3-Day Intensive Professional Class
Four Signature Styles in Three Days with Pizza Champions Leah Scurto and Laura Meyer
- September 24-26, 2024
- 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (Eastern Time)
- 10310 Southard Drive, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, United States
Class Overview
In this 3-day intensive hands-on class you will learn the techniques needed to properly execute NY, Detroit, Grandma, and Sicilian style pizzas. Pizza Chefs Leah Scurto and Laura Meyer will cover the dough-making process for both direct method and indirect method made with a poolish. You will gain hands-on experience for handling 2 different styles of pizza dough; an artisanal New York style and a higher hydration dough that is versatile for pan style pizzas. Our instructors will discuss the cheese and sauce options to use for all 4 styles and demonstrate how to hand pull mozzarella and burrata.
Meet The Instructors
Leah Scurto
Leah Scurto owns, operates, and is the head pizzaiola at Pizzaleah in Northern California. She first started making pizzas in 1997 and spent years honing her skills working in a small Bay Area pizza chain called Pizza My Heart. In mid 2018 Leah branched out on her own and began the process of creating Pizzaleah. Since opening in March 2020 Pizzaleah has been included multiple times on the San Francisco Chronicle’s list of the 25 Top Restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area. Leah has competed in pizza competitions across the United States and Italy. She is 5-time pizza champion and in 2022 she was featured on Hulu’s original show Best in Dough. In 2021 she was recognized as one of Pizza Today Magazine’s Rising Stars of the pizza industry. Leah has also had the honor of judging both international pizza and beer competitions.
Laura Meyer
Born and raised in Hayward, California, Laura Meyer’s first job was working at Pyzano’s Pizza, her local pizzeria. At just 17 years old, the pizzeria was where Laura met her mentor, Tony Gemignani, and her career as a pizzaiola began. After high school, Laura went to earn her Bachelor’s Degree, when she discovered her passion for culture and food while studying abroad in Italy. Upon graduating, Laura moved to San Francisco to take the helm at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana as kitchen manager alongside Tony himself. With Tony, Laura honed her skills in fermentation and perfecting more than 10 regional styles of pizza.
In 2013, Laura took her competitive spirit back to Italy where she won first place in her first competition in Parma, Italy, becoming the first woman and first American to win the Pizza in Teglia category. The following year, she won Best Non-Traditional Pizza at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. In 2019, she won first place at the Caputo Cup in Naples, Italy for Best American-Style Pizza, once again becoming the first—this time winning in a newly created category in one of Italy’s oldest pizza competitions.
Throughout her tenure at Tony’s, Laura’s rising success earned her recognition as SF Chronicle’s Rising Star Chef, an Eater Young Gun, and one of Zagat’s 30 Under 30, and was named Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2016.
Amid the pandemic, Laura dipped her toes into the waters of entrepreneurship, opening Focaccia da Laura, a focaccia pop-up. Given the success and prospects of Focaccia da Laura, Laura made the decision to depart Tony’s wing after nearly 20 years to open Pizzeria da Laura in Berkeley, California.
Class Curriculum
8:30AM – Arrival at Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center – Light Breakfast
9:00AM – Introduction by Pizza University Founder and CEO Francesco Marra
9:30AM – Start Theory, Dough Chemistry
10:00AM – Dough Mixing (Pizza Napoletana)
11:00AM – Dough Stretching
12:00PM – Pizza Baking and Working Lunch
1:00PM – Dough Mixing (Neo-Neapolitan)
2:30PM – Understanding and Selecting Equipment
3:00PM – Partner Presentation
3:30PM – Q&A
8:30AM – Meet at Marra Forni Elkridge Facility – Marra Forni Factory Tour
9:30AM – Drive Back to Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center
10:00AM – Recap
10:30AM – Partner Presentation
12:00PM – Pizza Baking and Working Lunch
1:00PM – Theory and Dough Chemistry
2:00PM – Pizza Baking and Dough Evaluation
3:00PM – Dough Mixing ((NY-Style)
4:00PM – Q&A
9:00AM – Arrival at Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center – Light Breakfast
9:30AM – Recap
10:00AM – Dough Theory and Dough Chemistry
12:00PM – Pizza Baking and Working Lunch
1:00PM – Partner Presentation
1:30PM – Dough Stretching
2:00PM – Exam and Q&A
2:45PM – Interviews
3:15PM – Graduation and Certificate Presentation, Photos
You Will Receive
Pizza University Certificate
Chef Jacket and Apron
Networking Opportunities
Post-Class Support
Testimonials From Our Students
Laura Hayes
“I’ve met a lot of talented people who will go on to do great things.”
