Francis Tolu Wins 2026 Pizza Games Title After 25 Years in Freestyle Acrobatics

Q: Beyond the fiery acrobatics, what is the scientific secret to the champion's dough that keeps his family's pizzeria thriving?

The secret is long, cold fermentation: Tolu’s pizzeria prepares dough a day or more in advance and lets it rise slowly under refrigeration, a method that food science shows improves both flavor and texture. At Pizzeria Venezia, Tolu says part of his daily work is making “long-fermentation dough for the next day.” In practice, that usually means 24 to 72 hours of cold proofing, with many pizza professionals treating about 48 hours as a sweet spot. The low temperature slows the yeast, giving enzymes in the flour more time to break starches and proteins into sugars and amino acids. That slow biochemical process matters. It creates more complex flavor compounds, giving the crust a deeper, slightly tangy taste. It also strengthens and relaxes the gluten network at the same time, producing dough that stretches more easily, holds gas better, and bakes into an airy, open crumb rather than a dense base. The same process also improves browning. With more sugars and amino-acid byproducts available, the crust develops stronger Maillard reactions in the oven, which means better color and a richer baked flavor. There is also a practical advantage for a busy family pizzeria: cold-fermented dough is more consistent and often easier to digest because some gluten proteins and phytic acid are broken down over time. So beyond the spectacle of flaming dough tricks, the real engine of Tolu’s success is disciplined fermentation science.

Q: Does the spectacular, fire-filled dough performance actually make the pizza taste better, or is it simply a dazzling show?

No—the fire-filled dough routine is essentially showmanship, not a flavor booster. Tolu’s award-winning performances belong to pizza acrobatics, a competition judged on dexterity, difficulty, creativity, synchronization and minimizing drops. In that setting, the goal is visual impact and technical skill. The searched material also notes that acrobatic dough is often formulated for strength and durability rather than eating quality, with properties that help it survive tossing but do not improve taste. What actually makes pizza taste better is the dough-making process Tolu uses in the pizzeria, especially long fermentation. Slow, cold fermentation over 24 to 72 hours develops more flavor compounds, strengthens gluten, improves browning and creates a lighter, airier crumb. Those are the factors that affect the final eating quality of the crust. The theatrics can still matter in another way: they enhance the customer experience. A dramatic performance can make a meal more memorable and help define a restaurant’s identity. But that is different from changing the flavor of the pizza itself. So the evidence points to a clear distinction. Tolu’s spectacle is a dazzling craft and a major part of his fame, while the taste of the pizza depends on ingredients, fermentation, handling and baking—not on whether the dough was spun blindfolded or set alight.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 28

2026 world champion Francis Tolu says his freestyle pizza career now includes the masters acrobatics title at the World Pizza Games and four Pizza World Championship wins.
25 years after training with Italian acrobats and starting to compete in 1999, Tolu says he built a signature style around table work, blindfolded pizza-making and fire tricks.
At Pizzeria Venezia in Alginet, Spain, the family restaurant owned for 40 years, he still prepares long-fermentation dough, handles supplies and serves customers between competitions.
Six hours of sleep, morning gym sessions and three daily meals anchor a routine that Tolu says leaves little time to socialize beyond family and longtime customers.