American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza

by Peter Reinhart

Master bread baker Peter Reinhart follows the origins of pizza from Italy to the States, capturing the stories behind the greatest artisanal pizzas of the Old World and the New.

Beginning his journey in Genoa, Reinhart scours the countryside in search of the fabled focaccia col formaggio. He next heads to Rome to sample the famed seven-foot-long pizza al taglio , and then to Naples for the archetypal pizza napoletana. Back in America, the hunt resumes in the unlikely locale of Phoenix, Arizona, where Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco has convinced many that his pie sets the new standard in the country. The pizza mecca of New Haven, grilled pizza in Providence, the deep-dish pies of Chicago, California-style pizza in San Francisco and Los Angeles—these are just a few of the tasty attractions on Reinhart's epic tour.

Returning to the kitchen, Reinhart gives a master class on pizza-making techniques and provides more than 60 recipes for doughs, sauces and toppings, and the pizzas that bring them all together. His insatiable curiosity and gift for storytelling make American Pie essential reading for those who aspire to make great pizza at home, as well as for anyone who enjoys the thrill of the hunt.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Travel, Reference, Italy

272 pages, Hardcover

First published November 2, 2003

About the author

Peter Reinhart is a master baker, educator, and award-winning author, renowned for his deep exploration of bread and pizza. His books, including The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza, and Bread Revolution, have redefined the way people think about baking. With multiple James Beard Awards under his belt, he is considered one of the most influential voices in the world of bread and artisan baking.
A passionate teacher, Peter serves as a Chef on Assignment at Johnson & Wales University, where he shares his expertise with aspiring bakers. He has also worked as a consultant for major food brands, helped develop innovative baking techniques, and even delivered a TED Talk on the transformative power of bread.
His lifelong quest for the perfect pizza led him on a journey across the U.S. and Italy, documented in American Pie, and continues through Pizza Quest, a blog where he explores the art and craft of pizza-making.
Peter’s work goes beyond recipes—he delves into the history, science, and philosophy of baking, believing that bread is not just food but a metaphor for transformation and discovery. Whether you’re a home baker, a professional, or just someone who loves a good loaf, his books offer inspiration, technique, and a deep appreciation for the magic of fermentation.

Reviews

[Stef · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this book in 2008 when we were planning eldest's high school graduation party, so we could offer make-your-own pizzas. great fun for all the teens but of course a mess. i premade all the crusts using 3 recipes from this book and kept them in the fridge, ready for stretching, topping and baking. a few days later we had a thunderstorm and power outage that lasted 2 days. thank goodness for the premade pizza crusts in the fridge we could grill pizza and did just that. good times.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this book a score of 5 not because of the literary elements, but because of the recipes. As a result of reading this book, I now make pizza that is better than any I've ever eaten out at a restaurant. I'm sure that there is pizza better than mine out there, but I haven't had it.

Seriously. Read this book and all restaurant pizza will be a let down in the future.

Plus, it helps that I have a pizza stone and a convection oven.

[Carrie Templeton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both the quest and the recipes make this book phenomenal.

[barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned I need a hearth insert for our gas oven and, furthermore, that I cannot delay another year the building of a brick dome oven in our backyard. The hearth insert came and it rocks. Pizzas in 6 minutes and better than the Neapolitan Punch pizza place in St. Paul (more consistently cooked not mushy in the middle). Opened my eyes to grilling pizza over hardwood charcoal on the Weber. Great stuff.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I love pizza, and also because I saw a reading challenge for picking a book in February with the word "pie" in the title. I really enjoyed this book, both for the hunt for the best restaurant pizza and for the recipes. This is a fun one if you're a pizza fan like me!

[Eric Mesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a cookbook this one is fascinating. It will not be a huge surprise to those who have read Reinhart's other bread books, but the first half of the book is entirely prose. Reinhart takes us on a journey through America to Italy and back as he explores the types of pizzas. This is not just self-indulgence and it doesn't just help the reader believe that Reinhart knows what he's talking about. It also serves to educate us on the origins of pizza and to understand that the pizzas we may have grown up eating are not the only way for pizza to be.

That said, unlike The Bread Baker's Apprentice, Everyday Artisan Breads, or his whole wheat bread book, you can skip this first half if you wish and not have any issues cooking the pizzas. The intro is not about the science of pizza (in the way that those other books use the first chunk to not only talk about Reinhart's bread journey, but also talk about the science of bread baking), so it's wholly extra.

I have not yet made the pizzas from this book, but I have made pizzas from Reinhart's Pan Pizza book and those have been incredibly tasty. I look forward to making these as well.

