The Nino's Story

Meet the Man Behind the Dough

There really is a Nino behind Nino's Dough.

Born in a small town in Sicily, Little Antonino moved to Baltimore with his family in 1966. He grew up in an apartment adjacent to his parent’s pizza shop in Dundalk, Maryland, where his first job was assembling pizza boxes at the age of 9. It was during these years, working with his family, that he learned the art of making pizza. In 1985, he opened his own pizzeria in Highlandtown.

He perfected his pizza dough. As word of mouth got around about his superior quality product, demand began to increase. Nino had recognized a need in the market for a high-quality, consistent and convenient dough, a dough that would eliminate a large and time-consuming step in pizza-making.

As the customer base and orders grew, the need for more space became apparent. Nino decided to focus solely on dough making, and moved to the dedicated production facility in Baltimore that he occupies today.

“We still make dough the traditional way—from scratch, using a slow fermentation process to ensure consistent flavor,” says Nino. “Our dough-making process takes longer and requires more premium ingredients, but the superior dough we produce is worth it.”

We still make dough the traditional way.

Nino loves making dough. “We went through a lot of trial and error making a dough that works reliably in every different type of oven. You need a consistent yet versatile product,” he explains. But it wasn’t enough just to make reliable dough. The result had to remain true to his father’s recipe in taste and texture. “The dough from my family recipe is still the gold standard,” according to Nino.

Your best pizza starts with our best dough.

Today Nino produces thousands of pounds of dough per day, including both fresh and frozen varieties. Frozen dough from the master dough craftsman? “Yes,” Nino assures us. “The frozen dough comes in a ‘proof-and-go’ bag that ensures it tastes just like fresh.” Nino developed this unique packaging after many years of experience, realizing that ease of use and time-saving factors are essential for his customers. “Frozen dough gives you the convenience of delicious and authentic dough, just when you need it—perfect for busy kitchens where timing is crucial.”

Nino’s offers a traditional dough as well as a gourmet variety. The gourmet variety starts with the best ingredients: fresh eggs, pure water, extra virgin olive oil and premium flour. 

Whether fresh or frozen, his dough recipe bakes to the perfect taste and texture—a firm, crispy exterior crust with just the right amount of satisfying chewy consistency in the center.

And he’s baking bread in-house too, in the form of sub rolls and Italian rustic loaves. “My name is on it,” proclaims Nino. “That’s my product—I’m passionate about it.”

You can taste the passion in the dough—the freshest tasting and the most consistently delicious dough you can get outside of Sicily. As Nino says, “Your best pizza starts with our best dough.”