Pizza & Gelato Making Class in Florence

Italy is synonymous with pizza and gelato. My family did our fair share of eating both on our recent trip to Italy!

But we also took a stab at making these infamous Italian dishes.

When planning our trip to Italy, at the top of my must-do list was the Pizza & Gelato Making Class through Florencetown.

I had my first experience with Florencetown on my first trip to Italy. We were whisked away to a villa in the Tuscan countryside and taught the art of making wine and olive oil. We were also treated to a delicious multi-course Italian feast. This experience was a highlight of our trip that we fondly remember to this day!

With my teen daughters along on this trip to Italy, I knew Florencetown’s Pizza & Gelato Making Class would be the perfect hands-on experience!

Pizza Making

After meeting our other classmates and our instructor in the city center, we walked a short distance to the Diadema Cooking School where our class would be held.

It was time to get our hands dirty…or rather doughy!

First, our chef instructor, Martina, informed us of the simple yet high-quality ingredients required to make our pizza dough. She then demonstrated how to mix the ingredients in order to create the perfect dough.Taking her directions to heart, each person in the class carefully mixed yeast water and flour to craft their own ball of pizza dough.

Again after watching the instructor artfully fold, flip, and flatten the dough as if it was second nature to her, we did our best to mold our own dough into the ideal foundation for the toppings to come.Martina happily gave us tips along the way, repeating instructions and encouraging our newfound culinary skills.

We then slathered on the sauce and loaded on the cheese before selecting just the right toppings to please our individual palates. I opted for spicy salami (or what in America we call pepperoni), onions, and a few fresh tomatoes. YUM!

Our pizzas were then whisked away to the oven as our mouths watered in anticipation of biting into our culinary creations.

Gelato Making

I was glad I had done research on gelato prior to our trip to Italy, as it came in handy in this class. My daughters and I already knew a bit about the ingredients and what constitutes good, authentic gelato. And it was fun to watch the process in action!

Making the gelato was a bit less hands-on than the pizza making. The class members gathered around as our teacher quizzed us on the fine art of making authentic Italian gelato, and we did our best to impress her with our gelato knowledge.

A few classmates took turns mixing and stirring as we collectively created a chocolaty batch of tasty gelato from the finest ingredients.

We contemplated whether or not we could reproduce this frozen concoction at home.

Then we got to the step where the sweet mixture was poured into a $1200 machine that ensured it was mixed to the perfect consistency and kept at just the right temperature.

We all agreed it was best to leave gelato making to the true experts! And that meant we would have to come back to Italy someday for more authentic gelato.

Time to Eat

Once the hard work (which was actually quite fun!) was done, it was time to taste our culinary concoctions. We each dug into our personal pizza, and all modesty aside, I must say it was quite good!

The girls sipped on sodas as I enjoyed some fine Italian wine. And we toasted to a very memorable experience in Florence.

We finished the meal with our sweet and creamy gelato. It was the perfect way to wrap up our time in the Italian kitchen!

But before heading back into the bustling streets of Florence, class members were presented with recipe books and diplomas declaring our proficiency in Italian Cuisine.

Florencetown

Florencetown offers a variety of classes and tours for those looking for unique experiences in Florence and throughout the Tuscany region.

While we gravitated towards the food-based offerings, Florencetown also provides numerous options for museum tours, out of town excursions, and so much more. They will even show you this Renaissance city from the viewpoint of a Vespa or a Ferrari!

You can choose from small group or private tours/classes, and prices start at around $30 per person.

See the extensive list of tour and class options and book online at florencetown.com.

If your mouth isn’t already watering, take a peek inside our pizza & gelato making class with this short video!

Buon Appetito!

With so many fabulous cities to explore in Italy, I could return many times! Be sure to check out my articles on our experience in Venice, Florence, and Rome.

Maybe next time we will make it to Cinque Terre, Positano, the Amalfi Coast, or Milan.  And after reading this article from a fellow travel blogger, I’m adding Genoa to my list!

What is your favorite city in Italy?? Comment below.

Want more of my tips on Italy? Check out this episode of the Fly with Chris and Di podcast, featuring Traveling Tanya!

Wherever the road takes you, make it a joyous journey,
Traveling Tanya

I’d like to express a HUGE thank you to Florencetown for hosting Traveling Tanya at the Pizza & Gelato Making Class! As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

P.S. Want to join Traveling Tanya’s Tribe?! Subscribe to my email list (at the top of the screen) and never miss any of my exciting excursions and travel tips!

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