Dubby’s gives culinary students a lesson in the art of wood-fired pizza

Provided photos: Mackenzie McKay-Moore of Newfane learns from Brian Alexander at the oven.

Press Release, Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – The Culinary Arts students of James Atzrott got all fired up about making pizza.  Special guests from Dubby’s Wood Fired Pizza food truck stopped by the Orleans Career and Technical Education Center to show the students how they use a wood-fired oven to make pizza, pretzels, turkey and cinnamon bites.  They also talked about what is involved in owning and operating a food truck.

Owners Brian and Rebecca Alexander of Carlton told the classes that they would have parties at their house where they would make wood-fired food.

“Everyone loved it and they also wanted us to host parties,” laughs Rebecca. “So Brian, who is an engineer, designed a mobile cart with a wood fired oven and we decided to take the party to other people’s homes and our food truck was born.”

Lenny Sanchez of Lockport gets a lesson from Rebecca Alexander.

The students and Chef Atzrott got a chance to make their own pizza after the demonstration.  Brian then loaded the pizzas into the oven and showed the students how to turn them so they get properly cooked, which takes only 3 minutes. He told the students how cooking has always been a hobby for him.

“This was something to do for fun and it just sort of exploded,” he said.

Rebecca talked about how they have been exploring pizza styles from all over the country and she is looking forward to going to Detroit and taking classes on their pizza style.

“Brian is from Detroit, so I thought it would be cool to learn how to make that kind of pizza,” she said. “It is usually rectangular with a thick crust that is crispy and chewy. It is topped with tomato sauce and Wisconsin brick cheese that goes up to the edges. It will be great to be able to offer that to our customers.”

Their food truck has proved so popular that is not unusual for them to make 400 pizzas in five hours where they are set up.

“We make 10-inch pizzas with high hydrating dough and we have gone everywhere from fairs to catered events,” Brian said.

They usually set up between Rochester and Buffalo area and have proven so popular that they will be announcing a brick-and-mortar restaurant in the near future in Albion.

“We are very excited about that,” Rebecca said. “It will be great to help revitalize Albion and offer more options to our customers.”

Chef Atzrott says he is very thankful to Brian, Rebecca and their daughter Lillian Strickland spending the day with his students.

“I found it amazing that Dubby’s Wood Fired Pizza could cook 500 pizzas in an afternoon,” he said. “The result was beautifully charred and tasted amazing.”