New York Pizza Faces Recipe Changes

Why this is here: About 80% of New York City pizzerias and bagel shops currently rely on flour containing potassium bromate to reduce dough rest time.

Salvatore Lo Duca, a pizzaiolo from Brooklyn, discovered a potential carcinogen in the bromated flour his family uses. Lo Duca began testing alternative flours at Lo Duca Pizza, finding some promising results despite a higher cost. New York lawmakers recently passed a bill awaiting Governor Hochul’s signature that would ban potassium bromate, an additive in many pizza and bagel doughs.

Scott Wiener, a pizza historian, believes this change could significantly impact the city’s iconic foods, as roughly 80% of shops currently use bromated flour for faster dough production. Utopia Bagels’ owner, Jesse Spellman, is already adjusting recipes, focusing on yeast and rise times. Experts like Erik Millstone at the University of Sussex point to studies linking potassium bromate to cancer in animals, noting it is already banned in the European Union, China, and other countries.

General Mills offers an unbromated flour option, but some alternatives are more expensive. While some bakers resist change, others anticipate a potential improvement in pizza quality through longer fermentation times. The legislation includes a one-year grace period for businesses to use existing stock.