AdrienneHill

ProfessorRothwell
UWRT1103
18February2016

TheArtofaPizza
ThefirstFridayofFebruarymysophomoreyearwasnotlikeanyordinaryday.ThefirstFriday
ofFebruarywouldserveasmyfirstdayworkingatRomasItalian,alocalItalianrestaurantandbakery
offHarrisonBoulevardthathadofferedmeapositionshortlyafterIstartedlookingforajob.AlthoughI
wasplanningongettingajobatthelocalFiveGuys,whenItextedmyfamilyfriendaskingifIcoulduse
herasareferenceonmyapplication,sheaskedifIwouldprefertoworkforherinstead.Throughoutthe
schoolday,Ienvisionedmyfirstshiftconsistingofmetossingpizzadough,scoopingbakedzitiinto
dishes,andfinallybeingapartofthestaffthatIhadknownforyearsprior,astheymostlylivedonthe
sameblockasme.LittledidIknowthatlearninghowtomakemyfirstpizzathatdaywouldbeaskillthat
woulddosomuchformeinthenextthreeyears.
Theclockstruck2:18.BeforeleavingthedoorsofCaryHighSchool,Istoppedinthebathroom
andchangedfrommydenimjeans,flannelandridingbootsintoatshirt,leggingsandsneakers.AsI
pulleduptothebakeryalone,Ifeltbothnervousandexcitedforthenewchapterofmylifethatwould
soonstart.Ifeltfeelingsofreliefthefactthatmyboss,Kelly,wasafamilyfriendmademefeel
comfortabletoaskasmanyquestionsasneededwhilebeingtrained,butIwasalsonervousthatworking
forafamilyfriendwouldalterourrelationshipinnegativeways.WhatifIwasntgoodatthisjobatall?
Wouldthischangethewaysheviewedmeasaperson?Therewasonlyonewaytofindout.

WhenIwalkedintothefrontdoorofRomas,IwasovercomewiththesamearomaIhadalways
smelteverytimeIvisitedthebakery.Thescentsoffreshlybakedbreadandpizzawerestrong,andthe
brownwallsandblackandwhitetilefloorgavetheparlorahomelikevibe.Theplacewasalmost
completelyempty,whichmadesinceitwasneitherlunchordinnerhour.Kellybeganbygoingoverthe
basicsofthebakery.Noddingandrepeatingokayaftereverythingsheshowedme,Kellyexplainedhow
thefrontofthebusinessoperated.Saladdressingsarestoredunderhere,extracupsinthiscabinetup
here,andifyoueverneedmorepennies,nickels,dimesorquarters,theyreinthesafeinthatcabinetover
there.Byjust3pm,Iknewthecorrectwaytosweepandmoptheblackandwhitetiledfloor,howto
restockthecondimentsavailabletocustomers,andthecorrectwaytobringfoodtoseatedcustomers
gloveson,smileon,andalwaysbesuretoaskiftherewasanythingelseyoucouldgetforthem.Next,
Kellydirectedmetothebackofthebakery.
Backhere,theseareyourbestfriend.Dontletmeseeyouwithoutapairon,Kellysaid,
handingmeaboxofpolyfoodservicegloves.BecauseRomaswasasmall,familyownedrestaurant,
beinganemployeetheremeantyouwereinchargeofmultiplejobsfoodpreparation,running,and
clearingoffoodwasaresponsibilitythateveryemployeeheld.Thefirstfewmealsfromthemenuin
whichshetaughtmehowtomakeseemedfairlysimpleIpickedupthemakingofameatballsub,cheese
steak,andcalzoneprettyquickly.SeewhatImeantwhenIsaidyoudpickupprettyquickly?Ontothe
nexttask,Kellysaid,checkingofftaskaftertaskonherclipboard.Itwasntuntilsherolledoutarack
almostdoublehersizethatIwouldbegintostress.
Wewalkedtotheverybackofthebakery,whereIbegantoinspectthepilesofflour,yeast,
wheat,andlargemachinerythatlaidaroundme.Now,ifyoureeverunsureofhowmuchyouneedof
eachingredient,donthesitatetolookinthisbluebinder,Kellyexplainedasshehandedmeadusty,torn
upbinderthathadtohavebeenolderthanIwas.Afterbeinggivenashortlectureontheimportanceof
beingspecificwhenmeasuringoutfollowingingredients,KellywatchedasIscoopedtheflour,sugar,dry

