How I Took My Culinary Skills to a New Level with a Florence Pizza and Gelato Cooking Class

Luckily, all was revealed in a surprisingly informative and delightfully entertaining pizza and gelato cooking class I joined recently in the hills just outside of Florence. To be honest, I didn’t have very high hopes about taking away any practical information when I booked. I expected a lighthearted evening with just enough hands-on cooking to keep the group engaged but focused primarily on sampling these beloved Italian treats. Instead, there was the fun and feasting but also plenty of deep dives into the nuts and bolts of creating authentic gelato and Neapolitan pizza in any home kitchen—all against the backdrop of postcard-perfect Tuscan views. Though I can’t reproduce the panorama, I did come away with the techniques (and recipes) to wow my family on Sunday nights to come.

The tour began from a meeting point in the Santa Croce district of Florence, an excuse for me to take a few minutes to meander my way through the streets of this atmospheric neighborhood refreshingly removed from the central crush of tourists. I was happy that I’d chosen comfortable shoes, too, because once our mixed group of about 20 travelers from kids to retirees had assembled, we had another walk to reach the bus that would take us up to the cooking school in the hills above Florence. Thankfully the coach’s air conditioning perked everyone up—as we’d been slightly wilting from the July heat—and we were soon climbing past the stately villas and marble-clad churches that dot the hillsides surrounding Florence. We even passed Piazzale Michelangelo, one of the most famous overlooks outside the city (passengers on the right side of the bus caught the best views of Brunelleschi’s Dome as we drove by).

About 15 minutes later, the driver dropped us in the Tuscan hills and we followed our host and gelato instructor Gloria along a tree-lined lane and down a few flights of stone steps to the cooking school. Though it’s only a short drive from central Florence, the school seems worlds away from the city crowds and bustle with its terraced garden overlooking the countryside, vegetable patch bursting with summer bounty, and open-air dining and cooking spaces. We regrouped and broke the ice over a snack of fresh focaccia and glass of wine—the first of many during this evening of free-flowing wine and beer—while Gloria welcomed us. “We will be making pizza and gelato, but also talking about the importance of the quality of the ingredients and preparation techniques so you’ll be able to make authentic versions at home,” she promised. I couldn’t wait to get started.

I’d assumed that we’d, naturally, start with pizza and end with gelato, following the logical order in which we’d sample them. But gelato needs time to freeze, of course, so we kicked off with that. We tied on aprons (mine was covered in gelato spatterings and tomato sauce by the end of the night) and gathered in the spacious kitchen and Gloria took the group step-by-step through the gelato process, with a brief but in-depth explanation of the two types of gelato—water-based or dairy-based—and the ingredients and techniques that give Italian gelato its distinctive creamy texture. It turns out that mixing the liquid ingredients long enough to dissolve the sugar completely is how the magic happens. We were then divided into groups of two to four people (keeping couples and families together and forming larger groups with solo travelers) to choose a flavor and assemble the ingredients to pop into the freezer and cool. I was teamed up with a mom and two gelato-loving kids from Scotland and we settled on lemon sorbet. We squeezed and zested our fruit, carefully weighed water and sugar, and blended it into a smooth, sunny yellow mixture. Other options included pistachio or hazelnut, chocolate, coffee, and seasonal fruit flavors.

Once our gelato mixtures were labeled with our names and set aside, we moved outside to the pizza-making area near the wood-burning oven, where the brother-and-sister pizza chefs (and comedy duo) Arla and Tiziano took over. With lighthearted banter and plenty of props, they walked the group through how to prepare authentic pizza napolitana, from the ingredients and mixing techniques to kneading, 48 hours of rising, and legendary spinning toss. We soon discovered that what looked fairly straightforward in truth required quite a bit of practice and skill as we were set at individual stations and set to work. Handily, our instructors made their way through the tables, stopping to offer pointers and encouragement to each participant. “Remember, these balls of dough are like babies—you have to treat them right so they grow up happy!” Tiziano would reprimand us when we got a bit too enthusiastic in our kneading.

Once it was time for our dough to rest, we turned our attention back to gelato—the mixtures were now cold enough to pour into the gelato machines and begin the churning and freezing process. As they began their mechanical stirring, Gloria took out liquid nitrogen for a “gelato magic show”. With the help of an assistant from the group—and hilarious steampunk-style protective goggles—she instantly froze a batch of lemon, basil, and peppercorn gelato for us to snack on while we oohed and aahed at the special effects fog rolling off the liquid nitrogen cooling vat. And, voila, by the time that was done, our gelatos were ready to be stashed in the freezer once more.

After gathering around the pizza workspace again for a short explanation of the traditional toppings that make a pizza “napolitana”—from San Marzano tomatoes and fresh basil to fior di latte mozzarella—we took turns tossing and shaping the balls of dough that they’d prepared two days earlier so they could rise in time for our class. We coaxed the dough into flat discs and loaded them up with the spread of toppings Arla and Tiziano had prepared, including roasted Tropea red onions, Taggiasca olives from Liguria, roasted sweet peppers and diced red and yellow tomatoes from the school’s garden, marinated artichoke hearts, and Italian sausage. Each newly minted pizzaiolo (pizza chef) created a custom individual pizza, then watched as Tiziano expertly transferred it to the pizza paddle and slipped it in the wood-fired oven for the 90 seconds or so it needed to bake. Then, one by one, we carefully took our precious plated pizzas over to the terrace dining area to savor our handiwork as the sun began to set. My creation was piled high with veggies and was so divine that I almost forgot to admire the view.

While we ate, Gloria set up the gelato bar to one side of the terrace with our dozen or so flavors and a few accompanying gourmet toppings. We ended the evening with a gelato feast, savoring each flavor on its own or adding delicacies like aged balsamic vinegar, liqueur-soaked raisins, chocolate chips or chopped nuts, and even salt flakes and cracked pepper. We were encouraged to go back for seconds and thirds, and … well, let’s just say that I didn’t hold back. My lemon sorbet was excellent, but pistachio was the overall favorite and star of the night. Sated with pizza, gelato, and endless glasses of wine, we picked up our souvenir certificates; snapped photos with Gloria, Arla, and Tiziano; and slowly made our way back up the steps and down the lane to the bus for the return ride (the left-side seats got a bird’s-eye view over Florence by night).

Though our 5-hour cooking class focused on just two dishes, the evening was action-packed and the instructors were high-energy and engaging from start to finish so there was never a lull. They’d memorized everyone’s name minutes into the class, made sure both kids and adults got plenty of hands-on guidance, and were happy to dive deep into the techniques and recipes for the more seasoned home cooks in the group. By the time we sat down to enjoy our dinner, the terrace was ringing with laughter and conversation as travelers from around the world bonded over a shared love of pizza and gelato. As we said our goodbyes, Gloria promised to email us the recipes from the evening, and I’m certainly looking forward to putting my new skills to the test the minute they hit my inbox—or, at the very least, the following Sunday.

This tour was provided courtesy of Viator.