Dough Heads, Whitehall Road: ‘A winning combination’ – review

There’s one thing to know about Dough Heads and that is that they take dough very seriously.

Of course, the clue’s in the name so it should come as no surprise that this pizzeria on Whitehall Road prides itself on its dough, which is made over no less than four days with a minimum fermentation period of 72 hours.

At Dough Heads, you can have a dough-based dish for your starter, main and dessert if you wish. Now that is dedication to dough.

Founded by self-confessed dough obsessive Jen Sankey, who has previously worked at well-known Bristol street food names such as Tsukemono, Murray Mays and The Little Taquero, Dough Heads has been feeding people in the neighbourhood for some months with various collaborations.

It has now officially opened permanent premises on Whitehall Road in the home of Espensen Spirit, an ongoing collaborator that features heavily on the menu with different gin fusions and vodka liquers. Things are already off to strong start with that winning combination.

Dough Heads offers relaxed, cosy dining

At 8.30pm on Thursday evening, the cosy restaurant is full of diners cheerily chatting over pizzas. Candles flicker on wooden tabletops while drinks flow from the tiled bar at the back.

While the drink menu is extensive, the food menu is a nice simple two-sided affair with a choice of six pizza toppings, including three dedicated veggie options and a tartiflette white pizza base that comes with crispy smoked pancetta or roasted mushroom. Vegan mozzarella is also available.

After toying with the charcuterie board (£15.20) or veggie antipasti plater (£12) – served with flatbreads made from the restaurant’s signature dough (of course) – we opt for two pizzas and sides. When in Rome after all (or perhaps more accurately Naples as this is billed as a Neapolitan-style pizzeria).

The sundried tomato and baby leaf salad (£6 or £5 for a parmesan-free vegan option) is beautifully fresh, delicately dressed in balsamic, ample in size and generous on the sundried tomatoes. It is also very much needed to bring some lightness to what is soon to become a dough-heavy dinner.

The salad balances out the dough-heavy meal beautifully

A small dish of smoked green olives (£2.50) pretty much does what it says on the tin. The smokiness of the plump green olives is pleasant but does serve to completely overpower any taste of olive. Perhaps not the best choice for anyone who likes their olives to taste of olives but an inventive twist on a classic, nevertheless.

Before tucking into the main event, we have to navigate slicing a pizza with a relatively blunt knife and fork. Dough that has aged for 72 hours minimum would definitely benefit from a pizza slice to get through it.

The freshness of the ingredients sings out on the veggie pizza (£10.50), which is topped with artichoke hearts, fire-roasted red peppers and shallots, and the dough is, as to be expected, excellent with just the right balance of crisp edge and chewy crust. While it’s a simple and uncomplicated combination, I find myself wishing I’d added some roasted mushrooms and a touch more house-smoked olive oil to add a bit more punch to the flavours.

The dough is the perfect texture – just a shame about the soggy middle

Fresh basil cuts through the salty anchovies

The smoky anchovy pizza (£10.50) is generously topped with anchovies and sprinkled with fresh basil that cuts through the saltiness.

Service here is a breath of fresh air and a request for a touch more basil quickly produces a generous side of the aromatic leaves.

The one downside to both pizzas is the soggy middles that might not detract from the taste but did seriously compromise the structural integrity of each slice, leaving a sloppy pile of topping in the centre of the plate.

Satisfied but unwilling to admit defeat, we promptly order one of the two options on the dessert menu.

The rich chocolate on the empanadas is to die for

Empanadas (£6) are parcels made with Dough Heads’ signature dough, filled and topped with dark chocolate and condensed milk (or have it without the milk to make it vegan). A heady aroma of chocolate heralds the arrival of the generous dough-filled treats.

This ultimate comfort food dessert certainly showcases the famous dough, which is warm, fresh and springy, while the chocolate is wonderfully rich. This would be the perfect pick-you-up on a cold winter day but is not for the faint-hearted when already a pizza down.

With most of the diners now gone, people at the table next door are contemplating one more drink before opting to get the bill and head to one of the nearby pubs.

Relaxed, comfortable and welcoming, it’s easy to see this restaurant full of dough-based delights quickly becoming a firm favourite. Just maybe bring your own pizza slice.

Dough Heads shares the Whitehall Road premises with Espensen Spirits

Dough Heads, 86 Whitehall Road, Redfield, Bristol, BS5 9BQ
0117 939 3552
www.doughheads.co.uk/

All photos: Ellie Pipe

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