From November 15-17, 2021, The Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center will host a three-day intensive frozen pizza-making certification course taught by Master Baker Ralf Tschenscher, and with the participation of Chef Leo Spizzirri. Ralf is the Baking Business Development Manager at Le Saffre Yeast Corporation where he is responsible for creating custom baking and pizza solutions for clients.
Called “3-Day Intensive Innovative Pizza Class in Collaboration with LeSaffre Yeast: Frozen, Freezer to Oven and Par-baked Pizza Dough”, this course’s aim is to teach the techniques needed to create various frozen pizza options which can help keep professional kitchens running efficiently, profitably, and predictably.
The new, one-of-a-kind class includes both theory and hands-on guided workshops for practicing the techniques learned. With more than four decades of professional baking under his belt, Ralf is aware of the challenges faced by the pizza-industry. Working long hours, finding skilled staff, training and retaining employees, and delighting customers with a consistent product is extremely difficult for pizzerias to do on a daily basis. With Ralf’s proven techniques, however, frozen dough can easily become a cost-efficient alternative to traditional baking processes. Using the prepared bases helps pizza business owners ensure food quality and consistency at all times and in various locations.
At the forefront of dough and pizza
Chef Leo Spizzirri, who will be working alongside Ralf Tschenscher during this class, grew up spending hours watching, and assisting, his Mom and Nana Gilda in the kitchen while they created all kinds of traditional Italian dishes. They encouraged his love for food and tolerated his perfectionist manner as well as the messes that came with all his experimentation. Today, Chef Leo Spizzirri holds the distinction of being 1 of only 100 worldwide Master Instructors from the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli in Venice, Italy, and his responsibilities in commercial artisan bread and frozen pizza have led him to stand at the forefront of dough and pizza innovations where he has supported major national brands across the United States and Canada.
Through the Pizza University & Culinary Arts Center’s new 3-day course, Ralf will teach three different types of frozen products: Frozen Pizza Dough and Doughballs, Par-Baked Pizza Shells, and Freezer to Oven Pizza, as well as utilizing Biga and Poolish ferments. Students will also earn the integral role of finding yeast and fermentation solutions for their own applications, which can make or break the success of their dough.
“The success of consistent frozen dough production is the formulation and process”, says Ralf.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will receive a Pizza University Certificate, an apron, a chef’s jacket and a swag bag.
