The Ardent Mills culinary team showcased top flour-and-grain trends at the recent International Pizza Expo 2019, where pizza-making experts and enthusiasts from across the restaurant industry gathered to gain new insights into America's number-one favorite food1.

"Pizza is a comfort food that always stands the test of time, and although thin and thick pizza crusts continue to be favorites, 2019 is shaping up to be a huge year in pizza innovation," said Laurie Scanlin, R&D Culinary Manager with the R&D culinary team at Ardent Mills. "Consumer preferences are changing, and new flour choices, as well as heirloom and ancient grains, are bringing new textures to crust and meeting the growing demand for plant-forward pizza."

Ardent Mills served up a variety of brick-oven style pizzas featuring ancient and heirloom grains and individually quick-frozen (IQF) grains at the Pizza Expo, now in its 35th consecutive year of operation at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Here are the five pizza trends and Ardent Mills menu innovations that rose to the top: 

• The Real Deal – Authenticity is increasingly important to pizza eaters; 49% desire authentic pizza offerings2, and it doesn't get more authentic than traditional Neapolitan-style pizza. Authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas use imported "00" flour from Italy, which is quite costly. Ardent Mills' Primo Mulino Neapolitan-Style Pizza Flour uses wheat grown and milled in North America, providing the same crispy yet soft and subtle dough as traditional "00" flour without the imported cost.  

Menu Idea: Authentic Margarita Pizza—A classic Neapolitan-style crust made with Ardent Mills Primo Mulino® Neapolitan-Style Pizza Flour, topped with San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. 

• Simple Stand-Out Ingredients – Transparency in nutrition is a growing trend that resonates with pizza consumers. Simple recipes featuring healthier ingredients are attractive, and the more rustic, the better. The quality of pizza can also be elevated with artisan ingredients. 

Menu Idea: Ardent Mills presented a Farm Stand Pizza built with Ultragrain® Whole Wheat Flour and Red Quinoa, providing a hearty yet healthy crust with fresh roasted vegetables, goat cheese, pesto and extra virgin olive oil.

• Celebration Pies – Seasonality and food holidays offer more ways to create festive eating occasions like "National Donut Day" or "Fall Harvest Fest." Themed pizzas can capture some of this celebratory spirit and serve well as limited-time offers. 

Menu Idea: Mardi Gras Pizza—New Orleans favorites are a big hit in a new format with Cajun chicken, andouille sausage, Creole sauce, mozzarella, onions, peppers and parsley toppings with Ardent Mills Kyrol® premium high-gluten crust. 

• Toppings with Texture – Eighty percent of consumers wish their local pizzerias would offer more premium, innovative toppings3. Consider adding both visual and crave-worthy flavor appeal with unique toppings that create texture. Ardent Mills IQF grains as a gremolata topping allow operators to dial up the "wow factor" by adding meaty texture to a plant-based pizza. Operationally, the IQF format reduces back-of-the house labor and allows for more consistent cook times. 

Menu Idea: Mediterranean Pizza—Ardent Mills White Sonora whole grain flour crust topped with an IQF Barley, Quinoa and Spelt gremolata, grilled chicken, roasted peppers, a four-cheese blend, fresh arugula, cracked black pepper and shaved parmesan.  

• Mini Mania – As the snacking category continues to expand, consumers are looking for bite-sized options to satisfy their snack cravings. Operators can leverage in-house ingredients to deliver on this demand by using existing pizza dough to create pizza bites, a fun appetizer or a bar menu addition. 

Menu idea: Savory Garlic Parmesan or indulgent Cinnamon Sugar pizza bites both made with Ardent Mills Classic Pizza Mix are sure to be crowd-pleasers.

For more information on the ingredients used at the International Pizza Expo 2019, contact the Ardent Mills culinary team at 800-851-9618 or email info@ardentmills.com. 

About Ardent Mills

Ardent Mills is the premier flour-milling and ingredient company whose vision is to be the trusted partner in nurturing its customers, consumers and communities through innovative and nutritious grain-based solutions. Ardent Mills' operations and services are supported by more than 40 flour mills and bakery-mix facilities along with a specialty bakery, the Ardent Mills Innovation Center and Mobile Innovation Center, all located in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Deeply rooted in communities throughout North America, Ardent Mills is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and employs more than 100 certified millers, supporting thousands of local jobs and contributing billions of dollars to local economies. 

To learn more about Ardent Mills, visit ardentmills.com.

Resources: 

1 Datassential's Foodbytes: Pizza Keynote Report 2018

2 Technomic's 2018 Pizza Consumer Trend Report

3 Datassential's Foodbytes: Pizza Keynote Report 2018