Tee Public Site
Pizza Therapy Dashery Store
https://pizzatherapy.dashery.com/ (Affiliate Link)
More T-shirts
https://www.teepublic.com/?ref_id=2728 (Affiliate Link)
Tee Public Pizza Therapy Store
https://www.teepublic.com/stores/pizzatherapy (Affiliate Link)

In this episode, World Pizza Champion Lars Smith shares the incredible story of his pizza journey—one filled with passion, persistence, and the rise of his award‑winning State of Mind Pizzerias. Lars explains how his path began at the legendary Pizza My Heart, a place he left more than once… but always returned to. Each time, the dough called him back.
He talks about the moment everything changed: his decision to attend the International Pizza Expo. That experience didn't just inspire him—it confirmed that he had what it takes to make truly great pizza. And he's proven it ever since.
Lars discusses the mentors who shaped his craft, including pizza icons John Arena and Leah Scurto, whose influence continues to guide his approach to dough, flavor, and creativity. He also gives a shout‑out to the California Milk Advisory Board, a partner he proudly supports.
And of course—because this is Pizza Therapy—Lars closes with practical, heartfelt tips for the home pizza maker. Whether you're stretching your first dough or chasing the perfect bake, he's got wisdom you can use tonight.
This is the story of a champion, a craftsman, and a man who lives and breathes pizza.

Lars Smith Sites and Related Links
https://www.stateofmindslicehouse.com/
https://www.stateofmindpublichouse.com/restaurant
https://www.instagram.com/lboogiesmith/?hl=en
Pizza My Heart
https://www.pizzamyheart.com/
Leah Scurto
https://www.pizzaleah.com/
Pizza Expo
https://pizzaexpo.pizzatoday.com/
Chris Bianco Book
https://amzn.to/3XQLOwU (Affiliate Link)
John Arena
https://metropizza.com/
California Advisory Board
https://www.realcaliforniamilk.com/
Check out new designs on TeePublic! Get high-quality tees featuring my original artwork - every purchase directly supports independent creators like me. Click the link to browse the collection! #SupportArtists #TeePublic
https://www.teepublic.com/?ref_id=2728 (Affiliate Link)
“As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”
Albert Grande Links: https://sleek.bio/pizzatherapy
Albert Grande More: https://sleek.bio/albertgrande
Subscribe to the Pizza Therapy YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/PizzaTherapy?sub_confirmation=1.
Albert Grande's Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/pizzatherapy (Affiliate Link)
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Fire Within and Wood Fired University sponsor this episode. For more information, go to:
https://firewithin.com/
https://firewithin.com/wood-fired-university/

Michael Kalanty shares his entire journey with bread, beginning as a graduate student in architecture and discovering his passion for breadmaking in France. He explains how he started his sourdough journey, evolving from a student to a master bread baker. He describes his methods for teaching sourdough making. He is the author of two books on bread making. His starter, named Lucky Lady, is in the Sourdough museum in Belgium. He explains how he is an advanced instructor for Wood Fired University and his relationship with Firewithin.
For more about Michael Kalanty, click on the links below.

Michael Kalanty
https://www.michaelkalanty.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-kalanty-83563713/
https://www.instagram.com/chefmikebreads/

Sour Dough Museum
https://sourdoughlibrary.puratos.com/en/virtual-sourdough-library

Glycemic index
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index

How to Bake Bread
https://amzn.to/3FNtZc1 (Affiliate Link)
How to Bake More Bread
https://amzn.to/4l5Cn73 (Affiliate Link)
How to Bake Sour Dough Bread
https://app.ckbk.com/recipe/bake70655c01s001ss001sss002r003/sourdough-starter-day-2-refresh-the-environment-for-the-yeast

Albert Grande's Amazon Influencer Page
https://www.amazon.com/shop/pizzatherapy (Affiliate Link)
Mike’s story began the way many great careers do: on the floor. He started as a dishwasher on Long Island and worked his way through every station—front counter, prep, kitchen, and, finally, pizza maker. That early immersion taught him two vital lessons for running a pizza business: absorb knowledge from every role, and build relationships with customers who become family.
Pizza Therapy Dashery Store https://pizzatherapy.dashery.com/
(Affiliate Link)
Pizzamodomio
https://modomiopizza.com/
https://www.scpizzatruck.com/
https://www.instagram.com/pizzamodomio/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/mike.pitera/
Our Little Italy
https://www.ourlittleitalypizzapasta.com/
Culinary Institute of America
https://www.ciachef.edu/cia-new-york/
Galbani Cheese
https://galbanicheese.com/
Stanilaus
https://stanislaus.com/
Slice Out Hunger
https://sliceouthunger.org/
U.S. Pizza Team
https://uspizzateam.com/
Albert Grande Links: https://sleek.bio/pizzatherapy
Albert Grande More: https://sleek.bio/albertgrande
Subscribe to the Pizza Therapy YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/PizzaTherapy?sub_confirmation=1
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Pizza T-shirts; https://www.teepublic.com/stores/pizzatherapy?ref_id=2728
(Affiliate Link)
General T-shirts https://www.teepublic.com/?ref_id=2728
(Affiliate Link)
Check out The Pizza Therapy Pizza Book: https://amzn.to/2MIFC79 (Affiliate Link)