Write a Recipe

A Ponzu recipe is a plain Markdown file. This guide walks you through writing one from scratch.

1. Create a file

Create a new file with a .md extension — for example, margherita-pizza.md. You can use any text editor (or a specialized Markdown editor).

2. Add frontmatter

Frontmatter is a short block of metadata at the very top of the file, wrapped in --- lines. All fields are optional, but title is the most useful one to include.

---
title: Margherita Pizza
servings: 2
time: 45 minutes
tags: pizza, italian, vegetarian
---

Ponzu uses the title to display the name of the recipe in the app. If you leave it out, Ponzu will try to figure out the title from the recipe body or the filename.

See the Frontmatter reference for all supported fields.

3. Write a preamble (optional)

After the frontmatter, you can add a short note about the dish before the ingredients. This is called the preamble; it’s anything that appears before the ## Ingredients header.

A simple Neapolitan-style pizza. Best cooked on a preheated pizza stone.

4. Add ingredients

Add an ## Ingredients header, then list your ingredients beneath it. A bulleted list works well.

## Ingredients

- 250g pizza dough
- 100ml crushed tomatoes
- 125g fresh mozzarella, torn
- Fresh basil leaves
- Olive oil
- Salt

5. Add instructions

Add an ## Instructions header, then write the steps. A numbered list is a natural fit, or you can just write paragraphs for each step.

## Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to its highest setting (250°C / 480°F) with a pizza stone or heavy baking tray inside.
2. Roll the dough into a thin round on a floured surface.
3. Spread the crushed tomatoes over the base, leaving a 2cm border.
4. Scatter the mozzarella evenly over the sauce.
5. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake for 8–10 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.
6. Remove from the oven, top with fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve immediately.

Ponzu uses these two headers to split up the recipe, displaying the ingredients and instructions side-by-side while you cook.

Tip

Both ## Ingredients and ## Instructions headers must be present for Ponzu to show the split view. If either is missing, the whole recipe displays as a single block (which is fine for simple recipes).

Complete example

Here’s the full recipe file (you can also download it here):

---
title: Margherita Pizza
servings: 2
time: 45 minutes
tags: [pizza, italian, vegetarian]
---

A simple Neapolitan-style pizza. Best cooked on a preheated pizza stone.

## Ingredients

- 250g pizza dough
- 100ml crushed tomatoes
- 125g fresh mozzarella, torn
- Fresh basil leaves
- Olive oil
- Salt

## Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to its highest setting (250°C / 480°F) with a pizza stone or heavy baking tray inside.
2. Roll the dough into a thin round on a floured surface.
3. Spread the crushed tomatoes over the base, leaving a 2cm border.
4. Scatter the mozzarella evenly over the sauce.
5. Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake for 8–10 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.
6. Remove from the oven, top with fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve immediately.

Once you have a recipe file, open Ponzu and point it at the folder containing your .md files to get started.