Pioneering chef Wylie Dufresne has created loads of really good food over the years, and for me, this includes an extraordinary birthday celebration at the aughts at his much-missed temple of molecular gastronomy on Clinton Street, wd-50; a ton of fun meals at its experimental East Village spot Alder, which went through several menu iterations before closing in 2015; and dozens of his donuts at Du’s in Williamsburg, which remains worryingly on a pandemic “hiatus”.
But starting today, Dufresne is on to something completely different and, as it turns out, extremely delicious: making pizza with his buddy Gadi Peleg of the Great Breads Bakery, and selling pre-ordered cakes every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night from Union’s flagship store. Square. The operation is called Stretch Pizza, it’s the first time in about five years that Dufrense has professionally cooked something savory, and based on some great preview pies I ate last night, we can only hope it will be another will linger for a while.
“During the early months of the pandemic,” Peleg said, “we bumped into each other in the neighborhood all the time, and Wylie started bringing me pizzas that he’d made at his house. We talked about collaborating on something and brainstormed on what. ideas for a croissant, but Wylie said he’d been down the rabbit hole of pizza for a whole year and wanted to run with it. And so, with the help of Bread’s “dough master” Darwin Castillo, Stretch Pizza was born.
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The twelve-inch pies at Stretch Pizza are what Dufresne and Peleg call ‘New York Style,’ with toppings that are really present, lots of cheese, and a crust that’s not too crunchy, not too doughy, not too wet in the center, just some classic NYC pleats. “We’re both from town,” Peleg said, “so we haven’t really thought of any other kind.”
There are four variations to get things started. The Everything pie is fantastic, topped with cream cheese, some excellent aged mozzarella, and a fair amount of everything bagel seasoning (garlic, poppy, sesame, salt) and small chunks of chives covering the top. Dufresne plans to use the Union Square Greenmarket as a primary source for garish specialties, and right now that means ramps, which he grills and puts on top of a pie, along with a vibrant Romesco sauce and two cheeses called Sketches of Spain. .
The classic New York pizza with Dufresne’s homemade tomato sauce and more of that aged mozzarella, all charred and chewy. Your fourth choice for now is the Couch Potato, which combines fingerlings with sour cream, rosemary, spring onions, and cheese. As a delightful bonus, the duo also offer a fantastic Calzone, possibly the sleeper hit of the whole operation, a big doughy package filled breakfast-style with soft scrambled eggs, melted muenster and American cheese, and scallions for a snack.
As someone who is still learning and practicing the actual, physical craft of cake making, Dufrense coined the name ‘Stretch’ as a tribute to all the pizza bakers who make it look so easy, even meditative as they stretch. the dough. “I have nothing but respect for those guys,” he said. “This is hard to do.”
Stretch Pizza serves its pies every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Union Square Breads Bakery, 18 East 16th Street. Pre-order through Tock, with new open slots regularly.