The Cotto journal
Italian food, pizza & pasta
Notes from our kitchen in Kirkstall, how Neapolitan pizza is really made, why long fermentation matters, the pasta shapes worth knowing and the Italian ingredients we swear by. New pieces every few days.
pasta · 10 September 2026
How to Master Pasta at Home: Emulsion, Salt, and Starch
Most home cooks treat pasta water as waste and sauce as a topping poured over noodles at the table. In truth, the magic of genuine Italian pasta happens in the final two minutes inside a hot pan, where starch, fat, and heat marry.
pizza · 10 September 2026
The Anatomy of Neapolitan Pizza: Heat, Water, and Flame
Neapolitan pizza is not meant to crunch; it is pillowy, fragrant, and cooked in a ferocious flash of heat. Here is the quiet engineering behind Naples' most celebrated craft, and how it differs from other Italian styles.
pizza · 10 September 2026
The Science of 72-Hour Dough: Why Time Beats Yeast
Good dough cannot be rushed; it is a living ecosystem that trades haste for character and lightness. Here is why giving flour, water, and yeast seventy-two hours in the cold changes everything.