For a good pizza, you need "passione", "amore" and apparently the portable pellet oven Fyra from Ooni. Can the miniature format compete with a professional oven costing 20,000 francs? Cosimo, pizzaiolo at "il Basilico" in Zurich, puts it to the test.
Every season has its own dough
When Cosimo talks about pizza, his already passionate manner seems almost ecstatic. When he explains that his dough is cold fermented, that he cultivates his own mother yeast or that he soaks, roasts and grinds the barley for the dough himself, more and more Italian words creep into what are actually German sentences. He can express his emotions more easily in his mother tongue. "Amore e passione, those are the most important ingredients for a good pizza."
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
At the age of 14, Cosimo stands at a pizza oven for the first time. Not in Naples, Rome or his native Apulia, but in Tübingen in southern Germany. "My uncle had a restaurant there, so that's how it came about." He kneads dough, tries out different recipes and messes up the odd pizza. Those beginnings were 44 years ago. Since then, he has worked in several places in Germany, Italy and most recently in Switzerland, heating up dozens of ovens. He has been head chef at the pizzeria "il Basilico" on Birmensdorferstrasse in Zurich for around two years. There is an electric oven there costing 20,000 francs. A monster compared to the small Fyra from Ooni, which he is testing today.
Cosimo in his realm, the kitchen of «il Basilico».
"Most people think that making pizza is incredibly easy, but it takes a lot of practice and dexterity," says the pizzaiolo, waving his strong forearms. In the meantime, he can see and smell whether the dough is done or not. A finger test is no longer necessary. He has perfected his dough recipe over the years. "My pizza is lighter than others, it doesn't lump in the belly because the dough is left to rise for 72 hours, mostly in the fridge." Depending on the season, he adjusts the ratio of the three different types of flour, water, yeast and salt. "You have to match the recipe to the temperature and humidity, otherwise the dough won't turn out well."
Although the pizza dough is clearly the crux of the matter, the topping must also be right. The sauce must be made from ripe, peeled Italian pelati tomatoes. Then a little torn fior di latte, a dash of olive oil and finally a few leaves of fresh basil. So the pizza napoletana can go into the modern electric oven at "il Basilico". "I'm actually a fan of wood-fired ovens, but this model is equipped with all the bells and whistles and can be precisely adjusted." The oven needs to be at around 330 to 340 degrees for the pizza to be cooked through on the inside and crispy on the outside. A heat that no kitchen oven can master. It's ready in just a few minutes. Now it just needs to be cut into eighths and sprinkled with a little oregano. "Signorina, please try it." Gladly. Little Fyra will have a hard time of it.
Pure pleasure.
The manufacturer Ooni advertises that its pizza oven reaches up to 500 degrees after just 15 minutes. "In my opinion, that's not even necessary, if not too much," says Cosimo as he scrutinises the oven. Weighing less than ten kilos and with a total width of just under 40 centimetres, the pizza oven fits on any garden table. The miniature format worries the professional a little. "I can imagine that the heat hits the pizza far too directly in such a small space and burns it."
The oven is assembled within minutes. Cosimo places the pellets in the designated tray of the Ooni and lights them with the help of an ecological lighter and dry leaves. The oven quickly heats up and Cosimo slowly gains confidence. While he prepares a second pizza inside, the flame outside dies down again. More pellets. Especially in the chimney-like pellet reservoir. The pizzaiolo had forgotten that before. With this and a little extra oxygen, the Ooni heats up again. The flames rise to the ceiling as if they were glowing clouds of autumn mist. The pizza can go in.
Or not, because the slider from the pizzeria is too big for the dwarf oven. Contrary to all expectations, Ooni doesn't supply one. Cosimo runs in and luckily finds a smaller one in a corner. The pizza is slightly dried out and ready to go into the fire. After about five minutes and a 180-degree turn halfway through, it is ready. That's four minutes longer than the manufacturer promised, but the aroma of crispy dough and sweet tomatoes mixed with that of wood and fire makes up for the wait. And it lures Lorenzo to the window. The second pizzaiolo at "il Basilico" is actually off today, but doesn't miss the opportunity to talk shop with Cosimo in Italian and judge the finished pizza. Everyone agrees. The Ooni pizza takes a little longer than the one in the electric oven, but is in no way inferior in flavour. The dough is airy on the inside and crispy on the outside, the fior di latte is smoothly spread over the tomato sauce and the basil adds a touch of colour and flavour. "It's a perfect pizza," says Cosimo. Lorenzo is even considering buying the Fyra to serve perfect pizza at barbecues instead of a few cervelats.
Meanwhile, it's just before 5 pm. There's enough time for one more pizza, then Cosimo has to go back to the electric oven. Room hour is over and "il Basilico" reopens. Hundreds of pizzas will have passed through the counter by the end of the day. That explains Cosimo's strong forearms. He still enjoys his work after 44 years. "I love my work, also because pizza has given my wife and two daughters a good life." In a few years, he wants to retire and move back to his house in Apulia. He is visualising social events for the large garden. "Like at the symposia in ancient Greece." When he wants some peace and quiet, he takes a boat out to sea and casts his line. Pizza will not disappear from his life despite his retirement. "It tastes too good for that. But someone else is welcome to take over the preparation."
