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1290 North Wells Street, Chicago
Hands-on pizza masterclasses in Chicago
A working kitchen, a station of your own, and a pizza you eat before you leave. Groups stay small enough that the instructor can reach your dough while it is still in your hands.
What the photograph shows
What happens in a session
Three hours at the bench, from a bag of flour to a slice you eat standing up.
You start with flour and water and finish with a pizza out of the oven. Along the way you mix, knead, proof, and shape dough with your own hands, then work through sauces, toppings, and the bake on a stone or a steel. The instructor moves between stations and corrects grip, tension, and thickness while the dough is still in your hands.
That correction is the part a written recipe cannot deliver. Most people leave knowing exactly which step they had been getting wrong at home, and it is usually not the one they suspected.
- Mixing and kneading
- You feel the dough go from shaggy to smooth under your own palm, not in someone else's demo.
- Proofing and shaping
- Cold ferment schedules come up here, because that is how most students fit pizza into a normal week.
- Sauce, topping, and the bake
- Stone or steel, how much sauce is too much, and when the cheese should go on relative to the second bake.
Book this one first
The dough technique class
This is the core session and the one to book first. It covers dough-making, kneading, proofing, and shaping, with attention to how the dough should feel at each stage rather than only what the clock says. You will work with a high-hydration dough and a lower-hydration one so the difference is in your hands, not just in a description.
Cold ferment schedules come up too, since that is how most students fit pizza into a normal week. Expect to get your hands messy and to leave with dough you made yourself. Bring a container if you want to carry it home, which most people do.
One wet dough, one dry, same bench
Styles covered in class
The studio rotates through regional styles rather than teaching one house pizza. Check the current schedule for which style a given date covers.
Detroit-style
Pan work and cheese placement, with the caramelized edge built deliberately rather than by accident.
Wood-fired style
A fast, hot bake and a lean dough. We cover how to get close to that heat in a home oven.
Roman-style
Longer sessions, because the ferment does. Book a Roman date when you can give it the full afternoon.
Chicago thin
Comes up often, and trend reporting has noted it rising into the top tier of regional styles, which matches the questions we get in the room.
The bake, end of every session
Everyone bakes on the same setup you would use at home: a stone or a steel, an oven you can preheat properly, and a dough that has had the time it needs. If you have a specific oven at home, tell the instructor and they will adjust the baking notes for you.
Class sizes and who attends
We keep groups small so hands-on help stays realistic. Beginners are common and welcome, and so are people who have been baking for years and want a second pair of eyes on their shaping. Class listings on consumer marketplaces often emphasize that no experience is needed, and that is accurate for our entry sessions.
Couples, friends, and colleagues book together regularly. If you are choosing between two dates, pick the one where you can arrive unhurried, because the first twenty minutes set up the rest of the session.
Private and group sessions
Private sessions are available for groups who want the room to themselves, including team events and celebrations. We can focus a private session on one style, or run a comparison across two so your group tastes the difference side by side.
Tell us the group size, the date you are considering, and whether anyone has dietary constraints, and we will tell you what is workable. Private bookings need more lead time than public dates, so ask early.
The studio, before a group arrives
What to bring and what we provide
You do not need to bring your own tools, and you do not need to own a pizza steel to attend.
We provide
Dough ingredients, the equipment, the sauces, and the toppings, along with aprons and a place to put your things.
You bring
Closed-toe shoes, hair tied back if it is long, and a container if you want to take dough home. Most people do.
If you have a home oven
Tell the instructor and they will adjust the baking notes for your oven type before you leave.
After the class
You leave with the recipe for the dough you made, the baking notes for your oven type, and a clear idea of what to practice next.
Most students bake again within a week, which is the right instinct: the session gives you the feel, and repetition locks it in. If something goes wrong on your next bake, email us with what happened and we will help you diagnose it. Many students follow a class with a recipe pack so the schedule is written down.
Scheduling and availability
Public classes run on a rotating schedule, and dates fill at different rates depending on the style. Weekend sessions tend to go first, particularly the Detroit-style and wood-fired dates.
If you need a specific week
Contact us before you plan around it rather than after. We will give you a straight answer about what is open.
If you are travelling in
Confirm your date before booking anything non-refundable, especially if you are coming into Chicago from out of town.
Weekend dates
Saturday and Sunday sessions are the first to go. If a weekend works for you, ask about it early rather than waiting for the week before.
Or call +1-312-555-0723 during studio hours.
Booking a spot
Pick a date, tell us your experience level, and mention any dietary constraints when you book. If you are unsure which session suits you, describe what you have baked before and we will recommend one.
We confirm availability before anything is final, so you will know where you stand quickly. Reach the studio at +1-312-555-0723 or send an inquiry through the contact page.
The studio
1290 North Wells Street, Chicago, IL 60610, USA. Studio hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Class dates run outside those hours, including weekends. Use the studio line for questions about a specific date.
See the contact pageCommon questions
Four things people ask before they book a pizza making class.
Do I need any experience to join?
No. Entry sessions are designed for at-home cooks of all skill levels, and beginners are a normal part of every group.
Do I need to bring my own equipment?
No. We provide ingredients, tools, sauces, and toppings. Bring closed-toe shoes and a container if you want to take dough home.
Which style should I book first?
The dough technique class, unless you already have a reliable dough at home. Style-specific sessions make more sense once the basics are in your hands.
Can you run a session for a private group?
Yes, including team events and celebrations. Tell us your group size and preferred date, and ask early, since private bookings need more lead time.
The first letter of the key, answering the plate above.