Oakland's wood-fired pizza canon runs College Avenue. A16 Rockridge cooks Neapolitan, Pizzaiolo cooks Cal-Italian, and Marzano runs a Park Boulevard hearth across town.

Charlie Hallowell opened Pizzaiolo on Telegraph in 2005, codifying the Bay Area's wood-fired Cal-Italian template. A16 brought Naples to the East Bay with the Rockridge branch in 2013. Pizza in Oakland has since been a College Avenue institution, with each room running its own version of seasonal Cal-Italian and Neapolitan.

Where to eat Rockridge College Avenue pizza in Oakland

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Make it at home

Serves 424 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g 00 pizza flour
  • 350ml water
  • 10g salt
  • 1g instant yeast
  • 400g San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
  • 300g fresh mozzarella di bufala
  • Fresh basil
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt

Method

  1. Mix flour, water, salt and yeast in a large bowl until shaggy. Rest 30 minutes.
  2. Knead 5 minutes until smooth. Cover and rise at room temperature 18 to 24 hours.
  3. Divide into 4 balls, rest 2 hours.
  4. Heat oven to maximum, ideally 290 C, with a pizza stone or steel for 45 minutes.
  5. Stretch each dough ball into a 25cm round on a floured peel.
  6. Top with crushed tomato (no pre-cooking), torn mozzarella and a drizzle of olive oil.
  7. Slide onto the hot stone and bake 4 to 6 minutes until the crust is charred at the edges.
  8. Finish with fresh basil and sea salt.

Editor tip. The oven temperature is everything. Home ovens cap at 290 C; preheat the stone for 45 minutes minimum or you get bread, not pizza.