He Tried The Impossible: 8 Flours, 80% Hydration, 100% Sourdough

What kind of pizzaiolo uses eight flours, 80% hydration, and 100% sourdough—and somehow makes it all work?In this episode of What’s Good Dough, Eidref is with Ethan Speizer of Solamente Pizza in Las Vegas, who’s on a mission to do the impossible: create mind-blowing pizza using up to eight different flours, with an 80% hydration dough, all made from 100% sourdough starter.Ethan walks us through every step of his ultra-technical process, from taming wet, high-hydration dough to choosing the perfect flour blends, running his ovens like a pro, and creating some of the most jaw-dropping pizza you’ll ever see. It’s an episode for true pizza nerds—or anyone who loves geeking out over delicious food.Highlights:00:02 – Ethan’s mission to do what people said couldn’t be done00:46 – Secrets of balling high-hydration dough and why sealing matters01:26 – The race against time before dough ferments too far02:05 – Common mistakes when handling dough and the mozzarella analogy03:01 – Hydration levels, flour strength, and W ratings explained03:17 – Why Ethan blends up to 8 flours for the perfect dough04:45 – Fermentation timelines and maximizing flavor without sourness05:17 – Why scraping every last bit of dough matters for consistency05:54 – When water expulsion means success rather than failure06:11 – The science of breaking up the biga for better water absorption08:16 – Cheese talk: the Bacio blend of cow and buffalo milk09:00 – Stretching dough vs. stretching with toppings and how dough changes daily09:19 – Solamente’s signature pizza with honey ricotta and truffle oil09:46 – Mastering the Neapolis Moretti oven for wood-fired results10:35 – The secret semolina/rice flour blend for stretching dough11:09 – High-volume pizza production in the Neapolis 6 oven11:45 – The story behind the Daniel Gigi pizza with horseradish and butter12:32 – Starting the 100% biga process and why water is added slowly16:01 – The windowpane test for perfectly developed gluten16:29 – Bringing it full circle back to dough ballingCheck out Solamente Pizza and Pasta here:https://solamentepizza.com/ https://www.facebook.com/people/Solamente-Pizza/100077691651763/https://www.instagram.com/solamentepizzalvhttps://www.tiktok.com/@solamentepizzalvThank you to our show sponsors:Bacio Cheese:https://bit.ly/3FmQ3up Shot by Tristan Marr and Alexia RefilEdited by Valentine PhelippeauTopics:pizza podcast, sourdough pizza, high hydration dough, artisan pizza, Ethan Speizer, Solamente Pizza, Las Vegas pizza, pizza making, pizza tips, pizza secrets, pizza techniques, pizza dough, pizza recipe, Neapolis Moretti oven, pizza flour blend, pizza fermentation, pizza crumb, pizza stretching, mozzarella cheese, gourmet pizza, pizza business, artisan dough, pizza baking, pizza crust, pizza trends, pizza science, perfect pizza, how to make pizza, pizza oven, advanced pizza techniques