Croatia has launched its first professional pizza-making school in Volme, Istria, featuring renowned world champion pizza masters as instructors.
The school specializes in teaching the art of preparing pizza, which is one of the most beloved dishes worldwide. While pizza requires just five basic ingredients—flour, water, yeast, oil, and salt—creating an exceptional Italian pizza involves much more.
“The quality of the flour is crucial,” said Graziano Bertuzzo, a master pizza maker with over 50 years of experience. “Many believe using ‘00’ flour is sufficient, but we need to consider the protein content carefully. It’s like buying a car; you pay attention to the engine’s power.”
Bertuzzo, who has made millions of pizzas, is part of the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli team, which is the first of its kind in Croatia and the 31st worldwide.
“The Croatian market is filled with Italian pizza masters who come here for the season,” said Enrico Bonardo, the school’s commercial director and marketing manager. “Our goal is to train Croatian pizzaiolos, passing on the best of Italian pizza in all its styles.”
The school teaches that pizza extends beyond the classic Neapolitan style, dividing it into two main categories: round and tray-baked, with numerous subtypes within each.
“They will specialize in various pizza styles,” noted Tiziano Defilippis, the school’s technical director. “We have different ovens with varying temperatures, which significantly affect the pizza styles.”
Gluten-free pizzas are gaining popularity, with Domenico Fasallo recently crowned world champion in this category. He explained, “The dough needs to be mixed less in the mixer—only for a few minutes—and finished by hand. Since gluten-free flour contains a lot of starch and sugar, we must prevent it from losing moisture. The more it’s kneaded, the stickier it becomes.”
The cooking method also impacts the final product. Even using an electric oven can make a difference. With this new school, anyone in Croatia can now learn the secrets of making the world’s most popular dish.
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