Sourdough pizza restaurant at Bay Central rises to the occasion

Ben Gilbert and Kirsty Dix launched Levain Sourdough Pizza last weekend and dine-in was fully booked on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, with many other patrons eating takeaway in the shared food court area.

The restaurant is one of only a small number of pizzerias in Sydney marking pizzas with a sourdough base, described by one food writer as "a pizza revolution" in suburban Sydney.

"We use a natural yeast, instead of one that is commercially made," Mr Gilbert said.

"The mother yeast is 15 years old. It's a live culture, and that's the heart and soul of pizzas.

"It creates a nice airy, light, fluffy and chewy sourdough crust."

Mr Gilbert said the feedback from patrons had been "amazing...unreal".

"They are ecstatic about the sourdough base," he said.

"Several people, including some who have travelled in Italy and Greece, said it was the best pizza they have eaten."

Mr Gilbert said 90 per cent of the ingredients they used, including flour and toppings, were sourced from farms in NSW."

Opening the restaurant fulfils a long-time ambition for Mr Gilbert.

"I have been in construction my whole life," he said.

"When I was young, I did apprenticeships in two trades and moved up to be a construction manager.

"But, I have always been a massive foodie and I love cooking and exploring different recipes in the kitchen.

"I started making pizzas three to four years ago.

"Because I am a big advocate for health and nutrition, I wanted to create a pizza that is healthier and tastes better than your standard yeast pizza with frozen toppings.

"I started making pizzas at home with a Roccbox Gozney oven.

"I was making two to three different recipes a week for a few years, trying to perfect them.

"I was having all my friends and family come around for a pizza night every weekend.

"I got better and better at it and reached the point where I wanted to share it with everyone and educate people about a pizza that doesn't leave you feeling full and bloated."

Mr Gilbert said, living at Cronulla, he regularly drove past the Woolooware Bay Town Centre construction.

"It triggered in me the idea that Bay Central could be the spot where we could start the business," he said.

"With all the apartments around, foot traffic and foodies in the shire, I am confident it will do well."

Mr Gilbert said they planned to introduce Uber Eats and Menu Log in coming weeks.