yeast,andkoshersaltintoamixingbowlthatwasastallerthanmy6yearoldcousin.Feelingfascinated
asIwatchedthefouringredientsturnintooneconcoction,Kellythenhandedmeameasuringcupand
directedmetothesink.Nowpourbothinatonce,shesaid,handingmetwodifferentcupsofoilaswe
walkedbacktothemixingbowl.Thedoughshouldeventuallyturnedintoasolidball,aboutfivetimes
thesizeofabasketball,Kellyexplained.Thenyouregoingtocutthatballintotwentysomethingsmall
ballsandgentlykneadthemallonalightlyflouredsurfacenexttoya.Afterformingeachpieceofdough
intothesizeofalargesoftball,Kellythendemonstratedhoweachweretobeplacedonalarge,greased
pan,placedbackontherackandrolledtothesideofthebakerytodoubleinsize.
Whilewaitingforthedoughtoexpand,Icontinuedtolearnmoreaboutthebusiness,suchasthe
correctwaytowashandsanitizedishesandhowtooperatethecashregister.IwatchedasKellydealwith
othercustomers,somethingIhadyettodomyselfintheshorthourIhadbeenthere.Itooknoteofthe
wayshewouldalwaysmakesmalltalkwitheachcustomerbeforeproceedingtotaketheirordershe
alwaysseemedsopersonablewitheachandeverycustomer.BeforeIknewit,shecalledmetotheback
whereshewasunzippingthecoversontherackswehadpreviouslyrolledtotheside.,Alright,now
overthereandgrabanicebigstackofpanstogrease,Kellysaid,pointingtothebackcorner.Now
youregonnatakeanewrag,poursomegreaseintothisbowl,soaktheraginthegrease,andspread,
Kellysaid,demonstratingtome.IspreadgreaseoneachpanandhandedittoKelly,whobeganstretching
thedoughthroughoutthesheet.ThepizzaatRomaswasnotyourtypicalroundDominosorPapaJohns
style.Theyweresheetstyleaboutofaninchthick,twofeetwideandthreeandahalffeetlong.AfterI
greasedthestackofpans,westoodoneithersideofthecounterandstretchedthedoughtogether,picking
upthesamedoughballatonceandpullingittowardsus.Dontpullitsomuch,doitatthisangle,
werejustfewofthecorrectionsthatwouldbemadeasIstretchedmyfirstfewdoughballs.Afterthefifth
orsixthpan,IfinallyfeltasthoughIwascatchingon.Wedpullthedoughtowardsus,setitbackdown
onthepan,thenpushitarounduntiltheentiresurfaceofeachpanwascovered.Asweworkedtogetherto

stretchouteachdoughball,IthoughtabouthowgreatofateamKellyandImadeshewasagreat
teacher,andIfeltlikesomewhatofagoodlearner.Nowusually,wedletthesecoolinthefridgefora
whilebeforemakingthemup,butwehaveabigorderfortonightandneedtogetthesetakencareof
now,sheexplainedasshepulledrolledoutacartwithtwotubsonitfromthecooler.Iwatchedcarefully
asKellyscoopedsauceontoherfirstpanofflatteneddough.NowsthetimethatIprefertowearthe
tightergloves,youllseewhy,shesaid.MymouthdroppedwideopenasIwatchedheruseherfingersto
spreadthewaterysauceoverthedough.IthenwatchedasKellypulledapileofmozzarellacheesefrom
theothertubandsprinkleditoverthepizza.
IbegantopanicasIwashandedthenextsheetalongwiththeladleusedtoscoopthesauce.I
couldntrememberifKellyhadfilledtheentireladlewithsaucewhenIwatchedher,soIstartedby
fillingitupjusthalfwayandpouringitontothepizza.AlittlemoreAdie,shesaid.Thetipsofmy
fingersfeltfrozenasIspreadthecold,thinsauceacrossthedough.NextIwouldrealizehowmuchharder
itistocheeseapizzathanwhatitlookslike.Iconstantlycaughtmyselfaccidentlydroppingtoomuchor
toolittlemozzarellaacrossthedoughthepizzawasfarfromconsistent.Feelingembarrassed,Ithen
spentafewsecondspickingupshredsofcheeseandmovingthemacrossthesheettothemore
scarcelookingspots.Myfirstpizzawasalmostcomplete.AssoonasIplaceditbackontotherack,the
bellsonthefrontdooroftherestaurantrangasseveralcustomerswalkedin.Illbebackinalittle,finish
therestofthese,Iwastold.Ispentthenexthalfhourladelingsauceandsprinklingcheesetoeachsheet,
tryingmybesttobeconsistentwitheachone.Iremembersmiling,feelingproudofmyselfforprovingto
Kellythatshecouldtrustmeenoughtocompletethistaskjusthoursintomyfirstshift.
Astheeveningapproached,pizzasbegantodisappearfromtherackascustomerscalledinorders.
IlearnedthataclassicRomaspizzamustbakeforeighteenminutes,notaminutemoreorless.Then,
withagiantpairofscissors,eachpizzawouldbecutintotwentyfourslices,notaslicemoreorless.It
wouldcometo$19.66aftertax,orafewdollarsextraifithadextratoppingsonit.

Watchingmybossdemonstratehowtomakeapizzataughtmethelessonofprecisionanddetail.
ThepatienceandkindnessKellydemonstratedtomeduringtheprocessconstantlyremindsmetreat
othersinasimilarfashionandbecauseofthat,whatIhadlearnedonthefirstFridayofFebruarywould
stickwithmefornotjustthethreeyearsIworkedatRomas,butfortherestofmylife.