🍕 Wild Rise Pizza Co. – A Hands-On Sourdough Experience with Natalie Perry
Episode Overview
In this interactive episode of The Personal Side of Business, I traveled to Boise to meet Natalie Perry, founder of Wild Rise Pizza Co. Natalie walks us through her signature long-fermented sourdough pizza kits and shows exactly how customers can create artisan-quality pizza at home.
This episode blends entrepreneurship, craftsmanship, and creativity — all centered around a deceptively simple product: a thoughtfully curated pizza kit designed to deliver a premium, customizable experience.
Summary
Natalie’s Wild Rise Pizza Co. specializes in long-fermented sourdough pizza kits, giving customers everything they need to create a restaurant-quality pizza at home — without spending hours prepping from scratch.
Each kit includes:
Long-fermented sourdough dough
Homemade smoky marinara (blended with balsamic barbecue sauce)
Custom cheese blends (mozzarella, pecorino romano, smoked gouda)
Toppings such as grilled balsamic barbecue chicken thighs
Caramelized onions
Roasted poblano peppers
Extra balsamic barbecue drizzle
Natalie emphasizes preserving air bubbles when shaping the dough — pressing from the center outward without smashing the edges — to maintain that artisan crust structure. This small technical detail reflects the depth of knowledge behind what appears to be a simple kit.
The experience is intentionally customizable. Customers can swap cheeses, add toppings, and personalize flavors — while Natalie cautions against overloading the pizza to avoid a gummy crust.
The kits are available for local Boise pickup and can be refrigerated for up to three days. Because the sourdough is “happy,” it may expand if left too long — a sign of quality fermentation.
Beyond convenience, Natalie sees her kits as:
A fun family activity
A special meal for kids during date nights
A thoughtful gift for new parents or families in need
A creative culinary jumping-off point
Her ordering platform is linked via Instagram and Facebook at WildrisePizzaCo.
Key Takeaways
1. Product Design Matters
Natalie doesn’t just sell ingredients — she sells a curated experience. Every component is measured and formulated for a dry bench and optimal baking results.
2. Education Elevates the Customer Experience
Teaching customers how to stretch dough properly (protecting air bubbles) increases their success rate — and satisfaction.
3. Customization = Customer Ownership
When customers adapt the kit — like adding grilled chicken to a pesto sweet corn goat cheese pizza — Natalie embraces it. She wants her creations to inspire creativity.
4. Convenience Without Compromise
Long fermentation, house-made sauces, hand-blended cheeses — all the craftsmanship is done upfront so customers get the reward without the prep time.
5. Micro-Local Business with Scalable Thinking
By using an online ordering platform and local pickup model, Natalie maintains quality control while building community engagement.
FAQ
How long do the pizza kits last?
Up to three days in the refrigerator. The dough continues fermenting, which can cause expansion if left too long.
Can customers swap ingredients?
Yes. While the kits are formulated intentionally, customers can customize toppings and cheeses.
What makes the dough different?
It is long-fermented sourdough, which enhances flavor, texture, and digestibility.
How do you know when the pizza is done?
Look for toasty brown cheese and browned spots on the underside of the crust.
If you found this episode valuable, explore other conversations on leadership, emotional resilience, and the personal realities behind professional success on
Guest Bio: Natalie Perry
Natalie Perry is the founder of Wild Rise Pizza Co. based in Boise, Idaho. She specializes in handcrafted, long-fermented sourdough pizza kits designed to deliver an artisan, interactive, at-home pizza experience. Through thoughtful ingredient formulation and education, she empowers customers to create memorable meals with minimal stress.
You can order locally through her Instagram and Facebook at WildrisePizzaCo or https://www.hotplate.com/wildrisepizzaco
Take a look at Natalie's Food Blog Website
https://www.perrysplate.com/
Check out Natalie's recent article in the Boise Dev
https://boisedev.com/news/2026/03/11/wild-rise-pizza/
If you’re in Boise, check out Wild Rise Pizza Co. and experience artisan sourdough pizza — made in your own kitchen.
And if you enjoy discovering the entrepreneurial journeys behind small businesses like Natalie’s, subscribe to The Personal Side of Business for more interactive stories from founders building something meaningful.
Show Full Episode Transcript
Wild Rise Pizza – Full Episode Transcript
Jet Bunditwong: Welcome to The Personal Side of Business. Today I’m here with Natalie from Wild Rise Pizza. I’m excited to dive into your story, how this started, and what it’s grown into.
Natalie: Thank you so much for having me. I’m really excited to be here and share a little bit about Wild Rise Pizza and how everything came together.
Jet Bunditwong: Let’s start at the beginning. Where did the idea for Wild Rise Pizza come from?
Natalie: It honestly started in our backyard. We bought a small pizza oven just for fun, and we began hosting friends and family. Over time, we realized people weren’t just enjoying the pizza — they were asking if we catered, if we did events, if we sold dough. That’s when we knew there was something there.
Jet Bunditwong: I love that. A lot of businesses start organically like that — solving something or creating something people naturally gravitate toward.
Natalie: Exactly. It wasn’t some huge business plan at first. It was passion. It was experimenting with dough, fermentation times, different flours. We became obsessed with the craft of it.
Jet Bunditwong: When did it shift from hobby to business?
Natalie: When we started getting consistent requests for events. We did a few pop-ups, then small private events, and it just kept growing. We realized we needed to formalize it — branding, permits, equipment, all of it.
Jet Bunditwong: Let’s talk about the name — Wild Rise Pizza. Where did that come from?
Natalie: The “rise” obviously refers to the dough. But the “wild” is about the spirit of the business — being creative, embracing the process, letting things grow naturally. It felt authentic to what we were building.
Jet Bunditwong: What were some early challenges?
Natalie: Definitely scaling. Making a few pizzas at home is one thing. Producing consistently for events is different. Managing fermentation timing, temperature control, sourcing quality ingredients — it all had to become much more intentional.
Jet Bunditwong: And branding? Because your aesthetic is strong.
Natalie: Thank you. We wanted it to feel elevated but approachable. Clean design, earthy tones, something that reflects artisan quality but still feels fun and community-driven.
Jet Bunditwong: What makes Wild Rise Pizza different?
Natalie: The dough process. We use long fermentation, high-quality flour, and focus heavily on texture and digestibility. It’s light, airy, and flavorful without being heavy.
Jet Bunditwong: For someone listening who wants to start something similar — what’s your advice?
Natalie: Start small. Perfect your craft first. Don’t rush the scaling process. And make sure you actually love the day-to-day of it, because running a food business is physical and demanding.
Jet Bunditwong: What’s next for Wild Rise?
Natalie: We’re expanding our event presence and exploring packaged dough kits and possibly retail partnerships. We want to grow intentionally — not just fast, but sustainably.
Jet Bunditwong: I love that — intentional growth. Natalie, thank you so much for coming on and sharing the story behind Wild Rise Pizza.
Natalie: Thank you for having me. This was so fun.