[Phil M · Rating 3 out of 5]

About 1/3 the book details Peter's adventures throughout Europe & the US searching for "the best" pizza; the middle 1/3 describes different dough recipes and how to bake them; the remaining 1/3 lists umpteen permutations of pizza toppings.

I found the middle 1/3 (recipes and baking suggestions) the most interesting/useful in my own search for the perfect home-baked pizza. My big disappointment was that the ingredients weren't listed by weight, but rather by volume measurement (cu/tbsp/tsp vs g/oz) which I was very surprised at for a baking book! (Note: check out https://www.fornobravo.com/pizzaquest/ for many of the same recipes, but with weights)

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is easily one of my favorite cookbooks ever. I picked up pizza making as a hobby years ago, and this has been a go-to when trying out new styles. The recipes are wonderful, and Reinhart's stories about searching for great pizza around the world are thoroughly enjoyable.

[Joel M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great recipes and a fun quest for pizza. Would have given 5 stars had he not completed omitted tavern style pizza in Chicago, Lou’s is my favorite deep dish but the thin crust, cut in squares is so good…tourist mistake!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun travelogue linking pizza from Italy to various places in the US combined with an eclectic sampling of pizza types with well-considered recipes.

[Natalie Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

good recipe for Italian style crust using combo of regular and 00 flours

[Jaron Stacey]

I have made some of my best pizzas using the recipes in this book.

[Kirk Dobihal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The line mentioning the difference between Pepe's and Sally's is like the difference between Coke and Pepsi is as unforgettable as this book.

[David Yaede]

Margaret

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect, true pizza is one of those things that can polarise opinions, test friendships and create disputes - and that is just in the United States before one examines what purports to be the true pizza from different Italian regions and how other countries interpret the true pizza.

This book sets out to find what the author claims is the perfect pizza and shows along the way the sheer trouble involved in examining dozens of varieties that vie to be the one true thing. A search for the Holy Grail indeed. But one can have fun along the way.

The search starts in Italy, predictably enough, with a number of possible reference or calibration samples being examined which are more likely to add confusion to the mix. One gets a great sense of history and tradition as well as an understanding of regional variety and variation which will give a background to similar situations that arrive in the form of exported versions.

Then it is a return to the United States where the great American road trip and debate can begin. A number of American states are visited with their highlights or specific takes on the pizza (New York versus Chicago, how Philadelphia stakes up, etc.) examined and whilst preferences may be indicated by the author a real conclusion can never be reached as tastes can and do vary. Yet it is fun to ride along with the author and learn along the way.

And before one can be tired of travel, confused by the regional differences and not sure what to do next one is transported back to the kitchen to learn how to do the basics of pizza preparation in a self-styled pizza masterclass. Over 60 recipes for different pizza doughs, sauces and toppings are offered along with advice on how to best combine ingredients and dishes together for good effect. Consideration is given to the fact that not everybody will have access to a restaurant-grade pizza oven as well, so one need not feel inferior or less capable. Certainly by the end of the book one should feel confident to do their own restaurant-quality pizza at home, although part of the restaurant experience (and delight of having the food made for you?) sadly cannot be provided. Swings and roundabouts but still one will be eating a good pizza.

This is not a recipe book with a few recipes thrown in for good measure but a definable, quality reference work that provides both education, inspiration and scope for personal development.

When all things are considered, this book will not provide an answer to the question "what is the authentic, definitive pizza?", yet it provides a great deal of education albeit in a style that is light to read and a pleasure to implement. This is likely to be a firm reference work that will be regularly consulted when one is looking for inspiration for pizza baking.

American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza, written by Peter Reinhart and published by Ten Speed Press. ISBN 978-1-58008-422-2, 224 pages. Typical price: GBP27.


// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //

[Yaaresse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pizza may be, IMO, one of the world's perfect foods when done right. Unfortunately, it's getting harder and harder to find good pizza, so I usually make it from scratch. Having learned a lot about bread baking from Reinhart's Crust and Crunb and Brother Juniper's Bread Book, I thought this book might help me fine-tune my pizza technique.

The book is in two parts: travelogue/hunt for the perfect pizza and recipes. The hunt for the perfect pizza is amusing, but gets a little tedious as it goes on. It pretty much qualifies as vicarious pizza enjoyment since not many of us have the time, money, or leeway to travel Europe and the US sampling pizza. (But wouldn't it be FUN?) What we discover -- SPOILER -- is that Reinhardt feels some of the best pizza in the US is in Arizona. Uh huh. I'm not saying it isn't, but I doubt even the world's best pizza is worth having to go to Arizona to get it.

