Doesn’t the name of pizza water your mouth? It’s such a simple dish yet turns out to be a favorite for most people. Just three things – toppings, sauce, and dough make up such an easy and scrumptious dish. Pizza sellers in the States have tried to tweak the way of making it and came up with so many different types of pizza. This culinary creation has created havoc and made it to favorites of so many people. This blog will tell you about each type of pizza and how they turn out to be different from each other. But before we get into the different pizzas, let us see how it all started?
Where it all started?
You must be already aware that Pizza is an Italian dish. It’s basically a flat disk of dough with a layer of sauce, cheese, and then topped up with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, olives, and more. You need to bake it in an oven using wooden heat and served while it’s steaming hot.
The most classical type of pizza is the Margherita. It has a topping of tomato sauce, tomatoes, basil with lots of mozzarella cheese too. You will find this traditional pizza to be named after the legend Umberto I’s wife, Queen Margherita. She wanted a fresh yet mild flavors in her pizza. More so, the toppings of the pizza were done keeping in mind the colors of the Italian flag. That is red, green, and white.
The United States saw its first pizza in 1905. But do you know how it was introduced into the States? Well, the Italian natives living in New York introduced the lovely dish into the country. It started gaining immense popularity in America just after World war II. Moreover, it was so popular that hardly any hamlet lacked a pizzeria there.
Some of the common toppings Americans used were – bacon, pepperoni, bell peppers, ground beef, sausages, and mushrooms. But some unusual ingredients that made their way to the pizza top were truffles, pancetta and arugula. Moreover, the variations depend a lot on the regions in the United States. Each region has come up with a unique way of making their pizza. For instance, Chicago-style pizza or the Deep- dish pizza is from Chicago.
So, aren’t you eager to know which type of pizza is your favorite? Scroll down to know more!
Type of Pizza
Here is a list of every type of pizza and you’ll know how they are different from each other. Which are:
Neapolitan Pizza
You will find the Neapolitan type of pizza to be the original pizza. It is believed to have been originated in Naples, a place in Italy.
If you’ve ever tasted the Neapolitan pizza then you must have noticed it to be light and crispy too. It is considered thin among the different types of crusts.
The authentic Neapolitan dough is absolutely kneaded by hand. Even if it’s commercially sold, you just cannot use any mechanism apart from your hands. The diameter of this thin pizza crust should be 35cms and not an inch more than that. You’ll find it to have a thickness around 1/3rd of a centimeter. More so, the oven has to be a wooden domed oven.
If your wish is to taste the delicious authentic Neapolitan pizza, then you have to choose Marinara or the Margherita pizza. It will be baked in a wood-fired oven, which gives this type of pizza the classic and authentic taste.
New York-Style Pizza
Want a huge slice of pizza? Well, you need to choose the New-York style pizza on the menu for that. It comes in huge slices that are wedge-shaped. Since the 1900s this thin crust pizza is famous in the entire northeast region of the United States. It’s got a recognizable trademark with toppings varying according to the preference of each region.
You’ll find the crust of this pizza to be very crispy on the outer side yet quite delicately soft from inside. It happens to be soft enough that you easily fold it to have a bit of this pizza. You will find the New-York style pizza to have a unique and rich flavor. It’s only because of the high-gluten content flour used in making the crust. More so, the New York has loads of minerals in their water. So, this high mineral and gluten content make the pizza so palatable. It is so authentic and delicious that pizza-makers really import this for its authentic taste.
St. Louis Pizza
The St. Louis Pizza is basically a specialty of the Mid-Western region. You’ll notice these pizzas to be round and very thin. It’s actually got a cracker-like crust that is either cut into rectangles or squares unlike other types of pizza. You can also call it the tavern party cut too. If you ever pay a visit to the Midwestern- bars and pizzerias, you will be served the St. Louis type of pizza.
Flatbread Crust
Typically, the flatbread is a thin pizza crust that is very light. It’s an ideal option for a light appetizer, to munch on when you’re hungry. It is seen many times artisans opt for flatbread crust to make delightful gourmets and uses spinach and balsamic as toppings.
Traditional Pan Pizza
The traditional pan pizza definitely falls in the category of thick pizza crust. But it’s not the thickest pizza crust you will find. However, it’s around half of an inch in thickness and loved by every pizza lover.
This type of pizza crust gained popularity as Pizza Hut started making their pizzas in this crust style. It’s quite buttery but has pan-fried taste. When you take a bite of this pizza, you’ll find it to be soft yet chewy. It comes in varied toppings and sauces and also happens to be a universal favorite for all. The traditional pan pizza is among the types of pizza in India that has become very popular there.
Deep Dish Pizza
You can call the Deep-Dish pizza, Chicago-style deep dish pizza too. It falls under the category of thick crust with quite a generous amount of thickness. If you’re wondering how generous? Well, each pizza can be about two inches thick. In a deep-dish pizza, the amounts of cheese, sauce, and toppings are used in good amounts.
