The only comprehensive book, in English or Italian, to cover the entire range of Italian baking, from breadsticks and cornetti to focaccia, tarts, cakes, and pastries. This latest edition, updated for a new generation of home bakers, has added four-color photography throughout, plus new recipes, ingredients and equipment sections, source guides, and weights. Carol Field introduces artisanal doughs and techniques used by generations of Italian bakers. Every city and hill town has its own unique baking traditions, and Field spent more than two years traversing Italy to capture the regional and local specialties, adapting them through rigorous testing in her own kitchen. Field's authentic recipes are a revelation for anyone seeking the true Italian experience. Here's a chance to make golden Altamura bread from Puglia, chewy porous loaves from Como, rosemary bread sprinkled with coarse sea salt, dark ryes from the north, simple breads studded with toasted walnuts, succulent fig bread, and Sicilian loaves topped with sesame seeds.One of the most revered baking books of all time, The Italian Baker is a landmark work that continues to be a must-have for every serious baker. Winner of the International Association of Culinary Professionals Award for best baking bookNamed to the James Beard Baker's Dozen list of thirteen indispensable baking books of all time

Vii Acknowledgments Ix Preface 1 Bread in Italy 15 Baking Basics 15 About the Recipes 17 Ingredients• The Basic Four• Additional Ingredients for Bread• Additional Ingredients for Pastry and Cookies 42 Equipment• The Basic Three • Other Essentials• Optional but Definitely Nice to Have• Additional Equipment for Pizza• Additional Equipment for Pastry 51 Techniques• Techniques for Baking Bread • Techniques for Baking Tarts, Cakes, and Cookies  67 PANI69 Pani Regionali e Rustici REGIONAL AND RUSTIC BREADS70 Classic Tastes of Italy103 Tastes of the Countryside 127 Pani Moderni MODERN BREADS128 Vegetable and Herb Breads146 Breads of Various Grains  159 Gli Avanzi USING LEFTOVER BREADS160 Savory Dishes174 Bread-Based Desserts  177 Pani Festivi CELEBRATION BREADS179 Fruit and Nut Breads191 Lightly Sweetened Breads199 Sweet and Holiday Breads 223 Panini e Grissini ROLLS AND BREADSTICKS223 Panini238 Panini Dolci243 Grissini 249 Pizze e Focacce PIZZAS AND FOCACCIAS254 Pizza269 Focaccia 283 Pani Raffinati ELEGANT BREADS285 Sweet Croissants290 Savory Croissants298 Puff Pastry312 Savory Appetizers 315 DOLCI 317 Crostate TARTS319 Basic Tart Doughs324 Basic Pastry Creams327 Fruit and Jam Tarts339 Nut Tarts343 Chocolate Tarts 345 Torte CAKES347 Ricotta Cheesecakes and Creamy Rice Tarts354 Spice Cakes and Fruitcakes361 Sponge Cakes 369 Biscotti COOKIES371 Nut Paste Cookies380 Butter Cookies389 Biscotti393 Cookies of Various Grains397 Sweet Pastry Dough Cookies399 Chocolate Nut Cookies 401 Appendix: Source Guide to Ingredients and Equipment 405 Index