Pizza

PIZZA = LIFE

Since its humble beginnings in Italy, pizza has gone through numerous transformations to become the dish that so many people know and love today. But if you’re just opening up you’re first pizza joint or want to add a pizza oven in your restaurant , it can be difficult to decide what style of pizza your restaurant will make. Luckily for you, we discuss the different types of pizza, their history, and what you’ll need to make them, so you can start serving up delicious slices to your guests.

1. Neapolitan Pizza

Neapolitan - the original pizza. This delicious pie has a history that dates all the way back to 18th century Naples, Italy. During this time, the poorer citizens of this seaside city frequently purchased food that was cheap and could be eaten quickly. Luckily for them, Neapolitan pizza – a flatbread with tomatoes, cheese, oil, and garlic – was affordable and readily available through numerous street vendors.

Variations of Neapolitan Pizza

Today there are three official vairants of Neapolitan pizza:

Pizza Marinara: Features tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and extra virgin olive oil.

Pizza Margherita: Features tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil.

Pizza Margherita extra: Features tomatoes, mozzarella from Campania, basil, and extra virgin olive oil.

Traditional toppings: Since Neapolitan pizza is thinner, it isn't designed to handle the weight of too many toppings. In fact, Neapolitan pizza is so thin that it's typically eaten with a fork and knife. Not to mention, straying away from the original could be considered a pizza sin. The typical Neapolitan pizza toppings are fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil leaves, oregano, and olive oil.

Baking suggestions: Many people will tell you that in order to make "real" Neapolitan pizza, it must be baked in a wood burning oven that's heated anywhere from 800 - 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, similar to how they made it many years ago. Baking the pie at this high of a temperature only takes around 70-90 seconds to fully cook.

2. Chicago Pizza

Chicago pizza, also commonly referred to as deep-dish pizza, gets its name from the city it was invented in. During the early 1900’s, Italian immigrants in the windy city were searching for something similar to the Neapolitan pizza that they knew and loved. Instead of imitating the notoriously thin pie, Ike Sewell had something else in mind. He created a pizza with a thick crust that had raised edges, similar to a pie, and ingredients in reverse, with slices of mozzarella lining the dough followed by meat, vegetables, and then topped with a can of crushed tomatoes. This original creation led Sewell to create the now famous chain restaurant, Pizzeria Uno.

Traditional toppings: Unlike other styles of pizza, the toppings on a Chicago-style pie aren't found directly on top, but instead underneath a layer of tomato sauce. Generally, the toppings for Chicago pizza are ground beef, sausage, pepperoni, onion, mushrooms, and green peppers. Some locations will even finish off their pizzas with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese across the tomato sauce.

Baking suggestions: In order to easily get a Chicago pizza out of the pan, it's important to wipe the pan down with oil. Adding oil to the pan also helps to make the base of the dough a bit crispier. Since there are more toppings and dough, baking a deep dish pizza can be a lengthier process, with a baking time of 30 - 35 minutes.

3. New York Style Pizza

While New York-style pizza isn’t exactly the original, it’s become the most popular and widespread choice in the United States. Even though Neapolitan and New York pizzas share similarities, there are distinct differences. Some people will tell you that it’s the minerals in the Big Apple’s water used to make the dough that makes this pizza stand out. However, in order to make a proper New York-style pie, the crust still needs to be thin, like a Neapolitan, but thick enough to fold a slice in half lengthwise. This simplifies eating the pizza without utensils, which is a necessity in New York City's fast-paced setting.