Serving 75 people Pizza in under 1 hour

Video Summary: Serving 75 People Pizza in Under 1 Hour

Presenter: Cla (YouTube pizza chef) Event: Serving pizza at Sketchers HQ European office Christmas party with Rub Barbecue catering Attendance: Approx. 150 people expected, pizza served for about half a pizza per person (75 pizzas planned)

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Ingredients & Menu

• Pizza varieties served:

  • Margherita (vegetarian)
  • Pepperoni (meaty)
  • “Endua” (spicy cured meat, served with hot honey drizzle)

• Cheese: Used a drier mozzarella suited for pizza-by-the-slice style to avoid sogginess and excess moisture.

• Dough:

  • Made 28-29 hours prior (overnight fermentation)
  • Hydration around 62% (slightly lower than usual for stronger dough)
  • Included 20% “uniqua” strong flour for extra strength

• Finishing: Hot honey used as a drizzle on spicy pizzas for extra flavor.

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Equipment & Setup

• Mobile pizza van with ovens preheated to approximately 450–470°C (oven base ~450°C)
• Racks for “racking and stacking” pizzas partially baked and ready for finishing
• Pizza boards lined with wave-patterned pizza liners (from brandedbox.co.uk) to keep boards cleaner and insulate pizzas
• Sanitizer cleaner: multi-surface disinfectant with 30-second contact time (professional grade, UK standard EN1276)
• Color-coded pizza cutters:
  • Red for meat
  • Green for vegetarian
  • Black reserved for vegan pizzas (rarely made)
• Biodegradable, compostable plates made from sugar cane used for serving

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Method & Workflow

1. Pre-event Preparation

• Van leveled and ovens lit early (about 10 minutes preheat before start)
• Surfaces cleaned and sanitized thoroughly before starting
• Pizza dough rested and portioned; dough was strong but relaxed by the time of stretching
• Dough stretched to smaller size for slice-style serving, minimizing crust to maximize slice area
• Dough partially baked (~80% cooked) to allow finishing during service without drying out

2. Cooking & Serving

• Cooking started at 11:00 am; pizzas partially baked and stacked on racks to flash bake during service
• Prioritized cooking meaty pizzas first to avoid toppings dripping onto vegetarian ones
• Pizzas baked until risen but cheese not fully melted (to finish later during service)
• Pizzas sliced and placed on boards with liners; Glenn handled slicing and serving
• Hot honey offered on spicy pizzas as a finishing touch
• Continuous monitoring of pizza demand; replenished boards and racks as needed
• Used color-coded cutters and liners to maintain hygiene and prevent cross-contamination

3. Pacing

• Produced approximately 40 pizzas in under 48 minutes, aiming for 25 pizzas in the first hour
• Maintained a steady pace, encouraging continuous baking and stacking to meet demand
• Managed a large crowd arriving simultaneously, requiring fast turnaround

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Chef Tips & Insights

• Dough handling:

  • If dough springs back when stretched, it needs more resting time to relax
  • Slightly lower hydration and stronger flour help maintain dough strength for high-volume events

• Cheese choice: Use drier mozzarella for slice-style pizzas to avoid watery toppings and enable easier portioning

• Sanitation:

  • Use professional-grade sanitizer with proper contact time for cleaning surfaces
  • Gloves generally unnecessary if hands are washed regularly; gloves can cause sweating and contamination if not changed often
  • Gloves only used when handling cuts or very staining ingredients

• Serving:

  • Use liners on boards and boxes to keep surfaces clean and pizzas warm
  • Color-coded pizza cutters help prevent cross-contamination between vegetarian and meat pizzas

• Weather considerations: Set up shelter using magnetized tablecloth clipped to the van to block wind and rain

• Vegan options: No vegan cheese used due to poor taste and cooking performance; vegan pizzas made without cheese or with vegetable toppings only

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Variations & Additional Notes

• Vegan pizzas made without cheese, usually marinara or vegetable-based with mushroom paste “charito” as a meat alternative
• Hot honey drizzle was a popular addition for spicy pizzas
• No gluten-free options provided at this event
• Collaboration with Rub Barbecue who served burgers and hot dogs alongside pizzas

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Event Summary & Closing

• Served approximately 40 pizzas in under an hour, enough for about 80 people (half a pizza each)
• Weather was rainy and cold but setup managed to handle it well
• Glenn assisted with slicing and serving; both have a history working in hospitality together
• This event was the last of the year for the presenter, who plans more content and pizza classes in the future
• Viewers encouraged to subscribe and comment with content requests

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Source: Cla’s YouTube channel, video titled “Serving 75 people Pizza in under 1 hour”