Francesco Ialazzo
World Pizza Champion 2021, Super Campione
At eight, he stood on a ladder at the family oven. In 2021, he stood at the very top.
Bake with himSilent video, 18 seconds: Francesco Ialazzo in a white chef’s jacket looks into the camera, exhales smoke and turns around. He walks through a dense crowd of people in black suits and takes his place in their rows as the camera slowly pulls back. In the end he stands still: the only one in white.
Practice makes perfect, a lot of practice makes a world champion.
And he keeps practising – today it’s about 14,000 days.
— Francesco Ialazzo
On his floured marble worktop he becomes the first tally mark, a golden one. Then about 12,000 marks fill up – one for every day at the oven, from his first day in 1988 to the World Championship on 27 September 2021. His golden mark lights up and the camera flies back to it: up close it is a bar of polished gold – the I in the words World Champion. It pulls back, and the whole phrase lies in solid gold on the marble.
World champion and Teacher
Two jackets.One man.
In black, he teaches what he knows – as an instructor of the Accademia Nazionale Pizza DOC. In white, he stood at the very top in Ercolano in 2021.
The road
From a step ladder to the podium.
Mainz, Naples, Ingelheim. Eight stops, almost four decades at the oven.
Mainz
1988 The Little Ladder
Born and raised in Mainz, in a family from Sicily. At weekends he helps out in his grandfather’s and uncle’s pizzeria. At nine he bakes his first pizza for guests; at twelve he’s at the oven almost every day after school.
“Even at eight, I could turn pizzas. My grandpa put a little ladder in front of the oven for me.”
Naples · Frattamaggiore
1997 To the Source
Straight out of school, at 17, he goes to Naples. At 19 he meets master pizzaiolo Umberto Fornito and works with him for four years in Frattamaggiore. Fornito becomes his mentor.
“I wanted to learn the craft where it comes from.”
Ingelheim am Rhein
2006 His Own Oven
He opens Pizzeria Capri in Ingelheim – at first a small takeaway on the market square. In 2013 he moves across the square into a converted bakery, with tables for guests. Since 2024, two golden mosaic dome ovens have done the baking.
640 km from Ingelheim
2009 Two Dough Balls
Luigi delivers bread to pizzerias and only wants to sell him some. Then he tastes Francesco’s pizza – and enters him in the German championship without asking. Francesco works until 11 pm, sets off with two dough balls and arrives at 8 am, bleary-eyed: 250 of Germany’s best pizza makers are already at work. By evening he is German champion – with a pizza called “Sofia”, after his daughter, one month old at the time. Soon after, the winning pizza is on the menu at Pizzeria Capri. So is Luigi, by the way.
Parma · Naples
2014 · 2019 Closing In
Parma, 2014 – his first world championship: top 20 out of more than 600 pizzaioli from 35 nations. Naples, 2019: third place for Germany in the nations’ ranking, fourth in Pizza Classica, and a plaque of honour for spreading Pizza Napoletana in Germany. That same year, Umberto Fornito brings the APN’s Golden Pizza Plate to Ingelheim.
“They thought Germans couldn’t make pizza. Now they know better.”
Ercolano, near Naples
2021 World Champion
A week before the championship he rents a pizzeria in Naples and adapts his dough to the climate. Then he goes all the way: first in Pizza Napoletana with 428 points – and, as overall winner, “Super Campione”.
Salerno
2025 The Teacher
The Accademia Nazionale Pizza DOC awards him the title “Master di Istruttore Professionale”. In January 2026 he leads the academy’s first class in Germany – he has been running his own classes since 2023.
Ingelheim am Rhein
2026 The Show Kitchen
Twenty years after opening Pizzeria Capri: his own show kitchen, with a big cooking island, a professional kitchen and a terrace. It’s home to his classes – and to parties. And the restaurant is now a certified “Pizzeria DOC”.
Arte bianca
Three moves. Then fire.
Arte bianca, the white art: that’s what Italians call the craft of flour and dough. For Francesco it comes down to three moves – pull, slap, bake.
Four ingredients. Seven flours.
Flour, water, salt and his own yeast – nothing else goes in. The skill lies in the blend of seven flours, in the water and in time: up to 980 grams of water for every kilo of flour.
His dough-stretching reel: 2M views (opens in a new tab)
“In Naples, I learned how to keep the air inside the dough balls.”
- 01Pull
- 02Slap
- 03Bake
up to 98%water in the dough – that’s why it’s so soft.
Allo schiaffoThat’s how Francesco opens the dough: one, two, three. The air moves into the rim.
Ninety seconds in the oven
up to 460 °Cat the top of the dome, 360 to 370 below – Francesco’s numbers. Ninety seconds, and the pizza is done.
