Speed is important for a pizza maker? We asked this question to Simone Fortunato of Pizzeria Diaz – 3 times world champion for the fast pizza category of the Caputo Trophy – and he told us his secrets for a sprint pizza for the summer, or, as we say, for a pizza sciué sciué (in Neapolitan dialect, sciué sciué means “hurry, hurry”, relating to something done on the run, quick, but of good quality).
Knead and working in just a few seconds on multiple symmetrical pasta disks is really not for everyone, but that is what is required for one of the most fast-paced contest of the Caputo Trophy – the fast pizza category.
During the 2017 World Pizza Maker Championship which has just ended, Simone Fortunato needed only 39.16 seconds to make it, winning for the 3rd time the title of fastest pizza maker in the world.
Here are some secrets that came out from the chat with our multiple award-winning champion.
What does it mean for a pizza maker to be the fastest in the world?
Speed is a value in our job because it trains you directly on the field, working day by day in pizzeria and answering to customers’ requests. That’s why the Fast Pizza Trophy is an award that is slowly gaining more and more interest from the industry, and not just among the acrobatic pizza experts.
What is the difference between a fast pizza contest and the everyday work in pizzeria?
You use the same dough, and there is no need to modify its elasticity like you do for the free style contest, because here you win by working just like you do in your pizzeria, with the same adrenaline and the same desire to do well. What changes is the use of the stopwatch, which remains a transparency indicator: it gives a fact, not an opinion, to testify which is the best. What changes is also, surely, how you define the work; to be a pizza maker requires not only knowing how to work the dough, but also know how to dress a pizza to make it a quality product!
As a speed expert, what do you suggest for a pizza “sciué sciué”, a fast pizza, suitable for summer?
For a quick and practical product, easy to eat even in the hot of the summer, I suggest to use a few simple ingredients, better if seasonal as arugula, “straccetti di bufala” cheese and, of course, the tomato: a valuable ally, especially when chosen aiming to quality!
