Detroit-style canvas propels Square Pizza Co. operator to victory in Non-Traditional Division of the International Pizza Challenge
The reflection of a Ford Crown Victoria in the rear-view mirror has generated fear in the hearts of lead-footed drivers for decades. But the Crown Vic created by Frederico Santos, co-owner and operator of San Diego-based Square Pizza Co., is giving the Motor City staple a makeover. Santos took first place at the International Pizza Challenge held during Pizza Expo with his Non-Traditional pie, The Crown Vic(toria).
“All our Detroit pizzas are named after cars out of Detroit,” Santos tells Pizza Today, adding that he was inspired by sweet and savory elements of a charcuterie board, “and the Detroit pie was the edible canvas for it.”
Pizza Creation
Santos cold ferments a 72% hydrated direct dough for around 40 hours to make the award-winning pizza. The dough is allowed about five hours to rise in the pan before the par bake, with Santos adding there is “a lot of “hurry up and wait” as he waits for dough to warm to room temperature and between rounds of stretching.
After the par-bake and during his designated spot among 730 contestants, Santos tops the pizza with Square Pie Co.’s house-made tomato sauce, caramelized onions, Calabrian soppressata, stracciatella and crushed pistachios. Post-bake, he finishes the pizza with sweet and spicy pepper jam and sea salt flakes.
He bakes the pizza for 10 minutes in an electric oven set to 550 F.
“I had already created and named it the Crown Victoria,” Santos tells Pizza Today. “The idea was to bring the crown, and it did!”
Impact of a Win
With 20 years of making pizza under his belt, Santos has been attending Pizza Expo for years and says winning at the International Pizza Challenge “means the world to me.”
Upon returning home to San Diego, news of the win quickly got attention from local media outlets and social media influencers. Santos adds that between his win, opening day for the San Diego Padres and spring break tourists, visits to Square Pizza Co. are up significantly.
“We love San Diego, and it’s great to see how San Diego is loving us back,” he says, adding that “it was a pleasure” to compete with other first-place division winners. Check out the official results of the International Pizza Challenge and read about the other winners below:
Mirko D’Agata, Pizza Maker of the Year and Pan Division
Carmine Candito, Best of the Best
Patrice Desmeules, Traditional Division
Loredana Passariello, Neapolitan Division
