Craft Pizza ─ Homemade Classic, Sicilian and Sourdough Pizza, Calzone and Focaccia

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 either 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 flavoured with oranges, almonds and lemon. Try Calzones and Pizza Pies such as Calzone alla Parmigianaand 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.

Maxine Clark is a leading food writer and a gifted cooking teacher. She has taught in well-known cooking schools, such as Leith's in London, and has taught at Alistair Little's Tasting Places in Sicily and Tuscany. While in Italy, she has collected recipes that best display its strong and sunny flavours, and teaches them to students from all over the World. Her work regularly appears in magazines and newspapers such as BBC Good Food and Food and Travel.