in Italy to become the meal that so many people know and adore today. It can be challenging to choose what kind of pizza your business will provide if you’re just starting out or just adding in a pizza oven. Here in this article, we intend to go over the various varieties of pizza, their origins, and the ingredients you’ll need to prepare them so you can make an informed decision about the same.
Even with as many pizza varieties we have today, it still isn’t enough, is it? Pizza has arguably become the most sought-after and loved meal all around the world. With everyone from kids to elders enjoying this delicious meal, the different varieties of pizza are constantly made and experimented with. So here are some crowd-favored types of pizza and their names.
- Neapolitan Pizza
The first pizza ever made was in Neapolitan. This delectable pizza pie has a long history, beginning in Naples, Italy, in the 18th century. The less fortunate residents of this seaside community commonly bought cheap, easily consumable food during this time. From that, emerged the Neapolitan pizza style. The Neapolitan pizza was inexpensive and easily accessible from a variety of street sellers for people from all sectors of life.
Pizza Neapolitan variations
There are currently three recognized varieties of Neapolitan pizza:
– Pizza marinara: Made with tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and extra virgin olive oil
– Pizza Margherita: Made with tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, basil, and extra virgin olive oil
– Pizza Margherita Extra: as the name suggests, this is made with extra virgin olive oil, basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella from Campania
Traditional Neapolitan Pizza Style Toppings:
Olive oil, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil leaves, oregano, and tomatoes are among the usual toppings for Neapolitan pizza. Neapolitan pizza is thin, thus it’s not made to support the weight of a lot of toppings. Neapolitan pizza is so thin that a fork and knife are usually used to consume it. This is considered the normal etiquette for consuming Neapolitan pizza style.
Baking recommendations for Neapolitan Style pizza
The “real” Neapolitan pizza, according to many, must be baked in a wood-burning oven that is heated to between 800 and 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, just like it was done decades ago. This high temperature only requires around 70 to 90 seconds to bake the pie completely. And hence, even to this day, many traditional Italian pizzerias follow the same baking recommendations for cooking Neapolitan-style pizza.
- Chicago Pizza
Chicago Pizza, also known as deep-dish pizza, takes its name from the city where it was first created. In the early 1900s, Italian immigrants in Chicago were looking for a dish that was comparable to the Neapolitan-style pizza that the world adored and enjoyed. Ike Sewell had another idea in mind when it came to emulating the infamously thin pie. Slices of mozzarella lined the dough before being followed by meat, and veggies, and finally topped with a can of crushed tomatoes. The pizza had a thick crust with rising borders that resembled a pie.
Traditional toppings for Chicago pizza
The toppings include ground beef, sausage, pepperoni, onions, mushrooms, and green peppers, which are usually arranged beneath the tomato sauce. Some restaurants top their pizzas off by sprinkling Parmesan cheese over the tomato sauce.
Chicago pizza baking recommendations
Oil the pan well before baking a Chicago pizza to make it easier to remove from the pan. The base of the dough gets a little bit crispier with the addition of oil to the pan. Deep dish pizzas often take 30 to 35 minutes to bake because there are more toppings and dough on them.
- New York Style Pizza
One of the most well-known regional pizza varieties in America is New York-style pizza, which is distinguished by its wide, foldable pieces and crispy outer crust. The New York slice, which started out as a Neapolitan-style pizza variation, has now gained its own fame, with its distinct flavor and the New York tap water adding to the taste variation.
Traditional New York-Style Pizza Toppings
Tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese are typically seen on New York-style pizza. Contrary to their thin-crust counterparts, Neapolitan pizza-style, and New York-style pizzas may accommodate a variety of extra toppings, such as pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and anchovies. Although almost any topping can be used on this type of pizza, New York-style pizza fans frequently add spices like oregano, red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder.
Baking recommendations for New York-style pizza
Many would tell you that a New York-style pizza must be cooked in a wood or coal-burning oven in order for it to be authentic, just like the Neapolitan pizza. Today, a lot of people bake them on gas deck ovens, which produce a delicious and crispy crust.