It All Starts with the Flour
When it comes to pizza dough everyone has an opinion what flour makes the best crust and we were no different when developing our dough recipe. It doesn’t matter is you have the right amounts of yeast, water and salt if you end up blending it with a sub-par flour.
For years it was thought that the only way to have success making a great dough was to use a 00 flour out of Italy (Cultural bias? Perhaps.). Like many local restaurants we had to ask ourselves, “We want to support local businesses, but what is we can’t find anyone who can produce the quality flour necessary to make a great dough?”
Supporting Local: Enter Shepherd’s Grain
That’s when we discovered Shepherd’s Grain, a collective of farmers dedicated to sustainable practices and exceptional wheat.
The story of founders Karl Kupers and Fred Fleming is almost impossible to resist when you think of family, commitment to sustainable agriculture and the support they have brought to the local farming economy. For us, the icing on the cake is the way Shepherd’s Grain flour performs.
What Makes a Great Pizza Dough?
We tested Shepherd’s Grain flour to ensure it could meet our standards for texture, elasticity, and bake performance. Here’s what we needed to know:
Stretchability: How far can the dough stretch before it breaks?
Speed: Can it be stretched quickly without tearing?
Memory: Does it hold its shape, or bounce back after stretching?
All of these are critical components to the handling of and ultimate performance of the dough when it hits the oven and in our early tests Shepherd’s Grain performance performed as well as any 00 flour we tried.
The Best of Both Worlds
By partnering with Shepherd’s Grain, we bring you pizza made with high-quality, locally sourced flour that supports sustainable agriculture and strengthens our community.
That means our guests get the best of both worlds: superior dough made from thoughtfully grown wheat.
Want to Taste the Results?
Try one of our signature wood-fired pizzas like the Crispy Salami & Hot Honey or Margherita and experience the difference for yourself.
Visit us at either of our Elemental Pizza locations—we’d love to serve you:
- University District: 2630 NE University Village St, Seattle, WA
- Columbia Center: 701 5th Ave. Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98104
No matter which location you choose, you’ll get the same handcrafted quality and flavor in every bite. See you soon!
