Something new is happening on the Gold Coast this October, and if you love real pizza, the kind made with organic sourdough, stretched by hand, and baked live right in front of you, you're going to want to know about it.
The Sourdough Science Academy is launching its very first Pop-Up Sourdough Pizza Night, and it's happening at Funny Bone Coffee in Helensvale on Friday, 2 October 2026. Doors open at 5:00 PM. The last pizza comes out at 7:30 PM. There are 50 pre-order spots available, and once they're gone, they're gone.
This isn't a restaurant. It's not a pizza chain. It's Chef Roberto Giammellucca, the founder of Australia's highest-rated sourdough workshop, with 400+ five-star Google reviews and 3,000+ students taught, setting up in a local café and making authentic Italian sourdough pizza fresh for the community, one batch at a time.
Here's everything you need to know before you pre-order your spot.
What Is a Sourdough Pop-Up Pizza Night?
A pop-up pizza night is exactly what it sounds like: a one-night-only pizza event in a venue that doesn't normally serve pizza, with a chef who brings everything, the dough, the technique, the ingredients, and creates the whole experience on the spot.
What makes this one different is the sourdough.
Every pizza Roberto makes starts with an organic sourdough base that has been through long fermentation. Not a quick commercial dough knocked together a few hours before service. A properly fermented, organic sourdough base that is lighter, more digestible, and far more flavourful than anything you'll get from a standard pizza chain or a frozen base from the supermarket.
Roberto has been teaching the science of sourdough fermentation since September 2021. He knows exactly what happens to wheat dough when it ferments slowly, how the wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria work together, how the gluten structure changes, and why the result tastes and feels so different to commercial pizza. And on 2 October, he's bringing all of that knowledge to Funny Bone Coffee in Helensvale and putting it on a plate for the Gold Coast community.
Event Details at a Glance
• Date: Friday 2 October 2026
• Time: 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
• Venue: Funny Bone Coffee, 6 Emerald Dr, Helensvale QLD 4212
• Format: Pre-order your pizza online, collect it fresh on the night
• Spots: 50 pre-order pizzas available
• Drinks: Available directly from Funny Bone Coffee (beer, wine, coffee)
• Seating: Poolside area at Funny Bone Coffee, enjoy on-site or take home in a box
Pre-orders are placed online through the pizza night page before the event. On the night, you arrive near your chosen 15-minute time slot, give Shelley your order number and name, and Roberto stretches, tops, and bakes your pizza fresh. You get it hot, in a box, ready to enjoy poolside or take home.
The Menu: What Pizzas Are Available?
Roberto has put together a menu of six sourdough pizzas for the night, each available in your choice of Roman or Neapolitan style. Here's what's on offer:
Margherita, $26 AUD ⭐ Classic Favourite
100% naturally fermented organic sourdough base, vibrant Italian tomato sauce, and creamy fior di latte mozzarella. The one that lets the sourdough speak for itself. If you've never had a Margherita made with a properly fermented sourdough base, this is the one to start with.
Prosciutto, $33 AUD
Tomato base, fior di latte mozzarella, delicate slices of authentic Italian prosciutto crudo, and peppery fresh rocket. A classic Italian combination that works every time. The prosciutto goes on after baking, the way it's done in Italy.
Truffle Mushroom, $30 AUD ⭐ Chef Roberto's Pick
White cheese base, melted fior di latte mozzarella, sliced sautéed mushrooms, dried wild oregano, and aromatic Tuscan truffle oil. This is Roberto's personal pick for the night, and if you know anything about his love of premium Italian ingredients, that tells you everything you need to know.
Hawaiian, $26 AUD
Artisan organic sourdough with tomato base, fior di latte mozzarella, tender shaved smoked ham, and sweet pineapple. The most debated pizza in history, made the way it deserves to be made, on a base that actually has flavour of its own.
Meat Lover, $30 AUD
Rich tomato base, melted fior di latte mozzarella, savoury artisanal pepperoni cups, and delicate shaved smoked ham. For the table that wants something serious.
Garlic Focaccia, $25 AUD
A thick, dimpled sourdough focaccia-style slab baked golden with fragrant garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil. Not a pizza in the traditional sense, this is an authentic sourdough slab that Roberto bakes as a side or a starter. Perfect for sharing.
