A little slice of Italy lands in Benoni

A pizza shop tucked into a Benoni side street is serving up more than just food - it's recreating a dream inspired by a taste of Italy, right down to the flour, oven and craft.

Owner of Pizzeria Sogno di Napoli, Bálint Lados, and his uncle and business partner, Attila Gencsi, visited Naples in 2023 while on a trip to Italy.

What they experienced there - simple, top-quality pizza at affordable prices - stayed with them.

"We said why not try to recreate that here. The whole vibe and environment. A little shop with pictures and flags on white walls, very busy and everything is fresh and affordable."

They didn't stop at inspiration. Determined to bring authenticity to Benoni, Bálint sourced Italian flour through local suppliers, secured a wood-fired oven that reaches the 500°C mark required for real Neapolitan pizza, and flew in an expert to teach them traditional methods.

"The last time my uncle and I visited Hungary, we visited Naples as well," he said. "The food there was something else - fresh, top quality and very cheap.  When we came back, we said we need to try something similar here."

After months of market research and visiting pizzerias across Gauteng and Pretoria, they noticed a gap. "We found one or two pizza shops that came close to Naples-style pizza, but nothing that captured the authentic taste."

To bring their vision to life with a Hungarian touch, Bálint turned to an expert with deep knowledge of traditional techniques.

Stella Muntyan - the first Hungarian pizzaiola placed third to earn top-three finish at the Campionata Mondiale PizzaDoc World Championship, Italy in the Pizza Gourmet category -  brought her passion and mastery to Benoni, dedicating two weeks to train Bálint and local chef Morris Ndlovu in the delicate art of dough making and high-hydration fermentation.

"It's not easy to open an authentic Neapolitan pizzeria here," she said. "You need the right flour, cheese and the oven - 500 degrees. It's very specific but when you do it right, the dough is light, and not as harsh on your digestive system."

Stella emphasises that long fermentation breaks down gluten and natural sugars, a painstaking process that not only develops complex flavours but also makes the pizza gentler on digestion -  a true Neapolitan craft.

On Thursday, she flew back to Hungary but not before officially testing her students on their own skills.

"When someone wants to learn it is a pleasure to teach, " she said. "Morris, for example, is very good. I don't need to tell him what I need help with - he sees. 

"That is very unusual, you can be the best teacher in the world but if someone does not want to receive, it won't work. He wants to learn."

The shop hasn't officially opened but already customers are trickling in. During the Saturday Star's interview with the team, a customer walked in to find out more about the place.

"I am definitely bringing my fiancé here. Not many places do authentic Italian pizza. I will full-heartedly support you. Best of luck," he said.

The menu is simple, just a few pizzas but made with care.

The Saturday Star tried the signature Margherita and another Favorita di Maradona - made with mozzarella, parma ham, walnuts and marmalade jam - which was fresh from the oven, light and tasty.

"Most pizza places, especially the food chains, use pre-made frozen dough. We don't do that. We ferment our dough for 24 to 48 hours. It takes patience and we make it fresh out the oven," said Bálint.