If you've ever stood in front of a hot oven, slid a pizza off a wooden peel, and thought, "I actually made that," you'll understand why people keep coming back to our classes. A pizza making event on the Gold Coast isn't just a fun night out. When it's done properly, it changes how you think about food. At The Sourdough Science Academy, we run a 3-hour hands-on pizza class in Coomera where you make real organic sourdough pizza from scratch, fire it at 400°C, eat it fresh with a glass of Italian wine, and take home everything you need to do it again next weekend.
Why I Started Teaching Pizza, Not Just Bread
People sometimes ask why a sourdough academy runs pizza classes. The honest answer is that pizza is how I get people through the door.
I'm Roberto, Italian-born, trained as a pizzaiolo and chef in Italy, and now living on the Gold Coast. When I founded The Sourdough Science Academy in September 2021, my goal was simple: teach Australians how to bake real food using organic ingredients and ancient grains, and show them that sourdough fermentation isn't some mysterious dark art.
But bread, for a lot of people, feels like homework. Pizza? Pizza feels like a party.
So yes, we teach pizza, but we teach it the sourdough way. And once students taste the difference between a slow-fermented sourdough crust and the average takeaway base, something clicks. They stop thinking of sourdough as a trend and start thinking of it as the way food should be made.
That's the real point of a pizza class here. It's not to produce a perfect Neapolitan round on your first try. It's to understand why fermentation matters, what it does to gluten, and why the food you eat from scratch at home will always be better than what comes in a box.
What Actually Happens in the Class
Let me walk you through a typical session, because the format matters.
You arrive at our kitchen in Coomera, and within the first fifteen minutes, your hands are in dough. We don't spend an hour on theory before letting you touch anything. The learning happens through doing, and Roberto is right there explaining the why as you work through each step.
You'll stretch and shape real sourdough dough, using the same live starter Roberto has been maintaining and developing since the academy opened. You'll choose your toppings, build your pizza, and watch it go into the oven at 400°C. That temperature isn't arbitrary. It's the heat that gives you a proper crust, charred in the right spots, chewy in the middle, with that slight lift around the edge that you just don't get from a home oven set to 200°C.
When it comes out, you eat it. Right there, in class, with a glass of Italian wine.
Before you leave, you take home two dough balls, ready to use, and Roberto's own sourdough starter with full guidance on how to keep it alive and active at home. The experience is designed to continue well past the three hours you spend in the kitchen.
Class sizes are deliberately kept small. This isn't a cooking show where you watch from the back row. You'll get hands-on time and direct feedback from Roberto throughout.
Who Is This Class Actually For?
The honest answer: most people.
The sourdough pizza class was built for beginners, people who have never made pizza dough, who don't know what a sourdough starter is, and who aren't sure if they can pull this off. They're usually the ones who leave most surprised by what they managed to create.
It's also a great next step if you've already attended our sourdough bread class on the Gold Coast. You already understand how a starter works and what fermentation is doing, the pizza class lets you apply that knowledge to a different dough style, a much higher bake temperature, and the specific techniques that separate good pizza from great pizza.
For people with gluten sensitivity, sourdough pizza is often a revelation. The long fermentation process naturally reduces gluten load in a way that standard commercial dough doesn't come close to. Many of our students have told us it's the first pizza they've eaten without discomfort in years. That's not a marketing claim, it's the science behind why The Sourdough Science Academy was founded in the first place: to fight gluten intolerance through fermentation and organic ingredients.
And for kids? We run a Kids Pizza Experience too, a private session that works beautifully for birthdays and special treats. Watching a child build and eat their own pizza is something parents tend to remember for a long time.
What the Menu Looks Like
Our catering menu gives you a sense of what sourdough pizza can actually be when it's made properly. The pizza range runs from a classic Margherita (tomato base, basil, mozzarella) through to more indulgent options like Mushroom with Truffle Oil, Prosciutto with Rocket and Balsamic Glaze, and Caprocciosa.
But pizza is only part of the story.
Our catering service also includes house-made Arancini, Tomato Risotto balls crumbed and filled with either cheese or Nduja spicy meat. There's an Antipasto Platter with sliced cured meats, three Italian cheeses, and Sicilian Olives. And for dessert, Authentic Sicilian Cannoli filled with Italian Sheep Sweet Ricotta, or a Nutella Pizza topped with fresh strawberries and icing sugar.
Everything is prepared in a GCCC licensed kitchen using fresh, organic ingredients. Nothing comes out of a packet and into the oven. That's not how we work.
Bringing a Pizza Experience to Your Team or Event
Some of the most memorable sessions we run aren't weekend classes at all. They're corporate events, groups of colleagues who come in (or have Roberto come to them) for a shared cooking experience.
Here's what I've noticed running these sessions: people who barely speak to each other in the office will work together on a pizza base without a second thought. There's something about making food with your hands, in a room that smells like fresh dough and wood smoke, that strips away the awkward professionalism that sometimes gets in the way of real conversation.