All pizzas are available in Roman or Neapolitan style. Roman style gives you a thinner, crispier rectangular base. Neapolitan style gives you the classic round, with a puffy, charred cornicione (crust edge). Both use the same organic sourdough base, the difference is in the shaping and the bake.
Roman vs Neapolitan: Which Style Should You Choose?
This is one of the most common questions people have when they see both options available, so here's a quick guide:
Roman Style
• Rectangular shape
• Thinner and crispier base
• Lighter on toppings, the dough is the star
• Traditionally eaten al taglio (by the slice)
• Good choice if you want to try more than one pizza
Neapolitan Style
• Round shape with a pronounced puffy crust edge (cornicione)
• Softer, chewier centre with a slightly charred base
• More generous with toppings
• The classic Italian pizza experience
• Good choice if you want the full traditional pizza night feel
Not sure? Go Neapolitan for your first. If you're ordering a second pizza to share or want something lighter alongside a main, the Roman style is a great call.
How to Collect Your Pizza on the Night
The collection process is designed to be smooth and quick so every pizza arrives hot. Here's how it works:
Step 1, Arrive Near Your Time Slot
Head to the poolside area at Funny Bone Coffee, 6 Emerald Dr, Helensvale QLD 4212, around your chosen 15-minute slot. You'll select your preferred time window when you pre-order online.
Step 2, Show Your Order Number and Name
Tell Shelley your order number and name from your booking. She queues your ticket instantly and Roberto starts on your pizza.
Step 3, Receive Your Pizza Fresh
Roberto stretches, tops, and bakes your pizza fresh. Shelley hands it to you hot in a takeaway box. You can enjoy it poolside at Funny Bone Coffee or take it home, it's yours.
Drinks, beer, wine, coffee, and other beverages, are purchased directly from Funny Bone Coffee. Pizza and drinks are separate businesses on the night, so you'll pay for your pizza through the pre-order system and buy drinks directly at the café.
Want to Keep the Oven On? The Community Contribution
When you pre-order, you'll see an optional $2 "Keep the Oven On" community contribution. Adding this $2 helps The Sourdough Science Academy run more live, small-batch pizza nights across the Gold Coast community in the future.
It's completely optional and non-charitable, and it doesn't consume any of the 50 pizza spots. It's simply a way to vote with your wallet for more nights like this one.
If this pilot event performs well, Roberto plans to continue running Pizza Nights and expand them into other locations across the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Your $2, and your pre-order, helps make that happen.
Why Sourdough Pizza Is Different From Regular Pizza
Most people who haven't tried properly fermented sourdough pizza assume it's just pizza with a different name. It's not.
Standard pizza dough uses commercial yeast and a short rise time, sometimes as little as a few hours. The dough develops some flavour and structure, but the fermentation process is rushed, and the result is a base that is dense, heavy, and often sits uncomfortably in your stomach after eating.
Sourdough pizza dough is different in three key ways:
1. Fermentation Time
Roberto's sourdough pizza bases go through long, slow fermentation using wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria from a naturally maintained sourdough culture. This extended fermentation develops complex flavour compounds that you simply cannot replicate with commercial yeast in a short window.
2. Gluten Structure
Long fermentation changes the gluten network in the dough. Laboratory testing of bread made using The Sourdough Science Academy's method showed almost 40% less gluten compared with the yeasted bread used in that test. Many people who normally experience discomfort with conventional bread or pizza report being able to enjoy properly fermented sourdough without the same problems. Important note: these products still contain gluten from wheat flour and are not suitable for people with coeliac disease.
3. Flavour
A properly fermented sourdough base has a mild, complex tang from the lactic acid produced during fermentation. It tastes like something. Not just a vehicle for toppings, an actual ingredient in its own right. When Roberto tops a Margherita with vibrant Italian tomato sauce and fior di latte mozzarella, the base underneath is contributing flavour to every bite.
About Chef Roberto Giammellucca
Roberto Giammellucca is the founder and CEO of The Sourdough Science Academy, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland. A qualified Italian Pizzaiolo and baker trained through TAFE Queensland Brisbane, Roberto has spent the past five years teaching hands-on sourdough workshops to more than 3,000 students across Gold Coast and Brisbane.
