Summary

Listen to Newly Crowned World Pizza Champion Carmela Williams of Antonio’s Italian Ristorante in Elkhart, Indiana, on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today

How do you win a world pizza championship with a pie you’d never fully made before? On this episode of The Hot Slice, presented by Pizza Today, we sit down with Carmela Williams of Antonio’s Italian Ristorante in Elkhart, Indiana, fresh off her world champion title in the Americana division at the Caputo Cup in Naples, Italy. 

It was Carmela’s first time competing internationally, and almost nothing went according to plan. Airport officials confiscated her ingredients. Her hotel had no prep space or refrigeration. The competition ovens swung wildly from 320 to nearly 600 degrees. So, she improvised, blending mozzarella with scamorza she’d never worked with and leaning on instincts sharpened by her restaurant’s 70-year-old Blodgett ovens. 

Here’s what you’ll take away: 

• How she built a winning pizza on the fly under real pressure 

• Dough and cheese decisions that held up when conditions didn’t 

• Why her family legacy (father Paul and sister Gemma are also world champions) shaped her competitive mindset 

With 14 years in the industry, Carmela also breaks down the operational philosophy behind Antonio’s: open four days a week, no reservations, first-come, first-served. It’s a candid look at craft, grit, and running a pizzeria your way. 

Show Notes: 

Check out a fun look at her competition attempt: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZx3TUiJQ4J/ 

Follow Antonio’s Italian Ristorante at  https://www.antoniositalian.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/antoniositalianelkhart/   

Register for Pizza Expo Columbus, bringing every element of the pizza industry together under one roof in the Midwest at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on October 11-12, 2026. Learn. Network. Shop. Eat. And compete. Register now! 

Join Pizza Today for a “Future of Pizza Dough” panel discussion July 23rd, 2026 @ 2 PM ET. The webinar features hand-selected, award-winning pizzeria industry leaders, including Tony Gemignani, Laura Meyer and Will Grant. These experts are sitting down to share decades of hard-earned knowledge about the science behind the perfect crust. Register now. 

Thank you to our sponsor

Summary

Listen to Newly Crowned World Pizza Champion Carmela Williams of Antonio’s Italian Ristorante in Elkhart, Indiana, on The Hot Slice Podcast with Pizza Today

How do you win a world pizza championship with a pie you’d never fully made before? On this episode of The Hot Slice, presented by Pizza Today, we sit down with Carmela Williams of Antonio’s Italian Ristorante in Elkhart, Indiana, fresh off her world champion title in the Americana division at the Caputo Cup in Naples, Italy. 

It was Carmela’s first time competing internationally, and almost nothing went according to plan. Airport officials confiscated her ingredients. Her hotel had no prep space or refrigeration. The competition ovens swung wildly from 320 to nearly 600 degrees. So, she improvised, blending mozzarella with scamorza she’d never worked with and leaning on instincts sharpened by her restaurant’s 70-year-old Blodgett ovens. 

Here’s what you’ll take away: 

• How she built a winning pizza on the fly under real pressure 

• Dough and cheese decisions that held up when conditions didn’t 

• Why her family legacy (father Paul and sister Gemma are also world champions) shaped her competitive mindset 

With 14 years in the industry, Carmela also breaks down the operational philosophy behind Antonio’s: open four days a week, no reservations, first-come, first-served. It’s a candid look at craft, grit, and running a pizzeria your way. 

Show Notes: 

Check out a fun look at her competition attempt: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZx3TUiJQ4J/ 

Follow Antonio’s Italian Ristorante at  https://www.antoniositalian.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/antoniositalianelkhart/   

Register for Pizza Expo Columbus, bringing every element of the pizza industry together under one roof in the Midwest at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on October 11-12, 2026. Learn. Network. Shop. Eat. And compete. Register now! 

Join Pizza Today for a “Future of Pizza Dough” panel discussion July 23rd, 2026 @ 2 PM ET. The webinar features hand-selected, award-winning pizzeria industry leaders, including Tony Gemignani, Laura Meyer and Will Grant. These experts are sitting down to share decades of hard-earned knowledge about the science behind the perfect crust. Register now. 

Thank you to our sponsor