You Should Try Oltra’s Perfect Pan Pizza This Winter

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It’s been raining in Sydney for approximately 10 million years. Which is probably why it felt like winter started months ago. But no! This has just been the soggy autumnal entree – the main course is on its way next week. And like most people, when the temp drops below 20, I become one with carbs. Especially pizza.

It’s the golden age of Sydney pizzas, and there have never been more – or better – slices vying for your stomach’s time. Bella Brutta and Dimitri’s are failsafe favourites. Via Napoli , Lucios and newcomer Regina bash out phenomenal Neapolitan pizza every day. Westwood hasn’t stopped selling out since it opened in 2021, and MMC Slice Shoppe recently gave us our dream New York-meets-Connecticut pizzeria. And that’s just the tip of the doughy iceberg.

But in this sea of perfect pizza, I always sail to one place: Oltra. Actually, two places – City Oltra (which is in, well, the city) and Pizza Oltra at Old Toms in Marrickville. Because their square pan pizzas are my favourite pizza in Sydney. And if you haven’t tried them yet, winter is the perfect time to do it.

“We weren’t really sure what to call it,” says co-owner Ben Fester. “Because yes, there’s definitely similarities to Sicilian and Detroit-style pizza – but we didn’t want to be saying ‘This is true Detroit pizza.’”

But even though it might not be strictly authentic Detroit pizza, the American pans by industry-leader Lloyd – 10 by 14 inches in the city, eight by 10 in Marrickville – lend the pan pizzas a strong Midwestern US accent.

These pizzas have it all: the right angles, the cheesy skirt – a chew that’s not too dense and not too bouncy. Perfect vessels for sauce, cheese and toppings.

Fester started off making them at home, before gifting a Lloyd pan to future pizza partner Drew Huston, who was working at Dimitri’s at the time. They both had fun with the style, so by the time they started popping up at Poor Toms back in 2021, square pizzas were a menu non-negotiable.

The pizzas, which often have a longer fermentation time compared to their round counterparts and need to be proved in their pans, can be finnicky for the team. “We have to watch them with a bit of an eagle eye while they ferment,” says Fester. They’re definitely a labour of love.”

Availability each day is limited by how many pans the team has: 50 in the city, and 40 in Marrickville. Oltra par-cooks them on the day, then, after your order, the team loads up the bases with sauce and toppings and sticks them back in the oven for a second eight-to-10-minute bake.

“That first cook lets us do the second one on a lower temperature, which really helps caramelise everything,” Fester says.

Not a fan of right angles? Oltra’s pizzas are also available in a round shape. In the city, they’re sold whole or by the slice (which is why they’re bigger), but over in Marrickville, they’re only sold whole – so they’re a little bit smaller and cheaper.

Order any of them; they’re all great. Bestsellers include the margherita-esque Gin Sauce pizza, with a sauce base featuring Poor Toms gin; the nduja, hot honey and garlic-starring diavola bianca; and the Rancho Relaxo – spicy pepperoni, red sauce, cheese and cool ranch.

Fester’s personal favourite is the Fennel BB. And it’s just come back on the menu, right in time for winter. It features a house-made caramelised fennel jam, pickled fennel, ricotta, mozzarella and sesame seeds, plus some fennel pollen and fronds. Call it fennel maximalism.

“This was one of the first pizzas me and Drew did together,” he says. “Now that we’re into the colder months, fennel season’s back and I’m so glad.”

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