Behind the Scenes at Stretch Pizza

Chef Wylie Dufresne may be most associated with molecular gastronomy thanks to the groundbreaking cooking he did at New York’s wd~50 from 2003 to 2014, but these days, instead of frying Hollandaise for his signature eggs Benedict, you’ll find him contemplating how to make the ideal pizza dough with nothing more than some flour, water, salt, yeast, and, well, maybe a little xanthan gum, too (for the tomato sauce).

At Stretch Pizza, his new pop-up, currently holding residency at Breads Bakery in Union Square, Dufresne and his team apply the same kind of exacting rigor and care that Dufresne has been known for throughout his whole career. Only this time, it’s with a seemingly simple New York slice.