Wood Fired Pizza Class

This hands-on class focuses on the fundamentals of wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pizza, from dough formulation through baking in a live wood-fired oven. We’ll work through the entire process step by step, emphasizing technique, repeatability, and understanding why things work.

The class begins with dough: flour types, baker’s percentages, hydration, yeast levels, salt, and desired dough temperature. We’ll discuss mixing methods, dough maturation, and how fermentation affects flavor, digestibility, and oven performance. Students will learn how to portion and shape dough balls, relax the gluten, and form pizza disks while protecting the cornicione.

From there, we move to oven work. You’ll learn how a wood-fired oven functions, how to build and manage a fire, identify temperature zones, and prepare the deck for service. We’ll cover peel handling, launching, turning, and pulling pizzas, along with common mistakes and how to correct them.

Topping strategy is intentionally simple: sauce, cheese, and restraint. We’ll discuss ingredient selection, when toppings go on before or after the bake, and how high heat changes timing and balance.

This class is designed for serious home cooks, aspiring pizzaioli, and anyone who wants a deeper technical understanding of pizza—whether you’re working with a backyard oven, a restaurant oven, or adapting techniques for home use.

About the instructor:
Michael McGrath has taught wood-fired pizza and Italian cooking techniques for over a decade, with a focus on traditional methods, ingredient science, and practical execution. His classes emphasize clarity, hands-on practice, and skills you can actually use.

Location: Il Pizzaiolo, 230 S Auburn St, Colfax, CA.

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