Modena Pizzaiolo School

[james]

Here are some photos of the pizzaiolo school in Modena. The class had 12 students and 2 teachers, and they learned to cook in wood-fired and gas-fired dome ovens (FB Modena) along with a traditional deck oven (that did not get a lot of love). The man tossing the dough is the head of the school -- he was pretty darn good with a dough ball.

The last photo is of a pretty cool oven. It has a rotating hearth, and it can use either gas or wood for fuel. Loook closely and you can see both flames in the dome.

James

[DrakeRemoray]

Are they working on a granite countertop surface there?

Drake

[james]

Yes, I think so. What does that make you think? Different from marble?
James

[DrakeRemoray]

It just remided me of the countertop in that Youtube pizzaiolo video. It looks like the same surface. I have been forming pizzas on a wood cutting board. Perhaps I should just go straight on my counters...


Drake

[jjerrier]

Check out Throw Dough | The Official Stuff

It is simulated silicon pizza dough - I ordered a set so I can practice my dough skillz!!! They have a few video snippits. If I wasn't married I imagine this would be a great way to meet the ladies...fatty tossing dough!

We use granite counters at our pizzeria - but I trained on marble. I honestly don't know the difference - but the metal peel does slide very easily under the pizzas - even our giant ones.

It will be interesting when we get our commercial wood ovens in. I have always been a wood peel guy - I wonder if a metal peel will cause a few fumbles into a hot wood oven vs. our deck ovens today...

Jay

[james]

Thanks for that Jay. Very good! I am sure I will never learn to do that.

We are trying to get our hands on a training video our tools producer put together that shows some great dough throwing skills (and pizza peels techniques as well). If we can ever get the Italian mail to work, I will do that.

Drew, most pizzerias and professional pizzaiolos I have watched make their pizzas on a solid, cold surface, such as marble or granite. They bank up flour in one corner of the prep table, and pull it in as they need it. When the pizza is ready, they pull it onto a metal pizza peel (did you notice that the pizzaiolo school uses the same pizza peels that Forno Bravo sells?) trying to leave excess flour behind, then slide the pizza into the oven.

Give it a shot on your counters and see how it works for you. I would like to hear.
Jmes