Dynamic duo flip and twirl pizza dough at Doncaster restaurant Zero95
FORGET anchovies to spice up your pizza, why not try a side serve of acrobatics?
Francesco Crifo and Andrea Cozzolino have been flipping and twirling dough around their Doncaster restaurant, much to the delight of diners.
Andrea Cozzolino and Francesco Crifo perform ‘pizza shows’ where they dance and flip pizza dough at Doncaster’s Zero95 restaurant. (Picture: Josie Hayden)
“It’s a little piece of Italy in Doncaster,” Mr Crifo, 28, said.
The pair of seasoned pizzaiolos (Italian for “pizza makers”) could be considered the Harlem Globetrotters of the pizza world, with both competing at an international level.
Mr Crifo, originally from Catania in Italy, has competed in the World Pizza Challenge in Parma, Italy, five times.
Not to be outdone, Mr Cozzolino, who grew up in the home of pizza, Naples, came third in the Australian Pizza Championships.
The pair compete in categories including freestyle acrobatics, fastest dough, largest stretch and pizza triathlon.
If you’re wondering about hygiene issues from someone else playing with your food, then relax.
Pizzaiolos only play with dough that doesn’t contain yeast, so it can be workable for tricks.
Mr Crifo said the secret to good pizza was simple.
“Love and passion,” Mr Crifo said.
“We love our work — we live for it.”
Mr Crifo said the pair “grew up” in pizza restaurants.
“We left school when we were young to make pizza at our fathers’ restaurants,” he said.
“You either stayed in school or made pizza.”
Mr Cozzolino, 24, has been making pizza since he was 12.
The dynamic duo in action at Zero95 pizza restaurant in Doncaster. (Picture: Josie Hayden)
Mr Crifo and Mr Cozzolino are qualified pizza makers and boast certification to make traditional Neapolitan pizza using “traditional methods” from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, in Italy.
“To make a true Napolese pizza it needs to be 400C and you leave the pizza in for just 90 seconds,” Mr Crifo said.
The pair met while working in a pizzeria in Lygon St, after immigrating to Australia, and became fast friends.
They had been flown to Sydney to cook at a birthday party when they met Doncaster’s Anthony Biviano and his cousin, Robert Pirina.
The four bonded over their love of food and “bella vita” (Italian for “beautiful life”).
Mr Biviano said they wanted to create a place where family and friends could come together to share their love of food and pay tribute to their Italian heritage.
“That’s how Zero95 Pizza bar was born,” Mr Biviano said.
“We’re proud to share traditional recipes once prepared by our nonnas.”
Mr Biviano said they took their pizza so seriously they had a custom-made woodfired oven made in Naples and shipped over to Australia.
“It’s the Ferrari of ovens,” Mr Biviano said.
As well as the impromptu pizza shows on weekends, the restaurant has a masterclass for adults and a children’s class, where they learn how to cook a 1m Nutella pizza.
Zero95 is open daily, from 8am-noon, for coffee and sweets, and for full service, from noon-10pm, at 904 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster East.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Pizza parlours have used pizza spinning to lure customers since the 1950s
- The modern pizza was invented in Naples, Italy
- The most expensive pizza ever created cost $2745
- More than five billion pizzas are sold worldwide each year
- The word “pizza” was first documented in Gaeta, Italy, in 997AD.
Source: healthmunsta.hubpages.com
Source: Herald Sun - Manningham Leader, Bianca Carmona, June 30th 2015
