Neapolitan Pizza Making Class Sorrento

The Sorrento hills and the farm venue

Behind the cliffs of Sorrento, the land rises in terraces of lemon groves, olive trees and vegetable gardens, many of them still worked by local families. The famous Sorrento lemons, large and fragrant, grow here under traditional wooden pergolas covered with nets, and the peninsula's olive oil is one of the protected products of the region. The class takes place in this countryside, only a short drive from the busy centre, with a calm atmosphere and wide views.

You meet at Via Fuorimura in the centre of Sorrento thirty minutes before the class and the transfer takes you up to the venue and back. For travellers looking for things to do in Sorrento beyond the sea and the old town, a cooking class on the hills is a lovely way to see the farming side of the peninsula and to understand why food here tastes the way it does.

The art of Neapolitan pizza

Neapolitan pizza is more than a recipe: the craft of the Neapolitan pizza maker has been recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage. True Neapolitan pizza uses a soft dough of flour, water, salt and yeast left to rise for many hours, stretched by hand rather than with a rolling pin, and baked at very high heat for a short time so the edge puffs up into a light, slightly charred crust.

In this Sorrento pizza making class the instructor explains each step and the small secrets that make the difference, from the right consistency of the dough to the gentle movements used to open it into a disc. Then it is your turn: you knead, shape and top your own pizza with tomato, mozzarella and basil, the classic colours of the Italian flag.

Mozzarella and olive oil tasting

The countryside around Sorrento and the nearby Lattari Mountains is known for its dairy products, and fresh mozzarella and fior di latte are central to Neapolitan pizza. During the lesson you taste fresh mozzarella and learn how its texture and milkiness change the final pizza. You also taste traditional and organic olive oil from the area, poured over bread or straight onto the pizza.

These tastings are a good introduction to the flavours of the Sorrento peninsula, and many travellers find them as memorable as the pizza itself. Bottles of olive oil and aprons are available to buy at the venue if you want to take a souvenir with you, but there is no obligation to purchase anything.

The oven, lunch and tiramisu

Once your pizza is ready, it goes into a traditional oven where it bakes in a couple of minutes. Watching the dough puff up and the mozzarella melt is one of the best moments of the class, and the instructor helps everyone get the timing right. Then you sit down at the table to eat your own creation while it is still hot.

Lunch ends with tiramisu, the layered Italian dessert of soft biscuits, cream and cocoa, served with water and soft drinks. The whole experience lasts about an hour and a half before the transfer back to the centre of Sorrento, leaving the afternoon free for a walk in the old town or a trip to the coast.