Yeast and baking ingredients leader Lesaffre Yeast Corp. has opened a facility aimed at bringing the latest pizza technology, equipment and expertise to its baking customers.

Milwaukee-based Lesaffre’s new Pizza Innovation Center, located in Lisle, Illinois, was launched in conjunction with the North American Pizza & Culinary Academy.

The center features the latest and best equipment, including a range of pizza ovens covering many technologies and styles; several types of mixing and dough handling equipment; a state of the art dough preparation room that can replicate any ‘real world’ climate; a commercial kitchen; and an innovative kitchen instructional area.

“This new facility gives us more opportunity to innovate with key pizza clients who want to create new products, troubleshoot their process, or train their people,” says Tom Benner, Lesaffre’s president and CEO. “We are proud to work with such high caliber talent as Leo Spizzirri and the entire team at the Pizza & Culinary Academy.”