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Ezzo's pepperoni slices on top of Zorch's pie, accented by a drizzle of AR's Hot Southern Honey (Photo courtesy Rob Zorch)
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The "Broosel Sproots" pizza features shaved Brussels sprouts, mozzarella, Parmesan, olive oil, garlic and a swirl of balsamic glaze. (Photo courtesy Rob Zorch)
Rob Zorch, a University of Richmond chemistry graduate, recently rolled out Zorch Pizza, a food truck focused on New York-style slices and whole pies, at local craft breweries Strangeways and Vasen Brewing Co. this past weekend.
Zorch, 33, has gradually transformed into a pie aficionado, but his journey to perfecting New York-style pizza has been somewhat unconventional. For years Zorch experimented in his own kitchen, utilizing friends as taste testers. He crafted a list of top 'za emporiums in New York and spoke with owners and chefs, studied YouTube videos and recorded the tips they imparted, read underground pizza forums online, and gained knowledge from Tom Lehmann, aka “The Dough Doctor,” a 40-year veteran dough master and former food scientist.
If you’ve been to New York pizzerias including Paulie Gee’s in Brooklyn — an inspiration for Zorch — you may be familiar with the miniature pepperoni slices from Ezzo Sausage Company, which Zorch has incorporated into his ingredients. Bigger isn’t always better, and the baby pepperoni discs, about the size of a quarter, are not only adorable, they exude a bacon-like crispness that can’t be achieved by just any pepperoni.
“They’re fantastic,” says Zorch. “They cup and form a little bowl, and the outside gets charred instead of lying flat on the pie.”
Before throwing himself into the business, Zorch worked with River City Wood Fire to experience the food truck lifestyle. Shortly following, he purchased a truck and got the wheels turning.
“I saw an opportunity and wanted to go after it,” he says. “In Richmond there’s not a ton of typical slice places, and I haven’t seen a lot of food trucks do that model.”
Zorch Pizza features a Baker’s Pride pizza oven that bakes pies in six minutes or less and requires less rotation, so the pizza comes out evenly cooked on the top and bottom.
So why the fascination with New York-style pie?
"It’s iconic,” says Zorch, a Pennsylvania native. “Whenever anyone thinks of pizza, they think of New York-style. Everyone kind of idolizes [pizza] places in New York, and they use the best ingredients and know exactly what to do."
For his pizza dough, Zorch uses a high-gluten flour, essential to the style from the Big Apple, that requires less water than typical flour. He then employs a cold ferment, or “cure,” and leaves the dough in the refrigerator for days, where a slow rise leads to a distinct, more robust flavor.
Zorch notes that he shreds all the cheese himself. “It’s important, because when you buy prepackaged cheese, it’s coated in a starch and doesn’t melt or taste as well,” he says.
Zorch has partnered with the purveyors of the shreddable, meltable, cashew-derived UnMoo cheese for the food truck's vegan options. Another local purveyor, AR’s Hot Southern Honey, will always be on deck for guests looking to add a kiss of heat to their slices, and can be found topping a variety of creations from “So Spice” to “The Southern,” “Soap Opera,” “Councilman Jam” and “Hawaiian Lunch.”
Although there are no gluten-free options available currently, Zorch says he is working to develop his own house-made gluten-free dough.
Although Zorch’s staple menu items are traditional cheese, pepperoni and sausage, each weekend will bring a culinary surprise for pizza enthusiasts. Zorch plans to dish out a veggie and a meat-based specialty pie each week.
One of Zorch’s inventive favorites is “Balanced Breakfast,” a lineup of brunch all-stars joined in harmony atop an 18-inch pie — crispy bacon and hash browns, scrambled eggs, mozzarella and Parmesan, sausage gravy, and a drizzle of spicy maple syrup for a sweet final touch.
Other ingredients range from roasted, earthy beets on the “Schrute Farms” to a Bolognese sauce on “Meat Boy” inspired by a trip to Croatia, as well as pickled jalapenos and butternut squash puree.
“I wanted to be outside of the box and have some unique ideas,” Zorch says.
Zorch Pizza can be found making appearances at various breweries and events throughout the Richmond region. Click here for a full schedule.
