[video audio]
- It's me - Ah, ok
Good, bad, medium?
[grunts]
[upbeat violin music]
- Ciao Alex! - Yeah!
What's up guys, salut! It's Alex. So I'm still in Italy
for the cheesemaking series, but this time I'm in Naples
and we'll talk about pizza
So you see I love pizza, in fact I love pizza so much
that there is a dedicated series right here on this channel
The problem is my pizza game is... is rusty
I mean, I don't practice enough
My latest pizza video was about Christmas pizza
I've been taking a few liberties regarding my toppings
Like Brussel sprouts, raclette
Authentic? Nah
Anyways I think it is time to go back to the traditional roots
of the Neapolitan pizza
I'm gonna ask the best pizza makers on the planet
to refresh massively and brutally my pizza game
and also to judge my technique
Is it gonna sting a little? Probably
But it's time to man up
[piano music]
So the first place I'm about to hit is
Pizzeria Antica da Michele
I don't know if it's the best, but it's definitely
the most famous pizza place in Naples
Why is this place different than the other Pizzerias?
Because it's the oldest Pizzeria in Naples
[in Italian] Officially, we've been opened since 1870
It's the fifth generation
[continues in English] This place kept it very traditional, you know
They only make pizza margherita and pizza marinara
which are the two pillars of Neapolitan pizza
[in Italian] Thanks!
[continues in English] Woah! It's very wet. It's basically got a soup in the center
I've got a very nice, you know, charred effect on the sides
You see it doesn't stand like a New York pizza
Even if you fold it, you still get the little
whoop whoop whoop whoop! Hah hah
But I think it's the classic. Fold it back
The dough is soft
It's almost chewy
You really feel the charred and toasted
and almost barbecued flavor from the wood fire oven
[in Italian] - Are you the pizzaiolo? - I am
- Alex - Fabrizio
[background noise] [unintelligible video noise]
[in English] Good or bad?
[continues in Italian] - Is it a focaccia? - Erm, no. It's a pizza with potatoes...
[continues in English] - No - No, absolutely a no
Neapolitan pizza is only margherita or marinara
[continues in Italian] A domestic oven...
There's too much yeast
Your dough is too tough
One to ten? Uno, due, tre?
Four
[in English] Do you have any tips for me?
[continues in Italian] Less flour, less yeast and a hotter oven
- Very hot oven - Very hot
Thanks
- Va bene. Ciao - Ciao
Arrivederci. Thank you for everything
[chill music]
[seagulls]
[continues in English] The guy granted me with a four out of ten
Why do I do this to myself?
I'm so wrong on so many levels
Yes, they're using a wood fire oven. No, I don't have one
Even with my baking steel, that still is a problem
[music]
So the next pizzeria I'm heading to is called
Pizzeria Da Attilio
So this one is not the most popular
it's not the oldest one
but it's definitely for the locals
and it's always good to learn a few tips from the locals
[piano music]
[in Italian] Hi, good evening, Alex
Between this place and another one, why do people come here?
Because they say my pizzas are good
- He's having a pizza afterwards - You're having pizza afterwards?
Eating pizza and having coffee is a no-no
Sì sì sì sì sì, okay
Tastebuds...
I understand. Excuse me
- Classic margherita? - Yeah, but the pointy one
Perfect, thanks
[continues in English] Because this pizza joint is for the locals, I've decided
to have my pizza on the street
I wouldn't go as far as calling this place noisy
but it's definitely very very lively
So from what I understood
Attilio makes like all the tradition pies you can think of
but he also makes some really creative ones
specially the ones which are star shaped
Okay, okay, perfetto
Excited? Yes. Nervous? No. Hungry? Absolutely
[piano music]
So you've got all the markers, the Neapolitan pizza
La pasatta, smooth-ish, tomato sauce
you've got the mozzarella, you've got a few basil leaves
and then you've got the spin that Attilio is bringing to the pizza game
So the crust is starshaped
and every little point is stuffed with ricotta cheese
That's beautiful, that's genius. Mhmm!
So I try to make pizza Neapolitana, but it's very difficult
- For you... hah hah! - Yes, for me, it's... hah hah!
[continues in Italian] What do you think of this?
How long do you proof it?
2 days in the fridge
No. In the fridge it doesn't proof
- What temperature is your oven? - 4℃ (39℉)
And what's the temp for good yeast growth?
28℃ (82℉)
So?
[in English] One is very bad, ten is very good. This is how many?
