VOX dispatches Lafer and Henssler to the pizza championship, yet they miserably falter

VOX dispatches Lafer and Henssler to the pizza championship, yet they miserably falter - commentators outraged: "It's revolting!"

In the bustling city of Parma, Italy, two German TV cooking legends, Johann Lafer and Steffen Henssler, have made a splash at the Pizza World Championship as part of the new VOX format, "Borderless Genially Cooked."

The duo, known for their contrasting styles, approached the competition with a shared goal: to win the championship. As Henssler put it, "The road trip ends at the WM. With the title. Period."

For Henssler, known for his spontaneity and emotional outbursts, the competition was a chance to experiment with various pizza toppings, including Arrabbiata, smoked flavor, onions, and garlic. His solo entry in the pan pizza category, adorned with potato slices, raw salmon, and fried arugula in Italian colors, earned him the fourth place and the official title of the best German pizza baker at WM 2025.

Lafer, on the other hand, struggled with the stove during his solo competition but ended up happy with the result. He ranked 184th in his class among 353 participants, a result that left him somewhat disappointed but glad he participated in the competition.

The German duo also presented an extremely eccentric idea in one of the competitions: they wanted to bring an Italian Spaghetti classic to dough with "Pizza Carbonara." However, their "Pizza Carbona" experiment resulted in a ranking of 89th out of 90 participants, a setback they took in stride.

Di Lella, an expert in the competition, advised Henssler to be careful with the amount of olive oil and extra flour in his pizza. Despite the criticism, Henssler continued to take advice from everyone but did things his own way.

During their time in Parma, Henssler and Lafer visited various locations to taste local foods, such as Balsamic and Parmesan, and inspected Massimo Spigaroli's ham cellar, where 5,000 Culatello hang in ham nets.

Lafer's teammate in the show, Cornelia Poletto, was a source of support and guidance throughout the competition. The new format, "Borderless Genially Cooked," resembles "Roadtrip America" and "Gordon Ramsay's culinary road trip," providing a unique and exciting backdrop for the competition.

As the championship comes to a close, Henssler and Lafer continue to push the boundaries of creative pizza-making, striving to achieve their shared goal and cement their place as the "World Champions of Creative Pizza."