Pizza is everyone’s favorite fast food. With these authentic and contemporary recipes, you can create mouthwatering pizza, calzone, focaccia and many other delicious Italian hearth breads in your own oven.

For the serious pizza aficionado, a wood-burning oven is a must, but all you really need to make delicious pizzas are some basic utensils, an oven – and your hands! The Equipment and Utensils section will help you through the minefield of pizza stones versus baking sheets, pizza pans and wheels. Ten Pizza Pointers provides tips on shaping and baking, solving any pizza problems. You’ll be making perfect pizzas in no time.

A glance through Doughs and Sauces will explain essential techniques and have you itching to get started. Included are step-by-step instructions for making Basic Pizza Dough, Sourdough Base and a recipe for Pizzaiola Sauce. Pizzas Thick and Thin include the popular Pizza Margherita, Caramelized Red Onion Pizza with Capers and Olives, a crispy Korean Chicken and Kimchi Pizza and Pizza di Patate – a wheat-free potato cake topped with tomatoes and anchovies, or whipped ricotta and 'nduja. A chapter on Focaccia brings you Deep-pan Focaccia, a huge Oozing Cheese Focaccia, a Stuffed Focaccia with Figs, Prosciutto and Taleggio plus some sweet versions including an Easter treat flavored with oranges, almonds and lemon. Try Calzones and Pizza Pies such as Calzone alla Parmigiana, and Polpette Pizza stuffed with herbed meatballs. Explore Pizzette and Small Bites to find Goat's Cheese and Pesto Pizzette, Pulled Pork Pizza Bites, Focaccette Ripiene and Ligurian Sardenaira, cut into slices and traditionally served with a cold beer.