It’s All About the Dough. Basil. Beer. Garlic. Wheat.

At Portland Pie Company, the dough is the cornerstone of our business.

In 2000, Portland Pie Co. launched a sister company, It’ll Be Pizza, to manufacture its signature flavored pizza dough and distribute it to their retail locations. From these humble beginnings, It’ll Be Pizza has grown into a leader in the Northeast’s pizza dough industry and is distributed to retail pizza shops, bars, restaurants, supermarkets and schools in every state in New England. Contact one of our distribution partners: Sysco Foodservice, US Foodservice, PFG Northcenter, Favorite Foods, Associated Grocers of Maine, Island Foods, Pine State or Gordon Food Service for pricing and availability in your location.

It’ll Be Pizza’s signature doughs are available in five great flavors: Blonde, Wheat, Basil, Beer and Garlic; and can be produced in any size between 5 and 30 ounces. 2009 will also see the launch of It’ll Be Pizza Sauce and It’ll Be Pizza three cheese blend pizza cheese. In addition to supplying all of the pizza products that have made the Portland Pie Co. such a great success, It’ll Be Pizza is also committed to providing our customers with free consultations services: from advise on kitchen layout, equipment purchases, ingredient selection, dough handling and trouble shooting, menu preparation and pricing, promotions and advertising to shift itineraries and scheduling.

Please visit our website, www.itllbe.com or feel free to contact us directly at (207) 730-7301.

In partnership with our friends at Hannaford Bros., Portland Pie Company is pleased to offer its signature pizza doughs for individual sale at supermarkets throughout New England. Look for our White and Wheat dough in the deli section at your local Hannaford, you can recreate your favorite Portland Pie specialty pizza in your own kitchen.

Be Your Own Chef

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Making a great pizza crust requires two things: high quality ingredients mixed to exact specifications (that’s our job) and using a properly proofed pizza dough (that’s up to you). Our doughs are placed in the refrigerated deli section while they are still frozen. Ideally, the dough should be used 3-5 days after this transfer. How can you tell if the dough is ready to be used? Basically, you need to see evidence that the yeast in the product has been activated. They should be very soft, and have filled up approximately a third of the bag they are in. After you have taken one home, you can keep it in your refrigerator until the dough is ready to be stretched, or you can speed up the process by leaving it out (but still in the bag) at room temperature for an hour or two.

When your dough is nice and soft, you’re ready to go. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Put a small handful of flour or cornmeal on a clean counter top and then remove the dough from the bag. Dredge the dough in the flour, front and back, so the dough will not stick to your hands as you stretch it. To do this, use your palms and finger tips, or a rolling pin, flipping the dough over a couple of times. After that, you can stretch the dough by hand to your desired size.

If you are using a pizza screen or pizza pan, apply pan spray before laying the dough down. For pizza stones, spread a little extra flour or cornmeal on the stone. This will keep the dough from sticking to your baking surface. Apply your sauce, cheese and toppings. Brush a small amount of olive oil or vegetable oil to the edges of the dough. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

Please feel free to use our menu for pizza topping idea. Have your own secret recipe? Lets us know what your Portland Pie is…maybe it will end up on our menu!