“The difference starts with the dough”, competition for the trophy for the best pizza in the world

The first edition of the multi-category World Pizza Trophy was held in Menton on November 5 and 6. A festival of flavor and culinary creativity organized by a pizza chef with many titles. An enthusiast’s dream. Focus on a culinary art imported from Italy that will make even the most gourmands salivate.

These November 5 and 6, at the Palais de l’Europe in Menton, pizza was king, with a competition to elect the best creation. Pizza makers from all over the world competed over two days in more than twelve categories, in total more than 180 pizzas were presented.

He had been thinking about it for a long time. A competition around his passion, pizza. Here, at his home in Menton. Laurent Raimondo encountered stoves for the first time 24 years ago in Monaco. Seventeen years later, he was crowned “world pizza champion” during the Pizza World Cup, in front of 130 competitors. The Menton resident is a regular at regional, national and international competitions, he has more than fifty to his credit!

It’s an art. Everything is done by hand without a roller, it’s by touch. However, when we talk about pizza makers, we are not considered real professionals.

Laurent Raimondo, champion of the Pizza World Cup 2017

at France 3 Côte d’Azur

After a lot of stress and perseverance, Laurent Raimondo was able to see his project come to fruition. The Palais de l’Europe is transformed into a gourmet palace. Six ovens sit in the large room. For this first edition, more than fifty candidates are competing. Some are competing for the first time; they come from several regions of France, Italy, Switzerland, or Belgium.

Each jury is made up of a chef, an award-winning pizza chef, an oven judge and a non-professional guest. Among them, some personalities known and recognized for their talent, their career: Gilles Brunner, former chef of the Prince’s Palace of Monaco and Christian Garcia, the current chef, Marius Dufay, pastry chef at Mirazur; Alfredo Folliero, president of an Italian association of pizza makers, etc.

The competitors try to compete in creativity, like Quentin Sauret, pizza maker in Puy-en-Velay, in Auvergne. He explains the particularity of his pizza: “I wanted to revisit truffade, an emblematic dish of Auvergne. It’s the “italo-vergante” truffade with guanciale, dried pork meat, an Italian specialty, tomme du Cantal from home and the sweet potato which is in season.”

You have to try to surprise the members of the jury, bring new flavors. I think you shouldn’t go for too many exotic things if you haven’t mastered it.

Quentin Sauret, pizza chef in Puy-en-Velay

at France 3 Côte d’Azur

But for his part, on the jury, Pascal Poupon is skeptical. He is a restaurateur in Chalon-sur-Saône and “pizza world champion” in 2013. According to him, this pizza lack of “peps” “Is the sweet potato right to be in the Calzone? I don’t know. With Auvergne products, something is missing.”

Here, there are no prescribed ingredients, but it is preferable that they are in season. Jimmy Pestel offered a pizza with salmon tartare, butternut, fennel, pomegranate and infused kumquat and roasted macadamia nuts. As well as salicornia which come from Cotentin in Normandy.

The difference is first made with the dough, you need a natural impasto, with organic sourdough (..?) and a set of ingredients that go well together.

Jimmy Pestel, pizzaiolo au Havre

at France 3 Côte d’Azur

The tests are divided into twelve categories. Enough to make you dizzy! The Neapolitan, the Calzone, the Classic, the Dessert pizza, the Pala and the Due. But also the Focaccia, the Pasta, the Teglia, a Speed ​​test with the Piu Veloce, the widest, and the Freestyle.

“Freestyle pizza” is also called Acrobatic Pizza. It is she whose cooks twirl the dough before filling it. This technique appeared in the 1980s. The waltz imposed on the dough would be a way of aerating the dough and expanding it by centrifugal force. But above all it seems to capture the attention of customers.

In total, 180 pizzas will have been scrutinized, dissected, evaluated by expert taste buds and defended by their creators. The scores are calculated on a total of 250 points: 100 points for taste, 100 points for cooking and 50 points for presentation.

The competition was open to the public who could appreciate the achievements. If you missed it, all you have to do is wait until the second edition of the multi-category World Pizza Trophy. Its organizer gives you an appointment in a year.