergoes extensive training in dough preparation and handling, a process that can take months to master.

"I tell my team that making pizza dough is like learning to play a musical instrument," Marco says. "You can learn the basic techniques relatively quickly, but mastering the nuances—understanding how humidity affects the dough, recognizing when fermentation is at its peak, developing the muscle memory for perfect stretching—that takes time and dedication."

New team members start by observing and assisting with basic tasks like weighing ingredients and portioning dough. As they progress, they learn to mix and knead, then eventually advance to the art of hand-stretching. Marco personally oversees this training, often spending hours working alongside new pizzaiolos to help them develop their skills.

"The most rewarding part of my job is seeing someone make their first perfect pizza," Marco reflects. "That moment when everything comes together—the dough stretches beautifully, the toppings are balanced, the crust comes out of the oven with that perfect leopard-spotting—it's magical. And knowing that I've helped pass on these traditions to another generation, that's what keeps me passionate about this work."

Innovation Within Tradition

While Marco is deeply committed to traditional techniques, he's also not afraid to innovate when it serves the quality of the final product. One of his recent experiments has been incorporating a small percentage of ancient grain varieties into the dough blend, adding complexity to the flavor profile while maintaining the classic texture customers expect.

"Tradition is important, but it shouldn't be a prison," Marco explains. "The pizzaiolos of Naples were innovators in their time, constantly refining their techniques and adapting to available ingredients. I see my experiments with Canadian grains and local ingredients as continuing that spirit of innovation, not abandoning tradition."

This philosophy of respectful innovation extends to Salvatore's menu development as well. While classic pizzas like Margherita and Marinara remain staples, Marco has created signature pizzas that celebrate Canadian ingredients—from Quebec cheese to British Columbia wild salmon—all built on the foundation of his perfect dough.

"The dough is the constant," Marco emphasizes. "No matter what toppings we use, whether traditional Italian or uniquely Canadian, the base remains the same. That consistency is what allows us to experiment with flavors while maintaining the quality and authenticity that our customers expect from Salvatore."

The Future of Salvatore's Dough

Looking ahead, Marco has ambitious plans for continuing to refine and perfect Salvatore's pizza dough. He's currently working with agricultural researchers at a Canadian university to develop a custom wheat variety specifically suited to pizza making, combining the best characteristics of Italian and Canadian grains.

"Imagine a wheat that's grown specifically for our pizza," Marco says, his eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. "A grain that's bred to have the perfect protein content, the ideal gluten structure, and a flavor profile that complements our fermentation process. It's a long-term project—we're talking years of development—but the potential is incredible."

He's also exploring ways to make the dough-making process more sustainable, from sourcing organic ingredients to reducing energy consumption in the fermentation process. "We have a responsibility to the environment and to future generations," Marco states. "If we can make our dough more sustainable without compromising quality, that's something we must pursue."

A Labor of Love

As our conversation draws to a close, Marco returns to the dough he's been working throughout our interview. His hands move with practiced confidence, transforming a simple ball of fermented flour and water into a perfectly round pizza base. It's a process he's repeated thousands of times, yet his focus and care remain unwavering.

"Every pizza that leaves our kitchen represents hours of work—from sourcing the ingredients to mixing the dough to the fermentation process to the final stretching and baking," Marco reflects. "But more than that, it represents a tradition that goes back generations, a connection to my heritage, and a commitment to quality that defines everything we do at Salvatore."

He slides the topped pizza into the blazing oven, where it will bake for just 90 seconds at 900°F. When it emerges, the crust is perfectly charred with those telltale leopard spots, the cheese is bubbling, and the aroma is intoxicating. This is the culmination of Marco's journey—from his childhood in Naples to his current role as head chef at Salvatore, from traditional Italian techniques to innovative Canadian adaptations.

"This is why I do what I do," Marco says, admiring the finished pizza with evident satisfaction. "This moment when everything comes together perfectly—the dough, the toppings, the baking—and you create something that brings joy to people. That's the magic of pizza, and that's what keeps me passionate about perfecting our dough every single day."

For Marco Benedetti and the team at Salvatore, the quest for the perfect pizza dough is never truly complete. It's an ongoing journey of refinement, innovation, and dedication to craft—a journey that begins with simple ingredients but results in something truly extraordinary. And for those lucky enough to taste the results, it's a journey well worth taking.