Q & A with Tara Hattan, Kitchen Manager
Andolini’s Pizzeria, Tulsa, OK

Tara Hattan
How long have you been making pizza?
I’ve been making pizza for six years now.
Why pizza?
I’m a pretty big nerd. Once I realized all of the historic background of pizza making and science included into making dough… it was love at first bite.
What’s your favorite pizza style to make and why?
Now I love pizza literally all shapes and sizes, but one of my top favorites to make is Neapolitan. The simplicity and style of cooking makes it stand out to me.
How did you learn your craft?
I was a self-taught maker for my first two years starting out until I met Mike Bausch, he has trained me and taught me so much in the past several years. The pizza community is so welcoming that almost everyone I have met has passed on some of their wisdom.

Tara Hattan
What’s been your biggest challenge with pizza dough and how did you solve it?
My biggest challenge I have faced over the years with dough has acrobatic dough surprisingly. Acro dough is something that enhances what I concentrate on when I compete. It will always be something that needs perfecting to me.
What direction is pizza headed in your view?
The direction of pizza is only going up from here. The younger generation is focused in so much to what us pizza makers do now and we have the potential of building the craft up with them into something incredible.
As a rising, young maker, what do you think you have brought to the profession?
I feel like I have brought awareness to the profession, especially in Tulsa. I know a lot of people locally who follow what I do competitively because they are so interested. I have definitely noticed in the past year how many more women have started competing in the Pizza Games and other small pizza competitions.