Sauce It Up: Artisan pizza from an Italian brick oven

You could say David Garrison is rolling in the dough. Only it's pizza dough, and what's rolling is his newly acquired pizza truck — Sauce it Up — currently stationed at Middleton Brewery.

The 49-year-old transplant from Rhode Island began his career in the food industry while still in high school working for the Colonel … Sanders that is.

After graduation, he worked for several other folks of various rank when he joined the Air Force, which is what brought him to Texas. While stationed at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, it was there he met his wife who he said fell in love with his cooking first — and him next.

"I've always been around food, it's what I do for comfort," Garrison said. "It's my go-to happy place." 

Even as a child he recalled being taught how to bake by his grandmother who always baked fresh bread. In fact, Garrison said he even has a sourdough starter of hers that dates back several generations.

When it came time to begin his business Garrison said he toyed with the idea of starting a barbecue food truck. 

"I just didn't want to do it," Garrison said. "It's an almost 24-hour a day job and my heart wasn't about barbecue."

But it was about pizza and he had spent years perfecting a sourdough crust that he says is almost Neapolitan like.

"We utilize high hydration, 3-5-day cold ferment recipe, made in advance with artisanal flour that is non-bromated, unbleached, and lightly malted," Garrison said. "No dough conditioners are added except for our sourdough starter which has been nourished for many generations in our family dating back to colonial times."

Garrison said his unique claim to fame, other than his sourdough crust, is his Four Grand Mere Italian oven, a wood-fired oven that can be heated up to 800 degrees for fast cooking times. 

In addition to the custom oven on wheels, Garrison is proud to say he uses locally-sourced ingredients to make his pizza pies. 

"The goat cheese we use on our goat cheese pizza comes from Goatilicious Goat Farm in New Braunfels," Garrison said. "We also grow our own basil, oregano, heirloom tomatoes and peppers."

Garrison said he eventually hopes to have a brick and mortar facility to call home. But in the meantime, he's thankful for the fanbase that has quickly developed.

“Dave makes the best pizzas,” customer Sandy Taylor said. “His great crust was developed over several years and all his ingredients are the finest available.”

She said he loves to talk to customers; that it's not just pizza, but an experience.  

"My secret to cooking is that I know all the rules and I bend them and tweak them," Garrison said. "There's no mystery here. I'll share all my recipes if asked. Our ingredients speak for themselves but the art of pizza making requires foresight and patience."

He said a less experienced chef, or a rushed dough with the exact same ingredients, can lead to a poorly-prepared product, unworthy of what they serve at Sauce It Up.

"I won't skimp on ingredients or toppings — my work ethic won't allow it," he said. "Pizza is the one thing I never get tired of; I hope others feel the same."