Pizza Today - December 2021 - 35

" Everything starts with a solid
foundation. The stronger it is, the
longer you last in competition,
business and life, because only the
strongest survive. "
Chef Que Wimberly, The Missing
Brick Pizzeria, Indianapolis, Indiana
T
he 2021 pizza showdown in
Las Vegas was spectacular in
that it really highlighted the
camaraderie that makes this profession
more of a family than an
industry. We all deeply missed all
the competitors from Europe, Africa,
South America, Asia and Australia,
(especially MC Theo Kalagarokos,
who was detained at customs
with smuggled sheep.) This year, the
competitors in all the different pizza
categories shared the same space
together. It was heartening to see
so many more female competitors
than the previous years. My pizza
radar made me smile when I spotted
the contestants in Napolitana STG
next to a Detroit Pan pizza maker
discussing oven temps with a New
York style pizza maker.
Pushing with Purpose
" Being okay outside your comfort
zone adds to being a great competitor.
Being comfortable when things
go wrong and unexpected is when
greatness happens. "
Laura Meyer, World Pizza Champion,
San Francisco, California
This year's competition was
coordinated during an ongoing
worldwide pandemic with supply
chains frayed and broken and some
flights cancelled. Even with all these
distractions, this competition was as
intense, competitive and innovative
as I've ever seen mostly because of
the fabulous crew who coordinated
every aspect of the competition.
Drew Richards, Vice President,
Pizza Master and certified pizzaiolo,
assisted 75 contestants all
three days says: " The '21 competition
really opened my eyes to the
elevated dough handling processes
along with incredible baking precision.
Techniques that were only
being used by a few top Pizzaiolo
in the past are now commonplace
with these chefs. " He elaborated,
" I enjoyed seeing a lot of the pan
division revert back to lower density
dough per square inch. I saw rounds
with 75-percent hydration and pans
with 100 percent. The true beauty
was that the chefs weren't pushing
the boundary to go as high as
they could, they were pushing with
purpose. "
Trending flavor bombs
New trends this year at the International
Pizza Challenge were several
takes on hot sauces, especially
curried and sweetened. Plant-based
ingredients were big this year showing
that it is profitable to maintain
a vegan menu. Detroit-style pizzas
were represented in force with some
high frico crusts and even split in
half and stuffed. Multiple grain pizzas
were entered and added to the
complex mix. Creative after-oven
finishes like crispy proteins, luxurious
cheeses and brushed oils also
contributed to a lot of flavor bombs
this year.
Competition manager Jayme Pittroff
saw a lot of hot honey either
drizzled on the pies or brushed on
the crust. There were some fabulous
takes on Barbacoa, homemade pork
charcuterie and sauces made from
sweet peppers and fermented fruit.
Because of the strong emergence
of lifestyle diets like keto-centric
pizzas, there were several non-gluten
crusts with proteins. I was impressed
to see so many house-made cheeses,
vegan cheeses and cheeses transformed
with in-house smoking.
Chef Richards commented, " I saw
a lot of high-hydration grandmas
with great lift and body...with the
perfect amount of dough density to
toppings. " Tavern-style pizzas made
their mark this year, even though
Lenny Rago introduced it in competition
in 2018. He hopes they'll
make it a competition category soon.
Here come da Judge
Jayme Pittroff highly recommends
new contestants need to appeal to
a wide range and remember that
judges have differing palates. Pizzas
that are too spicy never do well.
" Come with an open mind, learn
and experiment a little. Take advantage
of the wealth, knowledge and
contacts you will meet at the show, "
he says.
Judge Chris Tricarichi, said he
saw a lot of figs and spicy jams being
used this year as well as housesmoked
meats, but noted that sweet
toppings, like spice, can be overpowering.
" Having a pizza that stands
out, with quality ingredients and not
overcomplicating things with too
many toppings is what I look for, "
he says.
It's Game Time
" I go into a competition with reverence
for my fellow competitors as
well as the art form because I would
rather lose amongst the best than
win amongst the mediocre. "
Anthony Scardino, Professor Pizza,
Chicago, Illinois
Pizza maker of the year, Nick
Banker says; " The best way to win
and make an impact is to combine
premium flavors with a creative twist
to shock the eye. I've seen a couple
of avocado-salmon recipes online
DECEMBER 2021 / PIZZATODAY.COM / 35
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Pizza Today - December 2021

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