Hungarian pizza producer The DoughLAB is seeking UK distributors, foodservice wholesalers and retail partners for its Madre range of hand-stretched sourdough pizzas.
The range uses an active liquid sourdough originating from Altamura in southern Italy, which is fed daily rather than supplied as an inactive powder. The dough is fermented for 48 hours and has a hydration level of approximately 80%.
DoughLAB is targeting hotels, restaurants, pubs and caterers looking to reduce the preparation time and specialist skills required to produce pizza in-house.
Production moved off-site
The company completes fermentation, stretching, topping and the first bake at its factory near Budapest, leaving kitchen teams to thaw the pizzas and complete the final cooking stage.
The pizzas can be finished in approximately two to two-and-a-half minutes in an oven preheated to between 250°C and 350°C. The company says this approach can support applications including late-night hotel foodservice, where a full kitchen team may not be available.
Josep Zara, co-founder and chief executive of The DoughLAB, said: “We wanted to take the most difficult and unpredictable part of the process out of the restaurant and move it into a controlled environment.”
Each pizza is stretched and topped by hand, using ingredients including DOP San Marzano tomatoes, before being par-baked on volcanic stone at around 450°C. The dough and tomato sauce contain no additives or preservatives.
Cryogenic freezing supports production
Following par-baking, the pizzas pass through a liquid-nitrogen freezing tunnel at DoughLAB’s 2,000 sq m facility in Szigetszentmiklós, Hungary.
The rapid freezing process produces smaller ice crystals than slower freezing methods, which the company says helps preserve the dough’s open structure and the texture of the toppings.
The facility represents an investment of approximately HUF1.5 billion and has an initial production capacity of around 27,000 pizzas per day, with scope to increase this to 100,000.
Hand-stretching will remain part of the production process as output increases. Zara said mechanical pressing could damage the dough structure responsible for the characteristic rim associated with Neapolitan-style pizza.
Madre is already available in Hungary. DoughLAB plans to supply UK hospitality operators through distributors and foodservice wholesalers, alongside direct supply agreements with retail chains.