The Sourdough Science Academy is Australia's highest-rated sourdough workshop, with more than 400 five-star Google reviews. Roberto's mission, to inspire one million Australians to bake sourdough from scratch, is built on the belief that good bread shouldn't require a day off work, and that understanding the science of fermentation changes the way people relate to food.
His signature 2-Hour Sourdough Method™ has become the foundation of everything the academy teaches: a controlled, repeatable process where water temperature, dough temperature, and cold fermentation work together to make sourdough predictable and achievable for anyone.
The Pop-Up Pizza Night is Roberto taking that same philosophy out of the classroom and into the community, bringing authentic Italian sourdough pizza directly to Gold Coast locals at a relaxed Friday evening event.
Allergen Information
All pizzas at the Pop-Up Sourdough Pizza Night are prepared with 100% certified organic wheat flour and contain gluten. They are not suitable for individuals with coeliac disease.
If you have other dietary requirements or allergen concerns, please contact The Sourdough Science Academy before placing your pre-order at [email protected] or via WhatsApp at +61 492 936 808.
How to Pre-Order Your Pizza
Pre-orders are placed online through the pizza night page at thesourdoughscience.com/pizza-night/. Select your pizza, choose Roman or Neapolitan style, pick your 15-minute collection time window, and complete your order. You'll receive your order number by email, bring it with you on the night.
There are 50 pre-order spots available for the evening. Once they're sold, no further orders will be taken. If you want to be there on 2 October, pre-order as soon as possible.
Key Takeaways
• The Pop-Up Sourdough Pizza Night is on Friday 2 October 2026, 5:00–7:30 PM at Funny Bone Coffee, 6 Emerald Dr, Helensvale QLD 4212
• 50 pre-order pizza spots available, pre-order at thesourdoughscience.com/pizza-night/
• Six pizzas on the menu from $25–$33 AUD, in Roman or Neapolitan style
• Every base is made from 100% organic sourdough using long fermentation
• Led by Chef Roberto Giammellucca, qualified Italian Pizzaiolo and founder of Australia's highest-rated sourdough workshop
• Drinks available directly from Funny Bone Coffee
• Contains gluten, not suitable for people with coeliac disease
• Optional $2 community contribution to help bring more pizza nights to the Gold Coast
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need to book in advance?
Yes. All pizzas are pre-ordered online before the event at thesourdoughscience.com/pizza-night/. There are only 50 spots available for the night. Walk-ins are not available.
- What time should I arrive?
Arrive near your chosen 15-minute collection time slot. You'll select this window when you pre-order online. Head to the poolside area at Funny Bone Coffee and look for Shelley.
- Can I eat there or do I have to take it away?
Both. You can enjoy your pizza poolside at Funny Bone Coffee or take it home in the takeaway box. Either way, your pizza is handed to you fresh and hot.
- Are drinks included?
No, drinks are purchased separately and directly from Funny Bone Coffee. Beer, wine, coffee, and other beverages are available on the night from the café.
- Is the pizza suitable for people with gluten intolerance?
The sourdough bases are made using long fermentation, and laboratory testing of bread made using The Sourdough Science Academy's method showed almost 40% less gluten than the yeasted bread used in that test. Many people with gluten sensitivity report tolerating properly fermented sourdough better than conventional bread or pizza. However, these products contain gluten from certified organic wheat flour and are not suitable for people with coeliac disease.
- What if I can't make it on the night after pre-ordering?
Contact The Sourdough Science Academy at [email protected] or WhatsApp +61 492 936 808 as soon as possible if your plans change.
- Will there be more Pizza Nights after this one?
This is the first event. If it performs well, Roberto plans to continue running Pop-Up Pizza Nights and expand them to other locations across the Gold Coast and Brisbane. The optional $2 "Keep the Oven On" contribution when you order helps make future events possible.
- Where exactly is Funny Bone Coffee?
Funny Bone Coffee is located at 6 Emerald Dr, Helensvale, QLD 4212. The pizza night is set up in the poolside area.
🍕 Pre-order now at thesourdoughscience.com/pizza-night/
50 spots only. Friday, 2 October 2026. Funny Bone Coffee, Helensvale.
Originally published on: https://thesourdoughscience.com/sourdough-pop-up-pizza-night-in-helensvale-what-to-expect-on-2-october/
