Il Circolo del Forno
There's an ingredient that a certain generation of pizzaioli knows well, which Neapolitan grandmothers have never stopped using, and which the most attentive artisanal laboratories are quietly bringing back to the workbench. It’s called lard, and in 2026 it has returned to the forefront, without asking for permission.
For decades, it was the great excluded. Victim first of the vegetable oil revolution in the 1970s, then of the collective terror surrounding saturated fats, lard had become almost a taboo word in modern cooking. Yet, those who have continued to use it, from Neapolitan fried pizza to Marche crescia, from Romagna sfoglia to tigelle, have never had doubts: with lard, the dough changes. For the better.
What Does Lard Do to Pizza Dough?
Lard is a plastic fat, meaning it is solid at room temperature but capable of spreading evenly through the gluten mesh during the kneading process. This has three direct and measurable technical effects. First: the gluten network becomes more extensible and less tenacious, allowing the dough to stretch without retracting, tearing, or stressing. Second: during baking, lard progressively melts, creating microbubbles of steam inside the crust, which results in a light, airy, almost puffed-up crust. Third: the animal fat carries with it short-chain saturated fatty acids that contribute to the Maillard reaction, promoting a more pronounced and even browning, even at relatively low temperatures.
The result is a crust that puffs up evenly, with a fine and crispy outer layer and a chewy interior. Exactly what you look for, and which with just extra virgin olive oil is harder to achieve consistently.
How Much is Used?
In the oldest Neapolitan tradition, lard was present in percentages between 2% and 5% of the weight of the flour. It was the norm, not the exception. The same fried pizza, now featured on gourmet menus in the best restaurants, would not be what it is without lard in the dough and during frying.
Artisanal Quality, Supply Chain, and 'Clean Label'
The return of lard in 2026 is not nostalgia. It is culinary culture meeting the new awareness of consumers. Artisan lard, made from pigs raised on pasture, processed cold, has a label with just one ingredient: pork fat. No additives, no emulsifiers, no industrial processes. Exactly the opposite of many vegetable margarines used in the baking industry for decades.
The market confirms this: edible animal fats are experiencing unprecedented global growth, with Italy among the European markets accelerating the most. And in the most innovative laboratories, lard is returning in blends with EVO oil, as a precision technical element rather than a generic substitute.
The lesson is simple: tradition was right. Lard was not a compromise; it was a choice.