Pizza acrobatics are not a necessary element of pizza making. The vast majority of pizzaiolos do without it – and the pizza is not worse for it. It’s just very nice when in the hands, or rather – on the fingers, the pizza dough makes a dizzying dance, and then continues it, flying up into the air.
What is pizza acrobatics
Pizza acrobatics – a variety of dough tricks: tossing and spinning – came about thanks to the creativity of master pizzaiolos in the 1980s. Inertia quickly stretches the dough and properly distributes the air bubbles from center to edge-so you get a crispy base with puffy sides.
When the pizzaiolo demonstrates how the dough flies up gracefully, no one will be left indifferent. The pizza acrobatics, though not required, are a mesmerizingly beautiful part of pizza making.
How to learn how to spin the dough
Watching the dough tricks, someone will think it’s easy. But mastering the art of pizza acrobatics takes effort and practice. All champion pizzaiolos recommend practicing as much and as often as possible.
You can start training by looking at master classes on the Internet, but it is more effective to attend a master class and get advice from a pizzaiolo. By the way, it is not necessary to use real dough for training: there are durable silicone trainers, which will not suffer in case of failure.
Uncomplicated acrobatic tricks are available to everyone – it is not only beautiful and important for making pizza, but also develops dexterity and motor skills. Here are some tips for learning how to throw dough:
Buy a silicone dough trainer – it’s best to start practicing on it.
Look online for pizza acrobatics video tutorials: learn how to take the base of the pizza, toss it low and gradually get harder.
Practice day after day: don’t give up – the main principle of pizza acrobatics.
Attend a pizzaiolo’s master class: expert advice will help you correct your mistakes.
Practice with real dough: form a disk about 25 cm in diameter and a little over a centimeter thick and start training.
Amaze your family and friends with spectacular tricks with the pizza base.
How pizza acrobatics competitions are held
Pizza acrobatics is actively developing, enthusiasts come up with new tricks. There are many competitions in this discipline among pizzaiolo both regionally and globally.
Important criteria in the championships are considered spectacle, technique, and artistry. The performance itself lasts two to three minutes, most often the dough is provided by the organizers, although some champions prefer their own stuff. The dough at competitions is special: it is more elastic than pizza dough, so it does not tear during difficult tricks.
Interesting Fact
The world’s most titled pizzaiolo, American Tony Gemignani developed a trick named after him. Stretched to medium size, the dough is not simply flung from one hand to the other, but rolls over the back from shoulder to shoulder, like a Frisbee. The base constantly changes shape, so only virtuosos can do such a difficult trick. Gemignani was able to roll two pizza bases over his shoulders at the same time.
What can you do?
Choose a silicone freestyle mat on which you can hone your dough skills. Start with a small diameter, such as 30 cm, and once you’ve mastered the basics, you can move on to a 45 cm.