Make classic Boscaiola Pie with Jim Lahey's no-knead crust, topped with sausage, mushrooms and red onions.
Besides doughnuts, pizza is my all-time favorite food. When I got Jim Lahey’s cookbook My Pizza, my husband and I were inspired to make homemade pizza the next night – and again the week after – because this is simply the best pizza you can make at home.
As pizza connoisseurs know, the secret to great pizza is amazing crust – flavorful with good chew, crisp in some places, charred in others. It’s no surprise that Jim, famous for his simple no-knead bread method (detailed in his first book, My Bread) and founder of New York City’s Sullivan Street Bakery and pizza restaurant Co., knows how to make fabulous crust. The no-knead method takes minimal effort and allows flavor to develop slowly as the dough rests. It’s pure genius. And once you’ve mastered the crust, Jim’s creative, fresh toppings are just icing on the cake (or pie, in this case).
Try a couple pizzas from My Pizza today:
- Bird’s Nest Pie – I couldn’t resist trying this unusual springtime pizza. It doesn’t use any sauce, but you’ll never miss it with the base layer of cheese topped with shaved asparagus and eggs, all melding together beautifully. The recipe calls for quail eggs, but Jim notes you can use regular chicken eggs, preferably small.
- Boscaiola Pie – This classic pizza is topped with tomato sauce along with sausage, mushrooms and red onion.
- Ham and Peas Pie – Jim was inspired by a common Italian pasta sauce to make this pizza. It’s topped with a creamy béchamel sauce along with prosciutto, peas and fresh mint.
Use fresh spring asparagus to make this unusual Bird's Nest Pie.
We’re giving away one copy of My Pizza to one lucky winner. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment telling us your favorite pizza topping.
So, tell us, what’s your favorite type of pizza?
You must include your email address in the “Email” field when submitting your comment so we can communicate back with you if you’re the winner. (But do not post your email address into the actual body of the comment.) We’re giving one copy away to one very lucky, randomly selected commenter.
You may only comment once to be considered, and you don’t have to purchase anything to win; a purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Odds depend on total number of entries. Void where prohibited. Only open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states, D.C. or Puerto Rico, and you must be at least 18 years of age to win. All entries (comments) must be entered between 4:30 p.m. ET on April 20 and 5:00 p.m. ET on April 24. Subject to full Official Rules. By leaving a comment on the blog, you acknowledge your acceptance to the Official Rules. ARV of prize: $27.50. Sponsor: Scripps Networks, LLC, d/b/a/ Cooking Channel, 75 9th Ave., New York, NY 10011.
My absolutely favorite topping is caramelized onion with balsamic vinegar ,gorgonzola cheese and grilled radicchio! yummy!
Current favorite pizza is a thin crust margherita pizza.
Pepperoni, Grilled Onions and Roasted Garlic
Neapolitan with breaded and fried eggplant and ricotta!
My favorite pizza topping is extra cheese! Thanks for the chance.
Lemon Pepper Chicken and veggies with white sauce.
I love a four cheese white pizza with garlic, marinated tomatoes, and basil.
I'm a apprentice pizzaiolo and would love to learn more about pizza my favorite dish in the whole world!! Finddro@yahoo.com thanks for the opportunity!
Simple red sauce, lite fresh whole milk mozzarella. crunchy turkey bacon crumbled with lite pepperoni. lite sprinkle of gratted pecorino cheese.,I love pizza! I want this book.
Basil. Pesto and pine nuts with shaved pecorino Romano cheese!!!
Neapolitan style crust, white pizza with prosciutto and arugula. Yum!
Broccoli Rabe and garlic!
has to ham and bacon because everything is better with bacon
I love the classic, a perfect mozzarella cheese with tomato sauce…a little fresh basil and some parm when it comes out of the oven.
I have no favorite pizza!! There is no bad pizza!! I love all things pizza!! I do love loads of mozzarella on top though.
Thin crust with crumbled sausage and mushrooms…but also Margherita pizza!
Caramelized onions, anchovies and black olives! I just had a slice for lunch
Mushroom and hot peppers with anchovy
I love to make a good (non-traditional) Pizza Carbonara! The combination of chicken, prosciutto, Gruyere cheese, peas (or asparagus), and a light cream sauce with some basil and parsley, mmmm tasty!
Mushrooms and fresh mozzarella. Simple but oh so delicious!
panfried mushrooms, fresh mozzerella, carmelized onion, fresh basil…….ok–gotta go–getting hungry (hahaha)
arugula and prosciutto…always have to try it if i see it on a menu!
Buffalo chicken……also like hot peppers.
I love hand-tossed crust, with red sauce, Philadelphia cream cheese and basil. (Too bad I don't have an 'email' field for my comment)
Mushrooms, artichokes, olive oil – perfect!
Buffalo Chicken PIzza
crushed pineapple ,canadian bacon or alfredo with grilled chicken breast and sliced mushroomsand red onions
Pepperoni and black olives. Might have to order a pizza now!
I love any kind of pizza…but it should have mushrooms and cheesy cheese!
spinach & feta!
Sausage,blk olive,mushooom, and toasted pine nuts
My favorite is lasagna pizza… Whole wheat crust, spicy sauce (tomato, basil, peppers, and mushroom), red onions, ground turkey italian sausage, fresh spinach leaves, and big dollops of ricotta cheese with a sprinkle of parmesan over everything.
Whenever we're out, I always search for a Greek-inspired pizza. At home, we do basil pesto as a base, sprinkling on finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped artichoke hearts, chopped kalamatas, crumbled feta, oregano, and shrimp (if we have any). Finish it off with crushed red pepper, a little grated parm, some lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil. Really loved Lahey's first book and actually use his method for pizza dough for all of our pizzas now. His pizza funghi from that first book is a huge winner with my family. Thanks for the opportunity to win his second book. It looks amazing!
old school; give me that thin crust meat lovers, nice fresh tomato base topped with lots of cheese. can't beat it!
Flat bread with merlot jam, brie cheese and prosciutto. Yummmm!!
Potato, fontina, carmalized onions, and rosemary! AMAZING!
I have been influenced by Japanese cooking (primarily okanomiyaki) to put sauces and dressings decoratively on stop of a pizza, salads, and main dishes. I hope to avoid the over sauced pizza crust by doing this. I can think of a lot of Japanese and Mediterranean sauces that would be wonderful.
Pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, green peppers & onion.
Grilled chicken, caramelized onions, Gorgonzola, pine nuts and lots of crushed red pepper!!
Bacon and mushroom with a thin crisp crust
goat cheese and blackberries
Thin crust, garlic olive oil, shaved shallots, roasted rapini, red peppers, and hot Italian sausage.
Any white pizza
My favorite kind of pizza is BBQ chicken – it's my weakness!
Brussel sprouts and pancetta !
Ham and peas sounds good!
Anything with a ton of vegetables on it.
I love Chicken and bacon pizza with homeade BBQ sauce…….. YUMMY
Thick crust, ham, bacon, mushroom, fresh tomatoes, cheddar, feta and mushroom.
We just foraged some morels, asparagus, and wild garlic. I would love to make something with them on a pizza…maybe just olive oil and slabs of parm!