Being Incredible With World Pizza Champion Lee Hunzinger!
When you "talk pizza" with World Pizza Champion Lee Hunzinger, you are not getting textbook answers. You are getting decades of hands in dough, real world problem solving, and insight that only comes from doing it at the highest level. We sat down with Lee to talk ovens, trends, training, and what separates average shops from elite ones.
Why Modern Deck Ovens Are a Game Changer:
Lee immediately lit up when the conversation turned to oven technology and multi deck systems that allow different temperatures in the same footprint. He framed it by comparing today’s equipment to the old days. “Back then you only had two decks max per footprint. If you needed more ovens, you had to go wide. You couldn’t go up.”
In an industry where square footage is expensive, that limitation hurt. Vertical stacking changed everything. Temperature flexibility is the real power. Lee currently represents Pizza Master ovens and absolutely loves them! “We were handcuffed more or less. You set your oven and that was it. It took forever to heat up or change temps.” Now operators can run multiple styles at once and even experiment during service. “Guys that want to introduce new products, you’re able to R&D very quickly. You don’t have to set a day aside. You can do it during service.” And then Lee dropped what might be the most overlooked performance factor. Recovery time. “What’s your recovery time, bro? Do I have to wait five minutes between loading each pie or does that take thirty seconds?” That recharge speed determines how fast a shop can move during a rush without sacrificing quality.
Toppings Trending Across the Country:
Because Lee travels constantly, he sees trends forming before they hit everywhere else.
Premium finishing cheeses are big. “I see a lot of people using stracciatella or burrata. Not something you’re baking on the pie. You’re finishing the pie with it. I love the way it looks on the right saucy pie.” It delivers visual impact and a creamy, high end finish.
Sweet heat is also everywhere. “That hot honey sausage. I see a lot of people using it. It’s cupping sausage on there. It looks really good.” Bold flavor plus eye appeal equals menu winners.
A Next Level Pizza Class Built for Serious Operators:
Lee also talked about an upcoming advanced pizza class in San Antonio featuring Lee Hunzinger, Derek Sanchez, Tony Cerimele, and Brian Spangler. This is not a beginner seminar. “This is for people that have basic knowledge of pizza that really want to up their game.” Each instructor brings a different superpower. Brian Spangler brings encyclopedic baking knowledge and deep technical understanding. Derek Sanchez brings a research driven, science heavy approach to dough and process. Tony Cerimele, a Pizza Maker of the Year and Best of the Best winner, brings elite production experience. Lee brings decades of hands on dough work and real world shop systems.
And the biggest difference from many classes out there? Students actually do the work.
“These people are going to get their hands into it. They’re going to make mistakes. That’s how I learned.” Lee has seen too many classes where people watch champions perform but never touch the dough themselves. “I’ve had guys tell me they went to a class and learned so much. I put dough in front of them and they couldn’t roll a dough ball.”
This class is built around repetition, correction, and real muscle memory, with small student to instructor ratios.
Even Champions Have Go To Movies:
In between deep pizza talk, we asked Lee a fun one. Favorite movie of all time?
No hesitation. “My default always goes to Rocky II.” For Lee, it goes back to being a kid and loving the comeback story. The grit. The second chance. The win. He also has a modern classic always ready. “If The Dark Knight is on, I just throw the remote away. Doesn’t matter what part of the movie it is.” A champion mindset on screen and in the kitchen.
Consulting With Lee Hunzinger:
Lee consults with operators all over the country on menu development, production systems, training, and troubleshooting. He joked about how people reach him.
“I haven’t made it easy for people per se. I’ve just been busy working.” A dedicated site is coming, but for now: “Reach out to me through DM, email, my phone. I don’t hide my phone number. I always pick up.” The steady stream of referrals speaks for itself.
The Big Takeaway:
Great pizza today is not just about ingredients. It is about equipment performance, temperature control, recovery time, proper training, and constant evolution. Champions never stop learning. The shops that adopt that mindset are the ones that keep winning.
You can find Lee Hunzinger on Instagram @pizzalee33
