Pizza Class in un Vero Ristorante Italiano

I went to a terrific class given by the chef-owner of Solare Restaurant and Lounge here in San Diego. It was 3-1/2 hours long, and included pizza, foccacia, and wines.

The pizza dough was already made (3 days old), and we practiced shaping a ball into a thin and ROUND disk. This was the first really round disk I have ever made! topped it with homemade sauce and sausage, salami, mushrooms, and mozzarella. THEN ta-da! slipped the very same model of the perforated pizza peel that I own under it and deposited it in the oven.

THE OVEN: shaped like a woodburning oven, but with a steel floor and gas flame at the back. I didn't know they even existed! The temperature is displayed on the front (500°) and you have to keep turning the pizzas just like in a wood oven.

Someone took a phone picture and emailed it to me.


The chef had a real Italian accent but spoke fluent English. He displayed the jumbo blue bag of Caputo flour, restaurant-size can of Cento San Marzano tomatoes, and a 28-oz. can of Zia Rosa San Marzano tomatoes, which he gave me to take home when he saw me reading the label!

The foccacia was made with all-purpose flour, and we shaped those as well. Definite technique I've never heard before. Make DEEP finger holes top and bottom, drizzle olive oil in a sheet pan, put dough in and flip over in the oil. Then drizzle oil over top, then sprinkle water droplets over that! Topped it with coarse sea salt (NOT Kosher salt) and chopped rosemary, some with halved cherry tomatoes.

The Lambusco frizzante wine was chilled and bubbly and was terrific to drink with pizza. This was a memorable class. I learned so much that I'm going to have to write out a memoir of the morning!