Carmine Candito of Miami-based ’O Munaciello took first place in the Best of the Best competition held in front of a live audience during the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. The Best of the Best division is open only to pizzaioli who have won Pizza Maker of the Year, in which first-place winners from other divisions compete to see who has the year’s best pizza across all styles.
“I dedicate my victory to all my teammates and to the ’O Munaciello brand, which has supported me for many years and enabled me to reach the highest level,” Candito tells Pizza Today. He was one of the founding members of ’O Munaciello’s Miami outpost, an expansion of the brand’s original location in Florence, Italy.
Best of the Best Competition
Candito was named Pizza Maker of the Year in 2022; this year, he competed against fellow past winners Tore Trupiano of Mangia e Bevi in Oceanside, California, and Ryan Ososky of DTown Pizzeria in Los Angeles.
While Best of the Best contestants are required to use a list of surprise ingredients – this year those included pork belly, pears and portobello mushrooms – the pizza style and preparations are at the discretion of each competitor.
Candito opted to sauté the portobellos and pork belly with shallots for 10 minutes. He then took 75% of the mixture and blended it with burrata and olive oil to create his pizza sauce. Next, he topped the pizza with mozzarella, the remaining mixture and Parmesan. He baked the pie at 250 C for 5-10 minutes.
The pizza crust was made using Type 00 flour. Candito tells Pizza Today his dough is proofed for 12 hours and then set to rest for another 24 hours.
Promoting the Winner
’O Munaciello plans to offer the winning pizza at its Miami location so customers can try it for themselves. In the meantime, Candito says, “I will continue to work as I always have for over 30 years, treating all our customers with care and professionalism.”
For results of the International Pizza Challenge, see our complete list of winners. Or, sign up to get updates about Pizza Expo Columbus!