Omar Saleh
“Everyone in my class came with a passion for pizza and is leaving with an even greater passion!”
Frequently Asked Questions
Pizza University & Culinary Arts is located at 10310-A Southard Drive, Beltsville, MD 20705.
Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI)
Distance from Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center: 22 Miles
Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA)
Distance from Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center: 30 Miles
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Distance from Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center: 40 Miles
Please check our Terms & Conditions, including our cancelation and refund policy.
We will provide our students with a chef jacket, an apron, a binder with course-related material, and blank sheets of paper and a pen to take notes.
Feel free to wear something comfortable. Closed-toe shoes are recommended.
Please email info@pizzauniversity.org to receive hotel information.
Where Are We Located?
Lowell Taylor2023-08-23PHENOMINAL
Jennifer Mannelli2023-07-30
Emily Lucio2023-07-30This was so much fun. Highly recommend for a group
Mark Brown2023-07-18I just finished Pizza University's 3-Day Intensive class “Bridging the World of Pizza from Italy to New York” taught by Maestro Leo Spizzirri, and it was truly something! The facility itself is top-notch, featuring a variety of high-end pizza ovens from Marra Forni, excellent kitchen space, an excellent support staff and all the pizza making materials you could ask for. Most of the students in my class were professional chefs and restaurant owners, but there were also a number of home cooks looking to up their pizza game. We also had a series of presentations and samplings from purveyors of pizza ingredients including manufacturers and importers of flours, tomato products, cheeses, and vinegars. It was something to sample half a dozen mozzarellas, several different ricottas, and a taste flight of more than a dozen Italian imported vinegars! But for me the real highlight was Master Pizzaiolo Chef Leo himself. He says if you were to cut him he'd bleed tomato sauce and mozzarella, and I believe it. He has a huge wealth of experience making pizza, and he really is great at explaining it -- he really wants you as his student to understand the fine details of the art of pizza making. We spent much of the three days just learning about how different flours, dough recipes and ingredients, oven temperatures, and dough mixing and handling techniques all come together to form a unique finished product. This course was pretty intense, but I'd highly recommend it to anyone who is seriously interested in pizza!
Cayton Flippen2023-07-12Great experience and learned so much from Chef Leo to open the pizza shop the best way I know how! The learning of dough has been great!
David Elo2023-06-19Great class, had tons of fun learning and refining my skills.
Lexington Vazquez2023-06-17So much in 3days but the way things are planned it's not overwhelming. Good team to help you and super informative for anyone who wants to learn about pizza or be in the business. Staff is also amazing super helpful, very informative. Looking to be back soon!
Jamie Twing2023-06-15What an incredible experience!!!! We just got back from such a fun and educational day battling coworkers during Pizza Wars! Great to see how far our skills improved over time. Chef Dave and the team were absolutely incredible. My entire team was sooo thankful and appreciative for the opportunity! Would love to visit again! Absolutely recommend!
ray N2023-06-14Great experience with a knowledgeable chef and staff at Marra Forni.
Grace Gilbertson2023-05-12What a fabulous educational experience! All 3 days were packed with information any pizza maker can use to start their journey or hone their existing crust.