3-Day Professional Pizza University Class

From Neapolitan-Style to Specialty Pizzas – Tradition and Innovation with Peter Reinhart and Scott Wiener

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Class Overview

Come join Peter Reinhart and Scott Wiener for a 3-day intensive class where each day will focus on a different category of pizza: Neapolitan and Neapolitanish, square and pan pizzas (al taglio), and specialty pizzas (calzones, alla pala, stuffed, stromboli, etc.). During the sessions, you will work in teams to prepare and present your creations to your fellow students and share comments and feedback, while making a selection of “tribute recipes” from Peter’s book, Pizza Quest: My Never-Ending Search for the Perfect Pizza, using four different doughs.

Meet The Instructors

Peter Reinhart

Peter Reinhart is an internationally known author, consultant, and a beloved teacher of bread and pizza. His books have won four James Beard Awards, including “Cookbook of the Year” for The Bread Baker’s Apprentice (2002), and his first pizza book, American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza (2003), is credited with helping to initiate the artisan pizza movement in America. He’s been on the faculty of Johnson & Wales University for the past 24 years, and for the five years before at The California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Peter and his wife, Susan, founded the acclaimed Brother Juniper’s Bakery and Cafe in 1986, in Sonoma County, CA, which led to 13 books, numerous television and radio appearances, a TED Talk and, for the past 12 years to his website and podcast series, Pizza Quest with Peter.

Peter has developed pizzas and other products for dozens of frozen food and baking companies, and he has served as consulting partner for two pizzerias in Charlotte, NC, where he is based. His two most recent books, Perfect Pan Pizza (2019), and Pizza Quest: My Never-Ending Search for the Perfect Pizza (2022), provide recipes for over 60 pizzas of every style.

As a self-declared “pizza omnivore”, Peter says: “All pizza is good, no matter what style or form it takes, but my quest is to uncover what separates good from great pizza. And by great, I mean memorable. It all begins with the crust and when pizza is crafted with a great, properly fermented crust, the possibility of greatness is there for the taking.” 

scott wiener instructor profile image

Scott Wiener

Calling Scott Wiener a professional pizza enthusiast would be a massive understatement. Since founding Scott’s Pizza Tours in 2008, he’s educated thousands of pizza lovers and professionals about NYC’s top pizzerias. He judges pizza culinary competitions, writes an award winning column for Pizza Today Magazine, and hosts Thrillist’s web series Really Dough (available on YouTube). Scott is the founder of Slice Out Hunger, a hunger relief nonprofit that supports hunger relief and prevention through pizza-related events and campaigns.


Although his pizza making is usually restricted to his popular online classes, he recently celebrated a victory on an episode of Hulu’s pizza competition show “Best In Dough.” As if that wasn’t enough pizza content for one human, he also holds the Guinness World Record for largest collection of pizza boxes with which he shares an apartment in Brooklyn, New York.

Class Curriculum

  • 8:00AM-8:30AM – Arrival at Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center – Light Breakfast
  • 8:30AM-9:00AM – Introduction by Pizza University Founder and CEO Francesco Marra
  • 9:00AM-10:30AM – Dough Mixing:
  • Neapolitan
  • NY
  • High-hydration pan dough
  • Sourdough
  • 10:30AM-12:00PM – Sauce preparation
  • Crushed tomato sauce
  • “Secret sauce” (aka “pickled pepper hoagie spread”)
  • Pesto Genovese
  • Pistachio pesto
  • 12:00PM-2:00PM – Pizza baking and working lunch:
  •  Classic Margherita
  •  The Monte Cristo (Paulie Gee)
  •  The Hellboy Slice Pizza (Mike Kurtz)
  •  Pistachio pesto Neapolitan (Grant Arons)
  • 2:00PM-2:30PM – Partner’s presentation
  • 2:30PM-3:30PM – Prep for day 2 (panning and mise en place)
  • 3:30PM-4:30PM – Lecture: “Dough Science and Fermentation”, by Peter Reinhart
  • 4:30PM – Q&A
  • 8:30AM-9:30AM – Meet at Marra Forni Elkridge Facility – Marra Forni Factory Tour
  • 9:30AM-10:00AM – Drive Back to Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center
  • 10:00AM-11:30AM – Partner’s presentation
  • 11:30AM-2:00PM – Pizza baking and working lunch:
  •  The Sicilian (Chris Decker)
  •  Parma Italian Square Pie (Jeff Smokevich)
  •  USA Pizza Cup Winner Square Pie with Bacon Jam (Derrick Tung)
  •  Rita Bella Pizza al Taglio (Dereck Sanchez)
  •  The Patty-Style Grandma Pizza (Audrey Kelly)
  •  Roman-Style alla Scarola Napoletana
  •  Chiava Romana (Massimiliano Saieva)
  • 2:00PM-3:00PM – Lecture: “The Pizza Landscape”, by Scott Wiener
  • 3:00PM-4:00PM – Prep and mise en place for day 3
  • 4:00PM – Q&A
  • 9:00AM-9:30AM – Arrival at Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center – Light Breakfast
  • 9:30AM-10:00AM – Recap
  • 10:00AM:10:30AM – Partner’s Presentation
  • 10:30AM-1:00PM – Pizza baking and working lunch:
  •  The Caputo Cup Championship White Sourdough Pizza (Will Grant)
  •  Summer Corn with Smoked Cheese (Dan Richer)
  •  The Concetta (Anthony Mangieri)
  •  Fried “Pantaloon Calzone” (John Arena)
  •  Zoli Stromboli (Lee Hunzinger)
  •  Tarte Flambée (Leo Spizzirri, Brian Spangler)
  •  The Ultimate White Pie with Garlic Confit (Nino and Shaelyn Coniglio)
  • 1:00PM-2:00PM – Sharing session: “My dream pizzeria”
  • 2:00PM-2:40PM – Lecture: “Oven Science: Wood-Burning, Gas, and Electric Ovens”, by Chef David Binkle
  • 2:40PM-3:30PM – Exam and Q&A
  • 3:30PM-4:00PM – Graduation and Certificate Presentation, Photos
  • 4:00PM-4:30PM – Interviews

You Will Receive

Pizza University Certificate

Chef Jacket and Apron

Networking Opportunities

Post-Class Support

Featured Podcast

Play Video

Scott Wiener and Peter Reinhart | PizzaChat

Pizza University brings you a sizzling discussion on Neapolitan pizza and specialty pizza styles with renowned experts Peter Reinhart and Scott Wiener.

Testimonials From Our Students

Play Video

Laura Hayes

“I’ve met a lot of talented people who will go on to do great things.”

Play Video

Omar Saleh

“Everyone in my class came with a passion for pizza and is leaving with an even greater passion!”

Previous Students In Action

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?

Sorry, this event is expired and no longer available.
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