While I’m not a teenager, a mutant, a ninja, or a turtle, I do love me some pizza. It was a real treat getting to chat to the owners of Durban’s Naples-style pizzeria, Doughed, for Shelflife.
“The Doughed journey began six years ago when Ishara and David Chetty went on honeymoon in Italy and fell in love with the food and the culture there. Particularly the nanas serving tourists their personal time-tested pizzas out of their home kitchens. The warmth of the people and down-to-earth environments left the couple feeling inspired to bring a bit of Naples home with them.
Doughed stands out from the already impressive crowd of Durban pizzerias by specialising in Naples-style pizza. The norm in Durban tends to be thinner crust, so their thicker sourdough bases offer a delightfully chewy experience. They don’t skimp on their ingredients, working with local suppliers to provide high-quality toppings and even going as far as to import mozzarella and parmigiano from Italy to add to the authenticity. Making the sourdough is also a three day process which requires an extra level of care and patience. With only nine pizzas on the menu, they’re dedicated to perfecting their double-handful of offerings rather than, uh, biting off more than they can chew.
Those offerings are some of the most interesting, exciting combinations of ingredients we’ve found in the 031. We sampled their Bianco Patate e Funghi, an absolutely incredible potato and mushroom pizza that is drizzled with truffle oil at the table, served with a side salad of leafy greens, apple, and cucumber, instead of the more common garlic and chilli. Next time, we’re going for the Luigi Kundan Lai, a slow-cooked butter chicken pizza that is topped with coriander aioli. We’re also excited to try their hand-made pastas – only available on Wednesday evenings at the moment.
After both Ishara and David had spent many years in the corporate environment, they decided to take a chance on their dreams. Ishara’s love of cooking mixed with David’s outgoing personality saw the two of them complementing each other’s strengths as they gingerly dipped their toes into the Durban culinary scene. They first provided cannolis to local eateries and coffee shops like Humble Coffee, before opening up a small fine-dining restaurant in their garage in Queensburgh – a suburb not exactly known as a culinary hub. It quickly became a destination on the local foodie’s radar, with customers coming from as far as Umhlanga and Hillcrest – an impressive feat, considering how much Durbanites hate to drive.”
Read the full piece here.