You will find the Chicago-style deep dish pizza to be baked in a deep pan that’s oiled. It gives the crust a buttery yet fried effect that makes it quite crispy. If you’re thinking about toppings, well mostly semolina, cornmeal is used. Moreover, they give their pizza a yellow food color which gives it a yellowish tint. The taste and texture of this pizza is unique and you cannot compare it with any other pizza style. You will find it to be quite popular in the Midwest region.
Sicilian Pizza
You will find the Sicilian pizza very popular in the metro regions in the east and upper Midwest coasts. It is named after the Sicilian people brought this pizza into the United States. It’s far different from the thin crispy crust Neapolitan pizza.
The Sicilian pizza is thick and comes in a rectangular shape. You find it to be around one inch thick, or even more at times. If you haven’t tried this type of pizza, you must give it a go!
Detroit-style pizza
Very similar to the Sicilian pizza is the Detroit-style pizza. It has its origin from Detroit and comes in rectangular shape too. But the order of ingredients you find in the other pizzas is different in this case. Other pizzas usually have the order like first sauce, then cheese and lastly toppings. But here, first comes the toppings, then the cheese and sauce absolutely at the end.
You will love the crust of a Detroit pizza for its relishing taste. It’s also baked in an oiled pan until its chewy, fried and crispy. You can easily try out making this pizza sometime at home using these tips.
Authentic Wood-Fired Crusts
You must not confuse yourself with the Neapolitan type of pizza. Wood-fired crusts can be easily used in several varieties. The only characteristic this crust will have is the smoky, light char taste. When you bake pizzas in a wood-fired clay or brick oven, it gets a deep taste and flavor that lacks in a pan-fried pizza.
If you ever wish to have authentic wood-fired pizza, you can easily get a ready-to-bake one. All you need to do is add your sauce, toppings and cheese and bake it in an oven.
Focaccia
The Focaccia type of pizza is very different from the other types of pizza. You will find it to lack the use of sauce in them. It’s also a thick pizza that has lots of herbs in it. You will find the order of ingredients to be olive oil, then cheese, spices, and herbs. However, the toppings are used as less as possible to keep the flavor of the crust and allows the texture to shine. You can use the Focaccia crust as an appetizer or meal accompaniment. However, you can use this crust for making a traditional pizza too. Why not try out something different?
Custom Crusts
A groundbreaking invention by the pizza industry is the custom crusts. However, it is quite arguable too. Some of the custom crusts are toasted asiago, honey Sriracha, cheese-stuffed, and garlic parmesan. These custom-made special crusts were a breakthrough and resulted in developing something different from the traditional crusts. You will find these flavorful crusts to be different and very unique.
Some outlets selling these pizzas make them a brand that stands out among other pizza sellers.
Tomato Pie
This type of pizza was made in the early part of the 1900s. In Philadelphia, Italian Americans came up with this unique idea of making tomato pie. The Papa’s Tomato Pies that is in Trenton, New Jersey says they are second among all the pizzerias in the United States.
The Tomato Pie pizza is very different from the New-York style pizza in terms of how the toppings are placed. You will find the toppings and cheese to be placed just above the sauce in a New York-style pizza. But in case of the Tomato pie, cheese and toppings are first put, and then the tomato sauce is applied. Just because of this difference, the pizzas have a tangy yet sweet flavor of the tomatoes. Doesn’t it sound so good?
Greek Pizza
The Greek pizza came into Boston during the late 1960s. You’ll find the Greek pizza to be cheesy, thick with a very strong flavor of herbs like oregano. Greek pizza is a type of pizza that is baked with lots of grease which gives it a fried bottom, and crispy edge.
You will find people using feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and artichokes as toppings in this type of pizza. Even pepperoni can be used as toppings in the Greek pizza. But you have to consume it as soon as it’s baked. Reheating it will reduce the taste of this pizza.
Pepperoni pizza
Pepperoni pizza has gained immense popularity in the United States since the 1950s. You will find the term ‘peperoni’ meaning ‘large peppers’ in Italian. But Americans have made some modifications and now it’s basically a very spicy salami. It’s often made out of ground pork, beef, and lots of spices.
You must be familiar with this type of pizza as its a favorite for many. In the United States, you’ll find a varying range of pepperoni pizzas. Apart from the ground beef, fish pepperoni pizza is also very popular.
Even though the toppings vary from one region to another, the staple ingredients across the United States are pepperoni, mozzarella, and tomato sauce. If you haven’t tried out this lip-smacking pizza you must give it a try.
Last Thoughts
Now you know so much about so many types of pizza but have you tried out all of them? If you haven’t yet then you must taste them after reading this blog. Moreover, we’ve helped you and you’ll know exactly how the authentic ones look and how they should taste.
After you try out each one of these pizzas, do tell us which one is your favorite!
