Three is the perfect number and it is also the secret of Daniele Covi, a young and skilled pizza maker who owes his success to a mixture of three flours and a long leavening process.
The pizza in pala with three flavors, three hand palms (about 80 cm) long, at the very competitive price of 13 Euros (15 in the special version) is also his most requested pizza, because it meets the desire of every customer to taste more flavors at a time.
Our favorite? Maybe “La Mortazza” with mortadella or “La Broccola” with broccoli and sausage. Customer satisfaction is his real focus. He cuddles customers, not only by giving them more flavors together, but also by giving them a supplì as a gift, relying heavily on a wide selection of craft beers available and on food delivery even before the covid-19, when few could imagine its current success.
What did the Emergente Pizza competition experience give you?
It was an incredible experience; if you don’t participate you can’t explain it. It’s a way to meet new fellow pizza makers and know new thoughts; it cannot be considered just a competition, but something more. On top of everything, the organization of the contest is very accurate in the details.
What is currently your dream, your professional desire?
I actually started “from the bottom”, when I was a kid, being a “busboy” for Pan di Pepe bakery. Then I was a rider in a take-away pizzeria of the “Speedy Pizza” chain (which made me understand the strength of this kind of business); but my dream was to open a pizzeria and I succeeded 5 years ago. It is a small place of 35 square meters in a side street of Via del Baleniere in Ostia, with little parking space and ideal for delivery. I had immediate success even if it was not yet pandemic time. Now my desire is to open others and try to grow more and more professionally, even if I will never close this one! It’s my lucky charm.
Which is the most successful pizza among the ones you normally offer in your menu?
I offer both round pizzas and “pizza in pala” and besides the classics – which in my opinion are the best – such as Margherita, Zucchini blossoms and anchovies or Capricciosa, the most successful ones are Bronte (white base with pistachio pesto, salmon and pine nuts) and Fiori Review (white base with crispy bacon and a sprinkle of pecorino romano cheese). Customers’ favorite pizza is undoubtedly Quattro Formaggi Special (Fior di latte mozzarella, spicy gorgonzola, smoked provola cheese, grana padano and sweet and sour onion).
What is the best pizza you have ever tasted?
In my opinion pizza cannot be considered as more or less good, it only depends on the love you put into making it. The more love and passion involved in making pizza, the more the customer will appreciate it.
Besides pizza do you like to make any other products? Fried foods? Sweets? Bread?
So, initially I was a baker having worked inside a bakery for 3 years, but I wanted to specialize in pizza straight away. I’d like to start making bread again.
What is the ideal dough for your pizza?
I think the dough is the beating heart of any pizzeria. My ideal dough is a mixture of 3 types of flour: type 00, stone-ground flour type 1 and soy flour (it helps to “support” the disc of leavened dough while traveling inside the box), all Le 5 Stagioni products, of course. My dough has a hydration of 85% with a total maturation of 48 hours, 40 hours of which in mass at a controlled temperature while the other 8 in 200g loaves at room temperature, up to reach an ideal final temperature of 22 degrees.
About flour: do you usually use the same dough, the one you are most confident about, or do you like to take risks and try new mixes and solutions?
I’ m always looking for new challenges and goals, even in my work, where I always like to experiment, even if I try never to change the type of dough I use.
How would you define the profession of pizza making?
Our job doesn’t need to be defined: You either love what you do or you change job.
What qualities should the pizza maker have? List the first three that come to your mind.
Love, Perseverance and Passion.
How are you looking to improve your professional skills? Are you interested in training courses?
I’m always looking to improve myself, which is why I’ve taken many training courses until I became a Pizza maker Instructor. Nevertheless, I always try to learn from more experienced professionals so as to further enrich my background.
How is Covid-19 affecting your work?
Fortunately, from the beginning I have set up my business as a takeaway pizzeria, so I have not experienced the same problems that are facing my colleagues who have a restaurant, to which I feel very close. Actually, I believe food delivery will be the future, even when this pandemic will be over.
How did you organize the business given the increase in demand?
On Saturdays we have an average of about seventy deliveries, both round pizza and pizza in pala; during the week, about 35 pizzas in pala and 40 round pizzas per day; on Fridays and Sundays, 50 of each type. I have my own service of riders, six guys on the weekend and 3 fixed guys during the week. We serve the whole area within a five-kilometer range; we top it off with a Just Eat contract.
I can count on about 300 regular customers but many of them are just visiting. My dream is to be able to cuddle them all even more, one day, maybe opening a real pizzeria with tables, even if takeaway will always be in my heart and in my plans!