The Sourdough Science Academy has run corporate sourdough and pizza experiences for organisations including Foundations Care and Buddy Up. Some groups want the full hands-on workshop. Others want Roberto to arrive at their venue, set up, make fresh sourdough pizza on-site, and handle everything from start to pack-down, that's our pizza catering service, and it works equally well for staff lunches, end-of-year celebrations, client events, and team days.
Every corporate booking is customised. Menu, timing, location, dietary needs, all of it is sorted in advance so nothing is left to chance on the day. You can enquire about corporate events here or reach Roberto directly at [email protected] or on WhatsApp at +61 492 936 808.
What 400+ Five-Star Reviews Actually Tell You
Since founding The Sourdough Science Academy in September 2021, we've taught more than 3,000 students and collected over 400 five-star Google reviews. We've also been featured on Channel 10, which was never something I planned for when I started teaching pizza classes out of Coomera.
But here's what I think those reviews are really saying: people came in not sure if they could do this, and they left knowing they could.
That matters more to me than the star rating. When someone emails a week after class with a photo of the sourdough pizza they made at home, first attempt, with no Roberto standing next to them, that's the outcome I'm actually after.
You can read more about what students have experienced if you want a sense of what the class is like before you book.
A Note on What We Stand For
The Sourdough Science Academy donates a percentage of monthly profit to Greenpeace and the InnerScience Research Fund. We also run a Give It Back Program, each month, we gift one free workshop seat to someone who wants to learn but can't currently afford it.
This isn't a footnote. It's part of why the academy exists. Real food education should reach people regardless of what's in their bank account.
If you want to know more about what drives the academy beyond the baking, the About page is the place to read.
How to Book a Pizza Class or Catering on the Gold Coast
Spots in our pizza classes go quickly, especially on weekends. The best way to secure a place is to check upcoming class dates and book directly.
For catering or corporate enquiries, head to the contact page or message Roberto on WhatsApp at +61 492 936 808. You can also browse the online shop for sourdough tools and ingredients if you're already baking at home and want to go further.
And if you'd like to explore sourdough beyond the classroom, Roberto's YouTube channel and online courses walk you through the same science-backed methods at your own pace.
Key Takeaways
- The Sourdough Science Academy runs 3-hour hands-on pizza classes in Coomera, Gold Coast, open to beginners, gluten-sensitive students, kids, and experienced home bakers
- Every pizza is made with organic sourdough dough, baked at 400°C, and eaten in class with Italian wine
- You leave with two dough balls and Roberto's live sourdough starter, so the learning continues at home
- Corporate pizza events and full pizza catering are available for teams, private functions, birthdays, and corporate days across Gold Coast and Brisbane
- Founded September 2021 · 3,000+ students · 400+ five-star reviews · As seen on Channel 10
FAQ
What is a pizza making event on the Gold Coast?
It's a hands-on class where you make real pizza from scratch, shaping dough, choosing toppings, and baking at high heat. At The Sourdough Science Academy, that means organic sourdough dough, a 400°C oven, fresh ingredients, and a glass of Italian wine while you eat what you've made.
Is the pizza class suitable for someone who has never baked before?
Completely. The session is structured so that total beginners can follow along, make something they're proud of, and leave with the knowledge and dough to do it again at home. Roberto's 2-Hour Sourdough Method™ is built around clarity and repetition, not professional kitchen experience.
Can I organise a pizza event for a corporate group?
Yes. Roberto runs tailored corporate sourdough and pizza experiences for teams across the Gold Coast and Brisbane. The format, menu, and location can all be customised. Email [email protected] or message on WhatsApp +61 492 936 808 to start the conversation.
Why is sourdough pizza easier to digest than regular pizza?
The slow fermentation process in sourdough breaks down gluten over many hours in a way that fast commercial yeast doughs don't. For people with gluten sensitivity, not coeliac disease, this often makes sourdough pizza much more comfortable to eat. The Sourdough Science Academy was founded specifically to address gluten intolerance through fermentation and organic, ancient-grain ingredients.
Does The Sourdough Science Academy cater for events?
Yes. Roberto offers an on-site pizza catering service for birthdays, corporate days, weddings, staff lunches, and public events. The full menu includes sourdough pizza, house-made arancini, antipasto platters, Sicilian cannoli, and dessert pizza. He manages everything from arrival to clean-up. Request a quote here.
Where can I find Roberto's sourdough starter and ingredients?
Roberto's starter and a range of organic sourdough tools and ingredients are available through the online shop. If you're not sure where to buy a sourdough bread starter, that blog post is a good place to start.
About the Author
Roberto Giammellucca is an Italian-born qualified Pizzaiolo, Chef, and Baker. He founded The Sourdough Science Academy in Coomera, Queensland in September 2021 with one goal: to make real sourdough baking simple and accessible for everyday Australians. He has taught over 3,000 students, holds more than 400 five-star Google reviews, and has been featured on Channel 10. Follow the academy on Instagram and Facebook, or connect with Roberto directly on LinkedIn.
Originally published on:
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