Arrow keys: pull · Enter: slap
The golden “Trofeo Super Campione” trophy of the 2021 World Pizza Championship on a dark plinth. It turns slowly as you scroll; Francesco’s path is engraved into the gold as a spiral: 1980 Mainz · 1988 at the oven at 8 · 1997 Napoli · 2006 Ingelheim · 2009 German Champion · 2014 Parma · 2021 Ercolano · Super Campione · 428 points.
or hold the space barpress and hold
Titles and numbers: SuperCampione
World Championship 2021 · Ercolano, Vesuvius · 27–28 September
- Over 80 Pizzaioli from many countries – some 200 entries in eight categories.
- 428 Points in Pizza Napoletana – first place, world champion.
- Two Silvers as well, in Pizza Contemporanea and Pizza in Pala.
- First Overall The highest total across all the categories he entered: Super Campione, the best of the best.
“The others said: ‘Look, he’s taking everything home.’ It was eight trophies in the end.”
“The others said: ‘Look, he’s taking everything home.’ It was eight trophies in the end.”
The trophy shelf
- 2009: German Champion. APICE trophy · with his pizza “Sofia”
- 2010: German & European Champion. Title defended – plus the European crown
- 2014: Top 20 at the World Championship. Parma · among more than 600 pizza makers from 35 nations
- 2019: Golden Pizza Plate. APN, April 2019 · plus the plaque of honour at the Trofeo Caputo, Naples
- 2021: World Champion & Super Campione. Ercolano · 428 points · plus two silvers
- 2025: Master Istruttore. Accademia Nazionale Pizza DOC, Salerno
- 2026: Pizzeria DOC. Pizzeria Capri in Ingelheim · first Pizza DOC course in Germany
Millions have watched.
Around 6.5 million views on YouTube – that’s how often videos about him have been watched. As of October 2026.
An old TV switches on: Francesco slapping dough, from the show SWR Handwerkskunst. Then the picture zooms out – the TV sits in a wall of hundreds of TVs, all showing his appearances. Most of them switch off; the bright ones together form the number 6.5 million.
Choose a channel
SWR Handwerkskunst
“To bake pizza, we’re meeting none other than the world champion.”
Now it’s your turn at the oven.
One day at the champion’s oven.
A Saturday class, from 11:00 to 16:30: theory, practice, tasting, certificate. Through the digits of the clock you see scenes from his classes and his kitchen.
- 11:00
Theory
The history and rules of Pizza Napoletana, flours, ingredients and the secrets of making dough.
Practice
Dough for Pizza Napoletana and panuozzo, the original tomato sauce, cutting mozzarella, shaping the pizza by hand, topping and baking it – in electric and gas ovens.
Tasting
You taste your pizza and compare it with Francesco’s original. Plus tips – and a few stories.
- 16:30
Certificate
To finish: your Pizza DOC certificate, a photo with Francesco and, if you like, an autograph.
Pizza DOC Experience
Saturdays 11:00–16:30 Ingelheim max. 25 places
€249per person
Book a place (opens in a new tab)Upcoming dates
Pick a Saturday: click its ticket – it tears off and the booking opens.Pick a Saturday: tap its ticket – it tears off and the booking opens.Pick a Saturday: one click on its ticket opens the booking.Pick a Saturday: one tap on its ticket opens the booking.
New dates coming soon. All about the classes
Tickets are transferable – a popular gift.
All about the classesFlour, pizza bases, ovens and gift cards for your kitchen – in his shop.
Visit the shop (opens in a new tab)
Click: add a topping · drag in a circle: turnTap: add a topping · swipe sideways: turnEnter: add a topping · arrow keys: turn
Who he works with.
He never bakes his pizza alone: flour, tomatoes, an oven – and two houses from Campania he stands for. Want to top it?
The dough
MULINO CAPUTO
Flour from Naples. Trofeo Caputo 2019, the flour of the 2021 World Championship – and in the shop.
In the shop (opens in a new tab)The tomato
LA FIAMMANTE
The tomatoes he uses himself – also in the shop.
In the shop (opens in a new tab)The seal
ACCADEMIA NAZIONALE PIZZA DOC
Instructor since 2025: “Master di Istruttore Professionale”, Salerno, 26 November 2025. He leads their courses in Germany.
His profile at the Accademia (opens in a new tab)The plate
APN · ASSOCIAZIONE PIZZAIUOLI NAPOLETANI
Member. In 2019, the Golden Pizza Plate for Pizzeria Capri.
His entry at the APN (opens in a new tab)
“Love, love, always love.”
The golden mosaic dome of his oven. Move your mouse or finger over it, press and hold, or hold Space – the arrow keys move the heat.
Contact
Bake with himPizza DOC Experience · Saturdays, 11 am–4:30 pm, in Ingelheim