Franco Pepe & Lidia Bastianich

Teaches at La Scuola at Eataly Flatiron

Franco Pepe is an artisan and a baker with an age-old passion for pizza. He is the founder of Pepe in Grani, located in Alto Casertano, where he showcases his passion for baking and experimenting. Franco’s understanding, knowledge, passion and craftsmanship stem from his family of master bakers; thousands of times over, he has observed and learned from his grandfather and father, together with his brothers Antonio and Massimiliano. Nothing was ever written down, no recipes or formulas were used or taught, and scales were used. Learning from this method, Franco has no fixed rules at Pepe in Grano, rather, he uses age-old techniques, allowing his dough to develop day by day, mixing the flour by hand, allowing time for proper levitation, and balancing the quantity of sourdough to beer yeasts on case by case basis. For Franco, sensibility rules his process as the dough itself tells the Piazzolo when it is ready. "You can not impose a single mechanical technique, you have to 'hear' what the dough will suggest, as it is ultimately alive" he says. Franco’s constant attention to his craft allows him to translate the knowledge he has inherited from his family, studies, and his the land into his pizza. 

Lidia Bastianich is one of the best-loved chefs on television, a best-selling cookbook author, restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business. Lidia has married two passions in life, her family and food, to create multiple endeavors alongside her two children, Joseph and Tanya. Lidia has authored seven cookbooks and has recently written Nonna’s Birthday Surprise, her second children’s book. Lidia is the chef and owner of four acclaimed New York City restaurants, Felidia, Becco, Esca and Del Posto, as well as Lidia’s in Pittsburgh and Kansas City. In 2010, alongside her son Joseph Bastianich, Mario Batali, Oscar Farinetti and Adam and Alex Saper, she opened Eataly. Lidia is the founder and president of Tavola Productions, which produces Lidia’s Italy. Lidia and her son Joseph also produce award-winning wines at Bastianich Vineyards in Friuli and La Mozza Vineyards in Maremma, Italy. Along with her daughter Tanya, son-in law Corrado Manuali, and other partners, the team launched Nonna Foods in 2010 as a platform to distribute an array of both existing and new Lidia’s food products. Lidia freely offers her time and knowledge and is an active member of society by participating in community service activities and special events on behalf of the James Beard Foundation and Public Television.