When Willoughby Obenchain packs for a trip, chances are his square pizza pans will make their way into his luggage. Announcing appearances via social media, the Virginia native with an equal passion for traveling to see Phish live and perfecting a primo crust is an underground favorite on the local ’za circuit thanks to his pop-up, Secret Squares. On Saturday, July 9, Obenchain will take part in the Summer Supper Somm dinner series that showcases heirloom tomatoes and Virginia wines.
Richmond magazine: When did your pop-ups become more regular?
Willoughby Obenchain: The beginning of 2021, I was making them frequently and even traveling with stuff. I took my pizza all the way out to Lake Tahoe, Telluride and Salt Lake City when I went visiting friends. A fun challenge was being able to truly do this anywhere, and I think that makes me more confident wherever I am because I’ve done this with a lot less. I joke around that one of the meals I'm most proud of ever making is on the side of a mountain with a burner stove in Humboldt County. I use things locally, why not put that to the challenge?
RM: When did you first experience Detroit-style pizza?
Obenchain: A good friend of mine drove down from Detroit and brought a few slices with him, and I said, “I have to try this again sometime.” About 2018, I first got Detroit pans and was messing around, nothing serious, and then decided, “OK, let me step this up a little bit.” Practice with a lot of pizza means having to eat a lot of pizza, so I started to give it to friends. It got more popular, and I got a couple more pans, and it kind of snowballed.
RM: What makes pizza such a special, classic food?
Obenchain: It seems silly, but I feel there is something in my mind that pizza represents. Every Friday night, my family would go to this place in Clarksville, they had an arcade in the back for the kids, and families showed up around the same time. It was a fun thing and more than just the food.
RM: Tell us a little bit more about why you chose to make Detroit-style pizza.
Obenchain: The way I make mine is a little closer to Sicilian but formatted like Detroit. There’s a place in New York called Mama’s Too that has the most crunchy, perfect crust canvas. The way their crust affected me and continues to, I was like, “This is the way I want it to be.” My duty is to make a good canvas, so the dough and the crust is of the utmost importance. Texture, it’s all about texture. You need a pan for each one of those pizzas and have to proof the dough in the pan. That’s why over time, I’ve built my arsenal of pans — the immense amount of work and labor that is involved. Each one of those pizzas takes me about an hour total of attention to make.