I tried three of the crusts in the cookbook. Frankly, I (and my tasting volunteer spouse) didn't think they were substantially better than what I had been making before reading this book. (My two go-to crusts are one from Nick Malgieri's How to Bake and a sourdough crust I basically came up with from trial and error.) The sauces, however, were good, and I'll probably use those as my go-to sauces in the future with some modifications for texture/consistency.

Reinhart is of the "thou must have a pizza stone or hearth" school. I'm sure it does improve the crust, but they are energy inefficient unless one is making a cooking several pizzas/bread at once. Again, not made of money here nor interested in increasing utility bills.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this suffered a little in comparison with Reinhart's other books, which i adore and have much more bread science in them. There was a little here, but when I wanted to know why something mattered I always ended up going back to his other books to look it up.

The first section, a bit of a travelogue of different pizza places in Italy and the US, was really enjoyable to start with. I did find it went on a bit too long, and was perhaps a little reliant on the readers knowing a little about US pizza, which I don't. I couldn't quite get why some of the US towns were necessary stops, perhaps they are important to the US pizza story.

Finally, the recipes… good bread recipes, nice instructions for different oven configurations, how to toss pizza dough, etc. Strangely it repeated some of the contextual stories from earlier in the book, which may just be poor editing. The main reason it didn't click for me was the lack of technique and science which I adore in his other books.

In summary, if you're a US-based pizzaphile who's interested in learning to cook good pizzas, this is the book for you! If you're a keen bread baker who has loved his other books, you may be disappointed, check out whether the couple of dough recipes you don't already have will make the book worth it (I am glad to have the Sardinian Carta di Musica recipe). If you're not US-based make sure the recipe section will be worth it as the bulk of the travelogue is around US town sampling pizzas Reinhart thinks you will recognise.

[Richard Quis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for pizza hunters, pizza makers and restaurant entrepreneurs. Peter Reinhardt has the rare talent to explain the role of provincial food memories in re-creating your perfect pizza, the challenges of producing flavors of universal appeal and the energy and passion needed to make consistently memorable pizza.

Explore the magical world of pizza - college-town pizza, pizza vesuvio, seven-foot long pizza, DOC standard pizza, grilled pizza, deep-dish pie, New York pizza and pizza on sheet-music-thin crust. The book is full of hunger inducing sentences - "The crust was perfectly crisp, the cheese nicely caramelized, the edge slightly charred and the sauce nice and tangy." With those kinds of descriptions, you'll know where to get great pizza, what makes it special and how to make it. While I'm a pizza hunter - I've eaten pizza in over 14 counties - I made the grilled pizza and it was wonderful.

If you follow the recipes and business sense outlined in this book, your guests will leave your establishment or home-table with a comforting and satisfying smile on their face. To paraphrase Peter Reinhart: They will dream about your pizza. They will crave it. They will surely regret not being able to find anything like it.

If you aren't afraid of being seduced by pizza and wish to create magical moments, then Peter Reinhart's American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza will be a great read..

[Adrian Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book highly enjoyable. I loved following Reinhart on his travels through Italy and America searching for the perfect pizza. He brings some truths to the search that speak not only for pizza, but for any earnest search for something meaningful. He describes the difference between what he calls "contextual perfection" and "paradigmatic perfection". Reinhart describes how the context in which we do something (such as eat a pizza), can enhance an experience to the point that what we perceive is perfection. Paradigmatic perfection, however, is the actual components crafted together in an expert way. When both types of perfection collide is when we get one of those rare moments of pure perfection.

I am making this book sound more intellectual than it actually is. Mostly it is just a good romp through the world on a search for something tasty. The recipes are good and in the end it made me think about the nature of our perceptions. Plus he advocates for bringing back the pizzaioli as a serious occupation. An overall success of a book!

[Ensiform · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 87 pages of this book is the narrative; I skipped the 170 or so pages of recipes, which I had no interest in. Spurred by an unsatisfactory visit to a favorite pizza joint of his boyhoood, Reinhart travels to Milan, Rome, Naples, New York, New Haven, Providence and several other cities in search for pizza.

He learns of the strict rules that govern the making of real pizza napoletana, and in the U.S. comes across “pizzas” that stretch the meaning of the word, such as sushi and toppings on a tortilla; a vegan, raw food pizza; and the sauceless cheese-and-toppings pies from the Cheese Board. He talks with pizzaiolos all over, and realizes that passion for the craft is what makes pizza good more than the kind of oven or fuel, or even the ingredients. Reinhart has the skill as a writer to get readers worked up about his passions, and this certainly made me want to eat pizza. In the end, though, the writing style is much closer to a series of restaurant reviews than travel writing (with the focus on the quest or the events), so I was a bit disappointed.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the dough recipes alone, this book gets 5 stars. The tale of a search around the world for great pizza is entertaining and enlightening. I must admit, the sauce recipes are not so great. I did only try the tomato based sauces, because I'm a traditionalist when it comes to pizza. Red sauce, cheese, meat, veggies. I do like BBQ sauce on occasion, but that becomes almost something different entirely. Luckily, I was able to develop what I believe is the perfect pizza sauce on my own. At least it's perfect for my tastes, and very simple.

