The 3rd annual REAL California Pizza Challenge delivered champions, upsets and a few surprises ANAHEIM, Calif. — After three days of culinary competition and pizza athletics, the 2026 REAL California Pizza Challenge wrapped up August 25 at the Pizza Tomorrow...
Florida-style crust and Roman technique put two U.S. Pizza Team members among the Sunshine State’s best. Florida may not have the centuries-old pizza pedigree of Naples, the foldable-slice mythology of New York or New Haven’s charred claim to fame. But...
As Giovanni Labbate’s son Rocco steps into the family trade, his first competition win—at the REAL California Pizza Challenge—becomes a family milestone. Giovanni Labbate knows what it feels like to compete on a big stage. Over the past 15 years,...
A curious dive into mofongo inspires four Puerto Rican-style pizza experiments. Every once in a while, I come across a word that sends me down an unexpected rabbit hole. Recently, that word was mofongo. I had no recollection of where...
By U.S. Pizza Team Culinary Coach Vitangelo Recchia Roman pizza is a tradition built on science and transmitted through people. In part 2 of this two-part series on the fast-growing style (click here to read part 1), I’ll look at...
Southern Charm Meets New York Tradition Ingredients 16 oz. pizza dough 9–10 oz. Galbani Premio Mozzarella 7–8 oz. pizza sauce 1 Tbsp. minced garlic 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 3 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced Dry oregano, to taste...
Zack Calder and Jimmy Henry claimed top honors at the 2026 REAL California Pizza Contest. More than 200 recipe submissions from pizza makers across the country were narrowed to just eight finalists at the eighth annual REAL California Pizza Contest,...
By Vitangelo Recchia Roman pizza didn’t begin with a trend. It began with a stone, a fire and a flatbread. If you want to understand what it truly is, you need to understand where it came from before you can...
Two new ambassador appointments show how opportunity follows involvement. There’s a reason so many of the pizza industry’s biggest brands turn to U.S. Pizza Team members when they’re looking for ambassadors. They want talented pizza makers, but they also need...
The 3rd annual REAL California Pizza Challenge delivered champions, upsets and a few surprises ANAHEIM, Calif. — After three days of culinary competition and pizza athletics, the 2026 REAL California
Think you’ve got what it takes to compete on the world stage? The 2026 Galbani Professionale Pizza Cup puts culinary skill and Pizza Freestyle front and center, with two Grand Prize trips to Italy on the line. Whether you’re firing up a championship pizza or defying gravity with dough, your road to Italy starts here.
From the competition floor to unforgettable team moments, this U.S. Pizza Team photo gallery captures the crew’s trip to the Campionato Mondiale della Pizza in
Winning the 2025 California Pizza Challenge earned Juan Robles of Triple Beam Pizza more than a trophy. It opened the door to a life-changing opportunity
