The blistered, wood-fired pies that put Phoenix on the national map, built on a long-fermented crust and a short list of named pizzas like the Wiseguy and the Rosa.

Chris Bianco opened Pizzeria Bianco in 1988 in the back of a grocery store, moved to Heritage Square in 1997 and won a James Beard award in 2003, the first pizzaiolo to do so. His wood-fired pies, the Wiseguy with smoked mozzarella and the Rosa with pistachios and red onion, became the benchmark that drew pizza pilgrims to Phoenix and seeded the city's wider wood-fired and Neapolitan scene.

Where to eat Phoenix wood-fired pizza in Phoenix

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Make it at home

Serves 224 hrAdvanced

Ingredients

  • 500g 00 flour
  • 325g water
  • 10g salt
  • 2g instant yeast
  • Fresh mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, basil and olive oil

Method

  1. Mix flour, water, salt and yeast into a shaggy dough, then knead until smooth.
  2. Rest the dough covered at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate 18 to 24 hours.
  3. Divide into two balls and let them come to room temperature for 2 hours before shaping.
  4. Heat a pizza steel or stone in the oven as hot as it goes, ideally 280C (540F) or higher.
  5. Stretch each ball by hand, dress with crushed tomatoes, torn mozzarella and basil.
  6. Bake 5 to 7 minutes until the crust is blistered and charred at the edges, then finish with olive oil.

Editor tip. The long cold ferment is what builds the flavour and char; do not rush the dough or you lose the whole point.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy.