This sounded like it could be a fun time – and it was. We’ve booked a few classes in the past and always had an excellent time. Yes, we learned something, but it was more about talking to others and drinking while trying to cook. This started with a short bus ride out of the city, into the hills of Florence where we were greeted by one of the hosts.
Walking to the site gave me a first chance to see the Florence countryside.
Before starting the class there was a bit of tasting involved – loved it!
This was a great way to start our evening. Most had wine, I chose a local beer. I brought others to my side before the evening was over.
Since the gelato was going to be a longer session, we got it going first, each picking out the flavor we wanted to create. Ultimately, we would be tasing everyone’s gelato.
Hard at work creating our hazelnut gelato.
Before starting the pizza-making we had a bit of time to wander the grounds for a few photos.
The making of the gelato was in this building.
Next on the agenda was making our pizza dough. Everyone had to participate. First step was mixing the dough.
Then roll your dough to get the right consistency and work it without over-flouring it. That’s the trick!
One of the last steps for the dough was to ‘relax’ the dough by slapping it onto the work area.
A few more techniques were shown so that our ball of dough was a smooth ball.
We worked in small groups at the pizza workstations and everyone ‘learned’ how to toss their pizzas. Some where better than others. Adrienne had the ‘knack’ – must be her Italian blood.
A multitude of toppings were available for our individual pizzas.
One of the instructors popped them into the wood oven.
And within a few minutes our pizzas were ready.
What better way to eat pizza than overlooking the hills of Florence.
But wait – we weren’t done it. Our gelato was the final part of the evening. There were at least 8 bowls of ice cream for us to sample – delicious.
By the time we were finished, the sun had set and our space was more magical.
For this event, there were three individuals that taught the sessions.
Here is one last look as nightfall came to the hills of Florence.
Darden Travels 