In any case, thanks to this book and the dough recipes it contains, as well as the techniques, I have stopped ordering out for pizza. It's really, truly that good.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just about everyone loves pizza. Peter Reinhart does too. Through travels across the U.S. and in Italy he relates the experience of eating at some of the worlds best pizzarias. A very entertaining read and then some very detailed recipes for several types of dough and mixing and baking particulars. Also are some traditional and no so traditional topping combinations.

My own pizza dough routine has been tweaked and and is better for his insights into how to coax out the qualities of a great pizzaria crust. I also have finally gotten a simple homemade tomato sauce that I'm satisfied with. His instructions are clear for a simply amazing focaccia. And if you eat it with loved ones and sop up the ends with balsamic syrup then you have had a good day.

[Lindsi]

Gets kind of tedious through the "hunt" section, and recalls a recent piece in The Atlantic about foodies and food porn. The long and short is that the best pizza still lives in Italy. In the US, he says it's in Arizona - and pizzeta something or other in the Richmond is the best place in SF.m the recipes are informative - but very little instruction on actual technique, unless you cross-reference the section in the "hunt" part of the book. Long and short is that if you already kinda know now to form a pizza crust from a dough ball, you can probably make this work. Otherwise, try the test kitchen's way first. And note that they don't throw the dough in Italy. That's a American tradition...

[Andrew Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, though be warned - it's not exactly a regular cookbook. The first half is a bit of a travelogue and personal journey as Peter seeks out different types of pizza around the world, trying to capture some of the flavours of his youth and of the history of pizza. The second half consists of recipes which recreate the various pizzas he was impressed with in his travels.

I really liked this mix; it provides a context to his abiding interest in pizza and also provides a useful perspective - there's no one perfect pizza as there are so many different and good variations out there. Peter has excellent taste, and makes a great tour guide.

[Anthony Hessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my life. For anyone looking for a fantastic book about pizza, this is not only a must-read, but a must-own. I've always been a fan of pizza, and reading about the travels in search of great pizza really resonated with my inner pizza lover. The recipes section of the book is unparalleled, and serves as a fantastic reference for any different type of pizza you may want to make. Thanks to this book's recipes, my grilled pizza went from mediocre to amazing after switching my dough recipe to the grilled pizza dough recipe in this book.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Reinhardt is the best bread teacher as far as I am concerned. I have a large collection of bread books but have learned the most from his books and his videos on craftsy.com. As pizza is a form of bread I got Reinhardt's book on pizza. The beginning of the book is about his journey to several places in Italy and then across the United States trying different pizzas in search of the best. What follows is a host of pizza recipes, including many different styles of doughs, sauces and toppings. An excellent treasury for anyone who loves to make pizza.

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not ashamed to say I paid full price for an autographed copy of this at Reinhart's Pie Town Restaurant in Charlotte, NC. His pizza dough recipes are the reason I make pizza at home and turn my nose up to most of what I eat otherwise. You might not need this cookbook if you have the Bread Baker's Apprentice pizza crust recipe and are good at using your own creativity, but I found it instructive regarding grilling pizza, toppings balance, and ingredients.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book ever!

The first part covers the author's travels while he discovers the myriad styles of pizza made in the US and Italy. Which I found very interesting because he delves into some of the history behind the styles.

The second part is all about making pizza. The author offers tips, techniques and recipes for making pizza at home. I have not found a bad recipe yet, they have all been delicious.

[Dan Appel · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy Pizza wish to understand and want to be able to make it at home then why not learn from the best!

Peter Reinhart is recognized as the premier teacher of baking (as opposed to pastry) in the world. This is the story of his odyssey to find the world's best pizza. A fun read filled with all kinds of recipes and techniques for making this wonderful health food - high gluten flour, low fat un-aged cheese, healthy vegetables and mushrooms - come on, that's health food isn't it?

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've learned to make the best homemade pizza dough by reading this book. I have yet to try all of the recipes, but the few I have tried have been excellent. Also, I enjoyed learning about the differences in pizza styles from Italy to the U.S. - and when I finished the book, I felt this overwhelming need to go around to my local pizza joints and analyze their pies. It was....Good Reads.