5-Day Intensive Hands-On Course

This immersive 5-day pastry and bakery program is designed to teach both the essential techniques and the more advanced methods of Italian pastry-making. Perfect for passionate bakers, aspiring professionals, or anyone eager to elevate their skills, the course covers about 20 recipes made entirely from scratch.

The program blends precision and creativity, offering participants the knowledge and confidence to prepare refined desserts and baked goods for any occasion. The teaching approach is professional yet approachable, ensuring you feel comfortable in our cozy, spacious kitchen-laboratory. Small groups of 5–6 participants guarantee a personal and immersive learning experience.

Each 3-hour lesson begins with a focused theoretical introduction — exploring flour strength, rising methods, temperatures, and timing — and continues with full hands-on practice. You’ll prepare, shape, and bake a variety of sweet and savory recipes, gaining both technical skills and cultural insight into Italian pastry traditions.

Program Overview:

Lesson 1: The Classics of Pastry
Learn the foundations of Italian and French pastry with puff pastry, brisé dough, choux pastry, pastry cream, and mousseline cream.

• Stuffed puff pastry cannoli
• Croquelin and Paris-Brest
• Chocolate éclairs
• Hazelnut bignè

Lesson 2: Sweet Risen Doughs
Learn the art of sweet risen doughs, including Brioche dough, Italian Cornetto, Kranz, Autolytic dough, and fried doughs.

• Brioche bread
• Italian Cornetto
• Kranz
• Deep-fried donuts (Bomboloni)

Lesson 3: Refrigerated Desserts (Single Portions)
Learn techniques for refrigerated desserts, including sponge bread, ladyfingers, English cream base, Bavarian cream, mousse, and semifreddo base for tiramisù.

• Mini Bavarians (various flavours)
• Mini Tiramisù
• Multi-layer cold cake (to be finalized in Lesson 5)

Lesson 4: Baked Cakes
Learn techniques for baked cakes, including whipped shortbread, “Milano” shortbread, almond shortbread, frangipane cream, and the whipped butter method.

• Tarts with jam
• Stuffed tarts
• Frangipane cake
• Chocolate-covered biscuits

Lesson 5: Savory Risen Doughs
Learn techniques for savory risen doughs, including croissants, savory creams, white bread for sandwiches and buffet, pizza, Tuscan schiacciata, and aperitif finger food.

• Stuffed croissants
• Stuffed sandwiches (Tramezzini)
• Mini sandwiches
• Pizza Margherita and Schiacciata

The course includes:

• 5 hands-on lessons with professional pastry chef
• Preparation of approx. 20 pastry and bakery recipes
• All ingredients provided in the kitchen
• Final tasting at the table with water and wine
• Printed recipe booklet
• Cloth apron with the Gigliocooking logo
• Certificate of Attendance
• Insurance

Duration: approx. 3 hours per lesson 

For those who wish to deepen their skills further, the school also offers longer programs of 2 or 3 weeks upon request.

Examples of new topics include:

• Semifreddi
• Chocolate
• Refrigerated and baked cakes