A Day Making NYC’s Most Hyped Pizza: Ceres Pizza

Overview

Ceres Pizza, located in NYC’s Lower East Side, is run by Jacob Serebnick and Julian Geldmacher—two chefs with fine dining backgrounds who set out to make the best pizza possible, without outside investors. The video follows a day in their pizzeria, highlighting their meticulous process, ingredient choices, and the challenges of running a small, high-quality operation.

The Morning Routine

• Dough production starts at 6:30 AM.
• Consistency is paramount: every ingredient is weighed, and variables like temperature and pH are logged.
• Sourdough starter, organic flours (including whole wheat and bolted flour), and sea salt are used for the dough.
• The dough is mixed in a specialized mixer to control gluten development and temperature.

Ingredient Philosophy

• Only the best, defensible ingredients are used, regardless of cost.
• Two types of olive oil: one for cooking, one for finishing (from Tuscany).
• Cheese sourced from a small New Jersey farm, aged for nuance.
• Tomato sauce made from San Marzano plum tomatoes, milled for texture control.

Operational Challenges

• The pizzeria faces constant maintenance issues due to its old building—plumbing, HVAC, and more.
• The team adapts quickly, often learning new skills on the fly.

Pizza Crafting Process

• Dough is divided into bins, weighed, folded, and monitored for temperature and pH.
• Dough balls are rolled by hand, with attention to gas content and structure.
• Pizzas are shaped to ensure even thickness and optimal oven spring.
• Five main pizzas: cheese, nduja, tomato, mushroom, and white pie (inspired by Alsatian tart flambée).

Service and Mindset

• Pies are sold on a pre-order basis, with a daily cap due to oven limitations.
• The team values partnership, complementing each other’s strengths.
• The day ends with a sense of urgency and pride in their work.

IDEAS

• Relentless focus on quality and consistency, even at the expense of convenience or cost.
• Detailed tracking of every variable enables continuous improvement and troubleshooting.
• Sourcing and defending every ingredient as a core value proposition.
• Adaptability and learning new skills are essential in small business operations.
• Limiting production (e.g., 150 pies/day) to maintain quality, not just maximize profit.
• Partnership thrives when each person brings complementary strengths.
• The environment (old building, equipment) shapes the daily rhythm and challenges.
• Craftsmanship is about process as much as product.
• Transparency and pride in process build customer trust and loyalty.

QUOTES

• “We don’t have any products that we can’t defend tooth and nail.” (4:00)
• “Consistency is the number one thing for us here.” (0:46)
• “We record the weights of every single flour. We record the ambient temperature. We record the weight of the starter, the temperature of the water that we used.” (2:11)
• “If something goes wrong, we can go back into the dough log, look at the previous day, and see what was slightly off.” (2:19)
• “I don’t have to justify why we need to spend $55 a liter for olive oil.” (4:06)
• “The goal of this was to basically motivate whoever in the future is going to make that pizza to put the best product out there that they can.” (8:18)
• “The pursuit of perfect pizza mirrors the pursuit of mastery in any craft.” (paraphrased, see [!example] box)
• “Our oven, as it stands here right now, is the reason that we’re limited to only being able to make 150 pies per day.” (12:35)
• “When you look for a business partner, you got to find someone who is better at certain things and you complement each other really well.” (15:44)

TIPS

• Log every variable in your process to enable troubleshooting and improvement.
• Use only ingredients you can passionately defend.
• Invest in specialized equipment to control key variables (e.g., dough mixer with breakup bar).
• Adapt quickly to operational challenges—learn new skills as needed.
• Shape and handle dough with care to ensure even fermentation and baking.
• Cut and vent pizza boxes to maintain crust crispiness during delivery.
• Limit production to maintain quality, not just to meet demand.
• Build in buffer time for unexpected maintenance or issues.
• Foster a partnership where strengths are complementary and roles are clear.

REFERENCES

• Ceres Pizza, NYC
• 11 Madison Park (fine dining background)
• Central Milling (flour supplier)
• Jersey Girl (cheese supplier, NJ)
• San Marzano tomatoes
• Bon Appétit (video producer)
• Alsatian tart flambée (white pie inspiration)
• Specialized dough mixer
• HVAC and plumbing repair tools