The culinary world has long recognized Italians as both staunch traditionalist and irrepressible innovators. In The Il Fornaio Baking Book, Italian-born chef Franco Galli celebrates these two legacies with classic and inventive recipes from the kitchens of the award winning, California-based Il Fornaio bakeries, restaurants, and cafes.

From traditional and specialty breads, focaccia, pizza, and other savory dishes, to a temptingly sweet selection of biscotti, cakes, and tarts, over seventy authentic recipes demonstrate the wonderful diversity and creativity of Italian bakers. Featured are Galli's carefully developed and easy-to-follow recipes for such Il Fornaio favorites as round, crusty loaves of pagnotta; slender, crisp breadsticks; rosemary-flecked panmarino; almond-studded cantucci di Prato; fresh fruit crostata with a layer of smooth, rich crema pasticceria; and chocolatey torta d' Alassio.

A delightful storyteller and teacher, Franco Galli introduces many of his recipes with heartwarming family memories, fascinating bits of lore, or age-old baking techniques, weaving them together in an entertaining, instructional narrative. Also included are introductory chapters on the history and art of Italian baking and selecting the best ingredients and equipment. Beautifully designed and generously illustrated with warm, hand-toned photographs, The Il Fornaio Baking Book provides a cooking experience that is deliciously Italian—contemporary yet resolutely traditional, charming and contagious in its enthusiasm for baking.