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kapone.net · in the kitchen · since childhood

A Serious Pizza Problem.

From a box mix as a kid, to a pizza shop in Arcata, to my own kitchen today.

Where it startedThe Box Mix

I first learned pizza as a small child, when my parents bought Appian Way pizza mix.

A red box of Appian Way Pizza mix, regular crust, complete with crust mix and pizza sauce
The box that started it all.

Arcata, late 1980s to 1996Blue Max Pizza

I got into the pizza business in the late 1980s, working at Blue Max Pizza in Arcata, and stayed until 1996.

Black-and-white photo of a young Scott in glasses tossing a spinning pizza dough overhead, with stacks of pizza boxes and a mixer behind him
Back in the day at Blue Max: dough in the air, boxes stacked and ready. Photo by my co-worker Kenneth Brown, taken for a photography class at Humboldt State University.

Keeping it simpleThe Dough

These days my dough is usually a simple straight dough, anywhere from 62% to 73% hydration. Four ingredients, nothing more:

Once it's mixed, the dough cold-ferments in the refrigerator for around 72 hours before I use it.

From my kitchenLately

No signature pie here. These are a few I've made recently. The pepperoni is natural-cased Margherita stick, sliced by hand.

A rectangular pizza with a golden crust, topped with prosciutto, red peppers, mushrooms and microgreens
Prosciutto, red peppers, mushrooms and microgreens.
A round pizza with a tall golden crust, covered in crisp cupped pepperoni, jalapeños and red onion
Cupped pepperoni, jalapeños and red onion.
A round pepperoni pizza with a blistered, charred crust on a wooden peel
Pepperoni, with a little char on the crust.
Close-up of a cut pizza slice showing an open, airy crust, melted cheese, cupped pepperoni, green peppers and red onion
Pepperoni, green peppers and red onion, with an open, airy crumb.
A pizza with cupped pepperoni, green pepper strips and red onion on a charred, blistered crust, cooling on a wire rack
Cupped pepperoni, green peppers and red onion, with plenty of char on the crust.
A round pizza topped with tri-tip steak, crimini mushrooms, caramelized onion, bleu cheese and chives, drizzled with a dark reduction sauce
NY-style dough at 68%, garlic-parmesan cream sauce, Grande mozzarella, caramelized onion, sautéed crimini mushrooms, tri-tip steak, Pt. Reyes bleu cheese and chives, drizzled with a Guinness reduction.