Make homemade pizza that exceeds your wildest expectations—yet couldn’t be simpler—with Jim Lahey’s groundbreaking no-knead dough and inventive toppings.

The secret to incredible pizza is a superb crust—one that is crisp yet chewy, and slightly charred around the edges. Jim Lahey, the baking genius behind New York City’s celebrated Sullivan Street Bakery and Co. pizza restaurant, has developed a brilliant recipe that requires no kneading and produces an irresistible crust in any home oven—gas or electric—in fewer than five minutes. My Pizza shares this revolutionary technique and the creative pies that put Co. on the map, as well as recipes for salads, soups, and desserts to make a meal complete.

The pizzas in this book aren’t your usual, run-of-the-mill pies. In fact, Jim’s unique topping pairings—such as Corn and Tomato, Coppa and Fennel, and Potato and Leek—reinvigorate this American favorite. His whimsy is apparent in his Pepperoni Pie, which doesn’t include the cured meat we have all come to expect; instead, riffing on “pepperoni” as the Italian plural for “pepper,” Jim offers a pie with red pepper puree, ground lamb, and pecorino cheese. To round out dinner, My Pizza also has recipes for starters and side salads—such as Cannellini Bean Toast, Pea Soup, and Bibb and Roasted Squash Salad—and sweet finishes, from Milk Chocolate Sundae to Banoffee Pie.

With gorgeous color photographs and helpful tips on equipment and techniques, My Pizza unlocks the secrets of great, easy pizza for home cooks everywhere.

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The boscaiola is very familiar to Italians and travelers in Italy. More often than not, people order either it or a Margherita (page 41). I think I had my first one in Rome when I was in my early twenties. From the first taste, I must have seen how roasting enhances the flavor of mushrooms immeasurably, imparting enough personality to stand up to the spiciness of the chili flakes and the flavorful red onion and sausage. Please note that in the original recipe that appears in the book, there’s no mozzarella. I definitely prefer it with the cheese, which I like to place over the sausage but under the mushroom slices. You choose.

Makes one 10- to 12-inch pizza

1 ball of Pizza Dough, shaped and waiting on a floured peel (page 26)
70 grams (¼ cup) Basic Tomato Sauce (page 34)
50 grams (about ¼ cup) Pork Sausage (page 124)
50 grams (about 1 3/4 ounces) fresh mozzarella, pulled into 5 clumps
40 grams (heaping ½ cup) thinly sliced cremini mushrooms
15 grams (about 1/8 cup) thinly sliced red onion, separated into ribbons
Pinch of chili flakes
Pinch of fine sea salt

1. Put the pizza stone in a gas oven on a rack about 8 inches from the broiler. Preheat the oven on bake at 500°F for 30 minutes. Switch to broil for 10 minutes. (For an electric variation, see page 18.)

2. With the dough on the peel, spoon the tomato sauce over the surface and spread it evenly, leaving about an inch of the rim untouched. Place the sausage in small mounds around the pizza. Distribute the mozzarella over the pie. Arrange the mushrooms and onion evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with the chili flakes and salt.

3. With quick, jerking motions, slide the pie onto the stone. Broil for 3½ to 4 minutes under gas (somewhat longer with an electric oven; see page 18), until the top is bubbling and the crust is nicely charred but not burnt.

4. Using the peel, transfer the pizza to a tray or serving platter. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.

This is among the most familiar of Neapolitan pizzas, often just tomato sauce and cheese baked on a disk of flatbread. In cities like New York, the Margherita has been trashed by the ubiquitous ordinary pizza parlor—often through a lack of attention in cooking and a careless approach to ingredients. But if you’re lucky enough to discover one of the really good pizza places in Naples or elsewhere in Italy, you’ll see an almost fanatical approach to the pizza’s components. The tomatoes will likely be San Marzanos; the mozzarella will be from the best buffalo milk. I too am determined to use the highest-quality ingredients I can get. You probably remember how fanatical I am about excellence in tomatoes! But, when it comes to mozzarella, I’ve learned cow’s milk can also produce some great cheese. On that note, in the original recipe that appears in the book, there’s a lot of mozzarella on that pie. Really, all you need is a little less than half the given amount.

Makes one 10- to 12-inch pizza

1 ball of Pizza Dough, shaped and waiting on a floured peel (page 26)
70 grams (¼ cup) Basic Tomato Sauce (page 34)
70 grams (2 ¼ ounces) fresh mozzarella, pulled into 5 clumps
10 grams (3 tablespoons) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Pinch of fine sea salt
6 basil leaves, or to taste

1. Put the pizza stone on a rack in a gas oven about 8 inches from the broiler. Preheat the oven on bake at 500°F for 30 minutes. Switch to broil for 10 minutes. (For an electric variation, see page 18.)

2. With the dough on the peel, spoon the tomato sauce over the surface and spread it evenly, leaving about an inch of the rim untouched. Distribute the mozzarella evenly over the pie.

3. With quick, jerking motions, slide the pie onto the stone. Broil for 3½ to 4 minutes under gas (somewhat longer with an electric oven; see page 18), until the top is bubbling and the crust is nicely charred but not burnt.

4. Using the peel, transfer the pizza to a tray or serving platter. Sprinkle the Parmigiano and salt evenly over the pizza. Distribute the basil on top. Slice and serve immediately.

In the Italian town of San Casciano dei Bagni, I have a lot of old friends whom I met for the first time when I was a very young baker. We all got together thanks to the graciousness of the restaurateur Joe Allen (once a benefactor of mine and kind of royalty there), who invited me to use his house nearby. Silvestro Boni, part of the most prominent family in town, taught me to make a liver spread using the organs of veal, pig, and chicken. Back in the States, I figured I was better off just sticking with chicken liver as part of a spread that uses a few sweet ingredients to mute the power of the liver. I even like to mix shallots with onion—that might seem redundant, but shallots are sweeter and milder. Please note that in the original recipe that appears in the book, I typically use more chicken livers. I’ve listed the exact amount below.

Makes 6 to 8 toasts

10 grams (about 1 tablespoon) extra-virgin olive oil
120 grams (1 cup) diced onion
60 grams (½ cup) chopped shallots
60 grams (scant ½ cup) chopped celery
1 bay leaf
Fine sea salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
45 grams (1/3 cup) diced apple
15 grams (about ¼) unpeeled medium lemon, cut into
2 slices, seeded, and diced
15 grams (1½ tablespoons) drained capers
10 grams (about 1½ fillets) salt-packed anchovies (see page 17), rinsed and dried
450 grams (1 pound) chicken livers, rinsed, patted dry, and excess fat and veins removed
90 grams (scant 1/3 cup) sweet wine, such as Riesling or Marsala
6 to 8 slices crusty, slightly stale Italian bread, toasted
1 garlic clove, peeled

1. In a large heavy saucepan, heat the oil over low heat until hot. Add the onion, shallots, celery, and bay leaf, along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 20 minutes. Be careful not to let the vegetables burn.

2. Add the apple, lemon, and capers. Continue to cook, shaking the pan and stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Add the anchovies and livers. Do not stir; you want the livers to brown and the anchovies to break down. Cook for about 2 minutes.

3. Add the wine, stirring to dissolve the brown bits adhering to the bottom of the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Remove the bay leaf.

4. Scrape the mixture into a blender or food processor and pulse until the mixture is almost a puree but still has just a bit of texture. (If it seems too thick and pasty, add water to achieve the desired smoothness.) Scrape the liver mixture into a container. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

5. Rub one side of each toast with the garlic and spread with a generous amount of the liver mixture.