Pizzaiolo Stories

THIS IS WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

First Pizza University Opens up in DC Metro Area

Are you ready to take dinner back to school? There is a new education system opening in Maryland where the main course of study is pizza. Pizza University was created with one thought in mind.

Pizza University Solving America’s Pizzaiolo Shortage

In America, pizza is one of the highest-grossing segments within the fast-casual market. The demand for made-your-way-in-less-than-a-minute-pizza is steadily increasing.

You Can Finally Major in Pizza at Maryland’s Newest Cooking School

Pizza University in Beltsville is here to solve America's pizzaiolo shortage. Francesco Marra doesn’t think enough Americans know how to really make pizza

Explore Professional Pizza Classes

Ignite your passion for pizza-making! Learn crafting techniques dough secrets, and sauce recipes from world-class pizzaiolos.

Testimonials

Lowell Taylor
Lowell Taylor
2023-08-23
PHENOMINAL
Jennifer Mannelli
Jennifer Mannelli
2023-07-30
Emily Lucio
Emily Lucio
2023-07-30
This was so much fun. Highly recommend for a group
Mark Brown
Mark Brown
2023-07-18
I 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 Flippen
Cayton Flippen
2023-07-12
Great 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 Elo
David Elo
2023-06-19
Great class, had tons of fun learning and refining my skills.
Lexington Vazquez
Lexington Vazquez
2023-06-17
So 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 Twing
Jamie Twing
2023-06-15
What 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 N
ray N
2023-06-14
Great experience with a knowledgeable chef and staff at Marra Forni.
Grace Gilbertson
Grace Gilbertson
2023-05-12
What 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.