PizzaPedia: Favorite Recipes from Across America

Who knew there were so many different kinds of pizza? Mumford (The Food Good Cookbook), a World Food Championships–certified judge and culinary writer, does, and after traveling the globe in search of great pizza, he distills everything he discovered into this thoughtful guide. After a section on basic equipment and ingredients (during which cooks will discover that Mumford is no fan of pizza stones or tap water), the book divides pizza into four main categories: Neapolitan, pan, Sicilian, and thin crust. Within each of these four types, 30 different regional styles are explored, totaling over 100 recipes. Basic dough (with some gluten-free options) and sauce recipes become the building blocks for everything from the classic pizza Margherita to Chicago deep dish. Pizza aficionados will especially appreciate the detail Mumford pays to regional variations such as the Colorado mountain-style pizza, with a dough that incorporates whole wheat flour and honey. Recipes for pizza-adjacent items, such as calzones and stromboli, are also included.