This week’s Steel Spotlight takes us to North Dakota, where Mariah Nienhuis known on Instagram as @thefarmchicken is turning heads and puffing crusts with her beautifully rustic, sourdough-driven pies.
Her featured bake? A Sourdough New York–Style Pizza, made entirely from scratch and baked in a home oven on the Baking Steel.
“Living in the middle of nowhere, I love taking a dish, turning it sourdough, and making it like the pros,” Mariah says. “So fun!”
Her dough is crafted with a long fermentation process, powered by her trusty sourdough starter Agnes. She builds it for stretch and strength two must-haves for New York–style pies. The flour mix? A thoughtful blend of King Arthur all-purpose and bread flours for balance and chew.
For toppings, Mariah keeps it classic and delicious:
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A simple, go-to tomato sauce, easy to elevate with fresh spices
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Thick-shredded mozzarella, with maybe a touch of grated parmesan for depth
She bakes her pies in a home oven at 550°F on her Baking Steel PLUS, which delivers that signature crispy base, beautiful blistering, and chewy structure that NY-style pizza demands.
Baking Steel PLUS in action with a sourdough pizza crust
Her dough is crafted with a long fermentation process, powered by her trusty sourdough starter Agnes. She builds it for stretch and strength two must-haves for New York–style pies.
👉 Want to try long-ferment pizza dough without a sourdough starter?
Check out our 72-Hour Pizza Dough Recipe it’s cold-fermented, easy to make, and absolutely magic on a Baking Steel.
⚡ Quick Hits with Mariah
Favorite Quote?
“If you are afraid of butter, use cream.” – Julia Child
You win the lottery tomorrow. What’s the first unnecessary thing you buy?
A ‘70s Chevy pickup and a new combine or tractor for the farm.
Favorite Grocery Store or Market?
Love a good farmers market.
If you opened a pizza shop, what would you call it?
Wild Yeast Pies
Random habit that makes your day better?
Making sourdough.
Favorite book?
Amelia Bedelia
Mariah’s story is a reminder that you don’t need a fancy kitchen or a big-city setup to make world-class pizza just some flour, fire, and heart.
Want to be featured in a future Steel Spotlight?
Tag your best bakes with #bakingsteelspotlight and share your story.
We’re always watching 👀🍕