Franco Pepe: Pizza Chef

This is a pizza book for readers who want to understand why one dough recipe might be enough—if it’s the right one. Franco Pepe, whose pizzeria in the Campanian village of Caiazzo draws travelers from around the world, has built his reputation not on novelty but on a singular combination of tradition, precision, and creativity.

Pepe comes from three generations of bread bakers and pizzaioli. When he lost his father unexpectedly, he tried to recover the family’s signature crust by studying with Naples pizza makers—only to realize it had no true parallel. That realization became the foundation for Pepe in Grani, the pizzeria where he now reimagines the local food landscape through pizza.

This book is rooted in that story and in the ingredients of the surrounding region. Just 30 recipes follow a single dough, but the range of flavors is striking. There’s pork from the Black Casertano pig, whose flavor reflects a diet of acorns and chestnuts; chickpea purée paired with bitter greens; and rare Vesuvian apricots folded into a crisp, balanced dessert pizza.

Pepe’s approach is personal and passionate, but never self-indulgent. His combinations are thoughtful, rooted in place, and often surprisingly restrained. He invites cooks to borrow from his ideas—but without telling them how pizza should be made.

Photographs are warm and expressive, offering a sense of both place and process. The supporting essays and forewords add context without crowding out the central voice.

Best suited to cooks looking for creative direction rather than technical instruction, this is a compelling portrait of a pizza maker who thinks like a regional chef.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.