Stephanie Swane on Dough Blends, Flavor and Judging at Pizza Expo

“The dough has to be beautiful,” she said. “If the dough isn’t there, it’s already deducted.”

In a recent conversation with LloydPans, Swane shared insights into emerging dough trends, menu development and what she evaluates as a competition judge at International Pizza Expo.

Blends Are Leading the Way
One of the biggest shifts Swane sees? Flour blends. After spending time at the Washington State University Bread Lab, she has become increasingly focused on whole grains, alternative grains and nuanced flour combinations. Today’s pizza makers are thinking more like bakers, paying attention to oven spring, fermentation, structure and flavor. Blends allow operators to layer complexity into dough while maintaining performance in the oven.

She predicts this technical curiosity will only grow.

Say Cheese! (Blends, Too)
The blending trend extends beyond flour. Swane notes that cheese layering — balancing meltability, fat content and texture — is becoming more intentional. Operators are thinking about pre-bake versus post-bake applications and how finishing cheeses or purees can change the final flavor arc. It’s not just about what hits first. It’s about what lingers.

Dough is Swane’s Pizza Expo Judge’s Benchmark
As a competition judge, Swane begins with the crust before toppings even enter the equation. She smells it first. Examines the cornicione. Assesses aroma, fermentation character and salt balance. Then she tastes the exterior crust without toppings to evaluate texture: snap, chew, softness or crunch depending on style.

Only then does she taste the composed bite. Luxury toppings can’t compensate for weak fundamentals.

“You can have caviar or filet mignon,” she explained. “But if the dough isn’t right, that’s it.”

Swane also highlighted a common disconnect in technical baking conversations: structure is often prioritized over flavor. While she values the science, she believes taste must remain central. After all, consumers don’t buy structure. They buy deliciousness.

Menu Development: Culture and Seasonality
Beyond dough, Swane sees continued growth in globally inspired toppings like shawarma, palak paneer or Korean fried chicken, which reflect broader cultural exploration within pizza competitions and restaurant menus. She also emphasized seasonality as a driver of creativity, citing leaders like Sarah Minnick who champion hyper-local sourcing.

From farmers market produce to house-made kimchi pimento cheese bases, layering fermented flavors and seasonal vegetables adds depth and differentiation.

For Swane, trends are exciting, but foundation wins! Whether experimenting with flour blends, exploring cultural flavors or judging world-class competitors, her philosophy remains constant:

Respect the dough. Build flavor with intention. And never stop learning.