Our Story, Fresh From the Oven

Smokin’ Dough started with Chef Austin, a love for great food, and an obsession with getting the dough just right. What began with sourdough pizza quickly grew into something bigger: a way to bring people together over food that feels thoughtful, unfussy, and seriously delicious.

Austin and Garrett met at Facebook, where they built culinary programs across Texas and New Mexico. It was good work, but a long way from the kitchen. After years of designing food programs for other people, they both wanted to cook again. Their own food, their own way, answering to the plate instead of a deck. When the severance landed, they didn’t look for the next corporate job. They bought flour.

Garrett previously led bread and fermentation at Emmer & Rye in Austin, following time at Delfina in San Francisco. That experience is at the heart of Smokin’ Dough’s fermentation program, where every ball of dough ferments for 72 hours before it sees fire. Between Austin and Garrett, they bring more than 30 years of restaurant and kitchen experience.

What they bring to Smokin’ Dough is fine-dining technique, real operating discipline, and zero interest in making any of it precious. Smokin’ Dough shows up in restaurants, private homes, events, and pop-ups with the same goal every time: make great food, create a great atmosphere, and give people a reason to stay for one more slice.