Stefano Cossignani Masterclass: Taglio Napoli for the Perfect Pizza

The event took place on Tuesday, 13 May, at the newly opened Lesaffre Baking Centre in Buzin, where pizza makers from across Croatia gathered. Their attention was captured by experienced Italian pizza maestro Stefano Cossignani (53), who runs the Spanish Pizza School in Madrid and Palma de Mallorca—one of around twenty branches of the renowned Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli, the world’s oldest institution dedicated to professional pizza-making education. Cossignani generously shared his method for crafting the perfect Neapolitan pizza dough, along with optimal ratios for cost-effective use of diverse toppings, with a particular focus on the latest innovation – fiordilatte Taglio Napoli.

Cossignani came to Zagreb at the invitation of Galbani, which distributes the premium Italian cheese line Galbani Professionale for the HoReCa sector. The masterclass for professional pizzaioli was organised by Galbani and the international gastronomy guide Gault&Millau Croatia, whose latest edition features a total of 430 restaurants and pizzerias.

Originally from Porto San Giorgio, Cossignani began learning the craft in his family’s pizzeria and joined the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli nearly 30 years ago—first as a student, later as an instructor for professionals from the HoReCa sector, aspiring pizzeria owners, and chefs seeking to specialise in authentic Italian pizza-making. He also trains bakers and hotel chefs looking to add pizza to their menus, all while serving as a brand ambassador for Galbani Professionale. During his training sessions, he showcases their products and advises other professionals on how to get the most out of premium ingredients like fiordilatte Taglio Napoli, burrata, buffalo mozzarella, and a variety of Italian cold cuts including mortadella, ham, spicy sausage, and prosciutto. He demonstrated this with ease at the masterclass, held in the state-of-the-art Lesaffre Baking Centre, where he and his assistant, Stanislao Valente, had prepared the pizza dough the day before. After a 24-hour fermentation, the dough was ready to be stretched, topped, and baked at around 500°C.

“The key ingredients of a great pizza are quality flour, water, salt, yeast (or sourdough), tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, and knowledge. Fiordilatte Taglio Napoli has a specific cut that enhances melting, offers a creamy flavour, stretchiness, and the perfect texture. Pizza might seem simple, but it requires a high level of technical skill. And of course, the right oven is essential for perfect baking,” summarised Cossignani.

Young pizza chefs from Croatian pizzerias had the chance to taste pizzas made with Taglio Napoli mozzarella, mortadella, ham, prosciutto, and spicy sausage. After the hands-on portion of the masterclass, many stayed to chat with Stefano Cossignani, who was happy to share tips from his rich professional experience.

“Nowadays, a pizzaiolo can’t just knead and bake. They need to understand fermentation, select quality ingredients, manage costs, lead teams, and create a profitable, distinctive offering. It takes great skill – it’s a strategic role in modern food service,” said the esteemed expert.

Photos: Goran Jakuš for GM