Franco Pepe -Pizza Lesson Verace - Dolce & Salato Cooking School (Ce)

Franco Pepe

I’ve been writing a lot about pizza over the last few months.  Writing…and eating.  Eating … and learning.  Learning about how the quality of the products used in making my pizza are very important.  From the tomatoes used for the sauce, to the cheese placed on top.  The olive oil, the basil, and everything else that makes a good topping.  The materie prime…

But I also heard about how important the dough is.  How it can make or break the perfect pizza.  I heard…but I wanted to see.  I wanted to see what a pizzaiolo goes through day after day to give his  customers, friends, amici the best product possible.  My opportunity arose (no pun intended) when the Dolce & Salato Cooking School headed by Chef GiuseppeDaddio decided to schedule a three day pizza making course.  Daddio called up his good friend Franco Pepe to demonstrate to a group of pizza lovers/pizza makers how he makes his pizza dough by hand.  I stopped by  for a look up close and personal and picked up a few of his (not so ) secrets.  

The right flour…right amount water…salt…touch of yeast.  And even more importantly…the right amount of leavening time.  And when the time was right…outside to the oven!  Daddio had placed a wood burning oven outside next to the cooking school’s parking lot.  Pepe  demonstrated how to place the toppings…how to place it in the oven…turn it…and 60-90 seconds later…take it out.  Pizza margherita…marinara…al bianco…calzone…

There was no  need to demonstrate how to eat and have a good time!  

Italian Version