Customer Reviews

Pizza: Any Way You Slice It!

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

With pizza parlors strewn like confetti through even small American cities and several national chains offering home delivery, why would you make you own?

Because that's probably the only way you'll get a good one short of going to Italy. Most American pizza is awful--topped with tasteless "pepperoni," dotted with the synthetic glop the USDA calls "cheese-type food product."

So get Charles and Michele Scicolone's book and get to work. I only wish they'd written it sooner: I spent several years trying to figure out how to make a decent pizza without their help. Let me tell you it was a long, involved, expensive and frequently messy process. The results, in the end were excellent--except for the dough, which I could never get quite right. The Scicolones have solved that problem by doing real research in the field--by which I mean IN ITALY. As a result they recommend mixing regular flour witha certain amount of cake flour. Cake flour (the stuff used by pastry chefs, not the self-rising stuff) is softer than regular bread flour and the blend of the two types produces a soft, stretchy, easily worked dough that gives superb results.

Another reason for making your own pizza, by the way,is that it's a lot of fun. Get this book and try it.--Bill Marsano

The recipes in this book won't produce the type of pizza you are used to seeing and tasting from Pizza Hut. If you are looking for a healthier, more authentic version, you will enjoy and use this book. Yes, you will need a pizza stone. I bought this book and a pizza stone at the same time, excited about what my results would produce. The crust turned out perfectly on my very first try. The recipes are easy to follow and the results leave you with a beautiful creation. The book's chapters include, ingredients and equipment you will need, pizza dough, neapolitan pizza, american pizza, filled pizzas, calzoni and turnovers, regional italian pizzas and flat breads, focaccia, antipasti and accompaniments, what wines to serve with pizza, a list of the author's favorite pizzerias, and mail sources for those items you may not be able to find in your area. Try the margherita pizza, the focaccio and the deep dishes. They're fantastic. Our particular favorites are follonico's summer seafood pizza and the pancetta and rosemary focaccia. The results are wonderful because the recipes call for the freshest ingredients you can find. Our favorite part of the book, however, is the trivia interspersed about the book filled with the history of pizza and the people who love it!

This is a very accessible, thorough book on how to make great pizza (and other Italian breads) from scratch at home.

I echo the sentiments about American pizza in Bill Marsano's review; I grew up buying soggy, greasy pizza, and I swore off that kind of junk in order to eat more healthy. But when you make your own pizza, you can control how much cheese and meat you put on it. Using the recipes from this book, your pizza will taste better than anything you can buy and no pizza joint can deliver the feeling of accomplishment that comes when your efforts get better and better.

Every week I make pizza using the recipes for dough and sauce from this book. Friday has become homemade pizza night at our house, and even my notoriously picky 7 year old nephew devours our pizza. The "pizza maker's sauce" (p. 67) drew raves from our guests when we used it on pasta. The dough recipes are flexible: the pizzas in the pictures have thick crusts, which is the way my family likes it. If you want thinner, crispier crusts, simply roll the dough thinner.

The book contains recipes to approximate authentic Italian pizzas using American flour. Being brought up in the US I wouldn't know authentic Italian pizza any more than I'd know authentic Indian food, but the Scicolones traveled to Italy for a taste of the real thing. So if you're a purist, it's all here, including recommendations for quality pizza joints worldwide.

I've watched cooking shows and found random pizza dough recipes off of the internet. I just could not find the perfect actual Italian pizza dough that I experienced in Rome and Sardinia. I bought this book about two years ago, but after being so discouraged making the wrong type pizza dough, it took me that look to make it! Finally, I made it, and the Neopolitan pizza dough is PERFECT! I will now regularly make pizza thanks to this book! Thank you thank you thank you!

I was surprised to see all seven previous reviewers of this book gave it a five. I rarely if ever see that, however I understand why. In recent months my husband and I have decided to eat healthier, I joined Weight Watchers and he came along for the ride, even if not officially in the program. As such we gave up Pizza Hut and the other national chains in our area. They were a convenience, but not worth what they are doing to our bodies.

I began making pizza on my own and while it was good, there was still something missing. I didn't have the technique quite perfected, it was good and healthier than the national chains, but still lacked something. Last night we made Follonco's Roasted Vegetable Pizza (pg 92) using the Roasted Vegetable recipe (pg 188), Neapolitan-Style Pizza dough (pg 36) and the Pizza Maker's Sauce (pg 67). By accident I combined both the classic Neapolitan pizza crust with the American style sauce and toppings. We loved it.

The Neapolitan crust is very thin and crispy, which is my favorite, the sauce is extremely simple, yet very tasty, and the toppings will be made again in our house I am sure. One of the things I loved about this pizza was the last bite was just as crispy as the first. The crust did not get limp or soggy.

Because the dough recipe made two pizzas, I froze the second. To do this, roll the dough out, place on a floured cookie sheet, wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. It will keep upto a month like this. Do not thaw the dough, simply add the toppings and place directly on the stone still frozen. It is a great way to make your dough ahead of time and get fresh pizza on those nights you are in hurry.

Each section of the book includes tips, fun facts and general interest items that will increase your knowledge of pizza and skill in making it.

Because I previously was making pizza I had a stone available. It really is a must in order to get the crisp texture on the crust. If you think you will never be able to convince people to like this healthier version of pizza just try, you will be really surprised. Six months ago if you had asked my husband if he would ever eat anything but Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust pizza loaded with "cheese-food" and greasy meat he would have laughed at you. I have converted him and you will be surprised who you will convert next. This book is a great starting point. Once you have perfected each of the techniques the combinations of crust, sauce and toppings are endless. I strongly encourage you not to wait any longer to buy this book. Eating healthy no longer means forgoing one of America's favorite foods.

I absolutely recommend this book to any and all pizza lovers. The recipes are extremely authentic, calling for only the freshest ingredients. They are introduced by individual narratives discussing the region each recipe comes from. Plus, the authors have included specific recommendations for turning out superb doughs, from the type of salt and water to use to techniques for rolling the dough. I have given this book as a gift to all my friends and family who are true aficionados of Italian flatbreads--and that is the ultimate compliment!

This book is very easy to follow recipes such as pizza dough.Which was out this world.I was never able to master pizza dough.

Not much new to add to what's already been said by other reviewers. This book is great and a surprisingly neat trick to making the dough the way pizza dough is meant to be! Now when I get time on weekends, I take out the book and try out a new recipe each time with my two sons. It's a lot of fun!!

I bought this book 'used' from a seller on Amazon. It arrived quickly and in near perfect condition. What a bargain! I love the Neapolitan dough recipe - it has improved my pizza-making no end on it's own. It tastes truly authentic and has the great flavour and texture I've been trying to achieve for months! The focaccia is great too. This book is full of interesting and helpful info on pizza-making and the recipes are so abundant and so yummy sounding (and so easy!) I can't wait to keep trying more! Definitely recommend.

very nice! I have purchased unglazed quarry tiles to bake on and it is wonderful!