[in Italian] It's ok
[continues in English] Five?
Just a bit better than four
Do you have any tips for me?
[continues in Italian] Tomato sauce matters
You see, the pulp is still there
They're hand crushed, not mixed
[in English] Which cheese do you use?
[continues in Italian] Fior di latte (cow's milk mozzarella) is the classic for Neapolitan pizza
Buffalo mozarella came afterwards, and it's much fattier
Thanks for all these tips
Ciao, ciao. Arrivederci. Ciao, grazie
Buonasera
[chill music]
You know, I really don't know what to think anymore
So first we have this super traditional pizza, Da Michele
and it was supposed to be, you know, the real deal
and I think it is, to a certain extent
And then we jump to this creative guy
who is just mixing tradition and innovation
and you don't know what to expect and, in fact, for me, it's even better
What's the sense in all this?
[chill music]
So for the next pizza joint, I've been reading Google reviews
I've been on Tripadvisor, I've been on Yelp, I've been everywhere
And yet I've been struggling very much to find
the missing piece of my puzzle
My pizza puzzle
The missing slice of my pizza, yeah, that's better
And then I had an idea, instead of guessing at random
I went on social media and I asked you guys
where I should be heading next
Well the responses have been amazing, thank you guys so much
and many of you have been pointing me in the same direction
Sorbillo
[piano music]
[in Italian] Hi there, I'm Alex
- You speak Italian? - A little bit
Listen, I have to go now because I have an american blogger to talk to
I will call you back in half an hour.
Gennaro! There is a cork right there!
[video audio]
It's a pizza with potatoes
How do you call that thing?
For me, it's a pizza
[in English] From one to ten?
[continues in Italian] Six
Now, you're gonna make a Neapolitan pizza. We'll see what you're made of
[continues in English] - He wants me to do it? Okay - Yes
He's going to judge my skills, live
Clearly saying that I'm nervous right now would be an understatement
[suspense music] [continues in Italian] You must pull with this hand
Put your hand underneath
Add one then two
Add basil
More, more. Neapolitans are generous. Come on
Wipe your hands clean [in English] No water, no oil
I'm being schooled properly!
[continues in Italian] Quick!
There's a hole, you see? Because you did it like this, not like that
Okay
[in English] - Ugh, I've got a hole - This is a monster pizza
It can't slide anymore, that's the problem?
[continues in Italian] Now, you make another one
[in English] Fast, fast, fast
[continues in Italian] Dough handling must be fast
Quick, tomato sauce, mozarella
Come on! Quick!
Mozzarella, olive oil, basil, come on!
Okay
Oil. Quick, quick!
Pizza is made in under 20s
Quick! Quick!
[in English] Ok, stop
[continues in Italian] Wipe your hands, a little flour. Quick.
Not this way, this way! Come on quick! Don't be scared!
- A bit better? - Much better
- You got it? - Yes, I got it
[fire cracking] [inaudible chatter]
[in English] I'm super nervous
I hope it's a bit better, otherwise I'm gonna be roasted properly
[in Italian] Look, it's your pizza
[in English] This is me right now, this is my level of pizza
[continues in Italian] -Do you want to feed the crowd out there? - I do
Our Frenchman made this pizza! There it is, give him a clap!
[in English] - This is good, bad? - Very good. Buonissimo
- It's a good one? - Very nice, great
- Merci - You made it? - Yes
[piano music]
[continues in English] One, know your classics. Really well
Two, add your emotions, your memories, your heart and your hands
This is your pizza
Third, know your ingredients well
- Perfetto, grazie per tutto - Buon appetito, ciao
[slow music]
So at the end, what? The pizza exceeded all my expectations
I can't believe in fact the pizza game is so high
It's completely mindblowing
Of course it wasn't always pleasant, like, the criticizing of course is positive
but you know, I got a four
Not even a pass mark. Whatever
So I gotta work on my crust, it's either too proofed or not enough
I gotta work on the sauce
I put too much sauce on my pizza
I gotta work on the cheese
because I've been using mozzarella di buffala
basically nobody is using this, they're using fior di latte
it's supposed to hold the heat better
Spoiler alert, there might be one or two pizza videos coming to the channel very son
Anyway I hope you enjoyed the journey, if you did
please give this video a big thumbs up, like it and share that over
all your social media, you know how it works. Spread it like butter
Of course, subscribe to the channel, because this is the only way
for you to know if I get better or not
Okay. Bye bye! Salut!
[music]