• bching on April 05, 2015

  My new go to pizza dough. I may never make any other. I agree with the previous reviewer that the dough is easier to handle if you let it rest for awhile after shaping it into balls.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Pizza dough

  • debkellie on May 15, 2015

    Really easy, really light, pizza crust. I was even tempted to try throwing into shape! I was dubious at first that just a 1/4 tsp yeast would deliver.. but 14 hours later (benched in an 18 - 20 C kitchen) truly doubled in size and a lovely dough to work with.

  • Astrid5555 on November 10, 2015

    Ideal for those days when you can plan ahead and need something that requires no effort. Produces a nice pizza dough with a great crust.

  • Rutabaga on April 01, 2015

    This recipe produced the best pizza crust I have ever made - and I've made quit a few. It's really true that no kneading is required, and it only takes five minutes to stir the ingredients together the night before you make your pizzas, making great pizza possible even on a busy weeknight - chewy yet tender, and plump with beautiful air pockets, just like the photos in the book. I liked it so much, I made it three times in one week! One time I used bread flour, and noticed no real difference. One comment I read on Amazon stated that there is a missing step in the book, and you should allow the balls of dough to rest for another hour after shaping them. I didn't find it problematic to start stretching the dough right away, although I did find that the balls that had sat the longest were easier to stretch, so if you have the time it's probably worth waiting.

• Basic tomato sauce

  • k.a.g on July 06, 2013

    I used tinned San Marzano tomatoes, added the salt and oil, and crushed them with my hands: pizza sauce in sixty seconds! I won't be buying sauce again. Having said that, after tasting the first pizza I added a bit more salt. Loved the simplicity of flavours and technique though.

  • Rutabaga on April 01, 2015

    This recipe gets points for being so utterly simple - no cooking required if you used canned tomatoes. I used San Marzano tomatoes and squeezed them through the largest holes on my ricer. The sauce was a little finer in texture than the one that appears in the photo. From the looks of the photo, I'd say Lahey doesn't intend for you to mix the tomato juice from the can in with the pulped tomatoes, but he doesn't explicitly state that. I added the juice, but did find that the extra liquid can make for soggy crust in the thin spots if you use too much.

• Ham and peas pie

  • Rutabaga on April 01, 2015

    This was a hit with both my husband and three-year-old. Having no mint, I left that out, but otherwise followed the recipe. The sweet peas and salty prosciutto are a winning combination. Don't forget to include a little fresh grated nutmeg in the béchamel sauce; that adds a hint of complexity to what is really a straightforward topping.

• Cauliflower pie

  • wcassity on July 26, 2015

    I've cooked most of the pizzas in this book, and this was one of our favorites. The cauliflower, green olives and bread crumbs taste delicious together and unlike any other dish I've had before.

  • hirsheys on April 29, 2018

    This was my first time making Lahey's pizza dough and it worked really well for me, over all. The dough is pretty sticky, but just use gentle floured hands on the outsides of the balls. Stretch ball directly on a piece of parchment on top of pizza peel. Make sure to position pizza stone close enough to broiler. This combo is super delicious. A few notes: 1) It took much longer to roast the cauliflower to the point of "charred and translucent in spots". 2) Rather than sprinkling raw garlic on top of the pizza as one of the toppings I'd stir it directly into the bechamel so that the taste is a little less raw. 3) I wasn't clear about whether the mozzarella that was called for was fresh or not and the weight called for in the recipe seemed way off. I used about half of the block of mozzarella pulled into chunks, which worked great. 4) Bread crumbs were yummy, but not sure they were necessary. This was a definite keeper!

• Broccoli rabe pie

  • Rutabaga on March 31, 2015

    I made this with mild, sweet spring broccoli rabe from the farmer's market, so the flavor was much less assertive than you would usually expect with rabe. Having no provolone, I substituted some semi-aged cow's milk cheese, also from the farmers market, also relatively mild and sweet. It was a very good pizza, but I missed the stronger flavors that would come with a more bitter rabe and some aged provolone. It's definitely a topping combination to try again.

• Bird's nest pie

  • sosayi on May 22, 2018

    I loved the combo of flavors: asparagus, Saint Nectaire (I subbed a similar cheese), parmesan, and gooey eggs. I also added some truffle oil on top, which is mentioned on the Serious Eats' review of the recipe, but not in the book. I'd definitely make it again, but with a few tweaks. First, make sure you have LARGE asparagus for making ribbons. Second, if you're substituting regular eggs, make sure to cook them a bit longer. I added a bit of time, but not enough. I'd say add from the beginning, but it also helps to crisp everything underneath up first... so maybe I'd make wells in the asparagus topping in advance of putting the pie in for an initial char. That way, the bottom in those spots would cook and set up faster, and I could add the eggs sooner. In all, a great spring pie.

• Shiitake with walnut puree pie

  • bching on April 05, 2015

    This recipe needed a few tweaks: more salt than the recipe called for and a splash of walnut oil on the mushrooms before the pizza slid in the oven (rather than after). Cut the mushrooms as thin as possible.

• Garlic scape and lovage pesto toasts

  • TrishaCP on June 01, 2017

    We only made the pesto and not the toast-we served the pesto with linguine. The lovage's sometimes too strong for me celery flavor worked really well with the garlic scapes, somehow lightening them. Not sure this replaces a perfect basil pesto in my heart, but this was an interesting change of pace.

• Asparagus and avocado salad

  • Rutabaga on March 31, 2015

    I made this salad because I happened to have the ingredients on hand, except for the mint. Even without the mint, it's a pleasing mix of texture and flavors, but I can see how the mint would amplify the flavors. This comes together really quickly, perfect as an elegant salad that can be whipped up while your pizza is baking.

• Kale and brown rice vinegar salad

  • Rutabaga on March 20, 2015

    This is the simplest kale salad I've ever made, yet also one of the most delicious. The brown rice vinegar really adds something special. I made it even simpler by leaving out the celery root, but found that the kale and apples together made a great pair with the vinaigrette.

• Huffington Post

  Here he offers his distinctive, simple no-knead dough, known for producing a flavorful, thin, crispy crust, and a truly imaginative array of toppings.

  Full review

• Oregonian

  ...many of the recipes are beyond what most home cooks are willing to do for a pizza, unless you're really into shaving your asparagus or tracking down a half-dozen quail eggs.

  Full review

• Serious Eats

  It's full of creative pies topped with gorgeous and unexpected combos like corn and tomato, squash and pumpkin seeds, and brussels sprouts and chestnuts...

  Full review

• Food52

  If we revolutionaries have learned anything from the internet, it's that we'd best listen to Jim Lahey. He'll probably be bored by us...we went with his classic Margherita Pie, and it was awfully good

  Full review