Pizza. What is pizza, anymore? You can get pizza with lobster on it and you can get pizza with no sauce, soy cheese and gluten-free dough. Is that really pizza?
Aviva Getschel makes pizza in her kitchen. Photo courtesy of Aviva Getschel.
Largely, the definition of pizza in America is regional. Everywhere around the world, there will be pizza in some form or another, but nowhere is it more varied than the United States. Here is sample list of some of the most popular regional variations.
Neapolitan—small (about 10-inch diameter), thin-crust pizzas made in a wood-burning oven. Usually have a puffy crust edge. Uses super-fresh toppings sparingly, and minimal cheese. Perhaps the most popular is the pizza Margherita—topped with fresh sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella or fior di latte, and a little bit of basil.
NY-Neapolitan or Neapolitan-American—thin-crusted, cooked in an ultra-hot oven, and uses a balanced amount of cheese and sauce. Larger, thinner crusted, and more sauce than Neapolitan.
NY—the round, thin-crust stuff that most people in the U.S. think of as “pizza.” Crunchy outer edge, chewy in the center. Sauce first, then cheese, minimal toppings so crust remains crunchy.
Sicilian—a rectangular pizza with a thick crust. Cheese may or may not appear under the sauce. Square-cut or grid-cut
New Haven—cooked in a coal oven, has a very crisp crust that is typically thinner than New York pizzas. Marked by a characteristic oblong shape, often served on a sheet of waxed paper atop a plastic cafeteria tray.
Grilled pizza—cooked quickly atop a grill face, typically with few, thinly sliced toppings. Individual style.
Deep-dish/Chicago—thick crust with edges to hold in all the goopy cheese and sauce.
Midwest—oblong, thin-flaky crust, grid-cut.
St. Louis—unleavened, cracker-like crust with three cheese blend, (provolone, swiss, and white cheddar).
California—its thick crust is the vehicle for unusual flavor combos. Goat cheese, duck breast and shitake mushrooms, anyone?
White pizza—variation, usually on Neapolitan or Neapolitan-NY, uses garlic and olive oil instead of tomato sauce, and ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. Ricotta may or may not be in blobs.
Note that I do not count large chain pizzerias as producing pizza. Their quality is very dubious, and their product is often entirely inedible. Except, possibly, Papa John’s, but this is debatable.
Of course, if you want to make your own pizza, the following recipe is easy and delicious.
Pizza Dough Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay
Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: 1 hr 10 min Serves: 2 (14-inch) pizza crusts
Ingredients:
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling (Chef’s Note: Using bread flour will give you a much crisper crust. If you can’t find bread flour, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour which will give you a chewier crust.)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 envelope instant dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups water, 110°F
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
Directions:
Combine the bread flour, sugar, yeast, and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine. While the mixer is running, add the water and two tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together in a solid ball. If the dough is too dry, add additional water, one tablespoon at a time. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.
Grease a large bowl with the remaining two teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm area to let it double in size, about one hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal pieces. Cover each with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes. Roll or toss into circle or oval, add toppings as desired. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.
For me, working in the kitchen with my dad is something special. I love rolling and stretching the pizza dough, or mixing and chopping ingredients with him. This is our bonding time, just as much as our conversations about electronics and computer programming and doing science experiments are bonding. Cooking is more about the journey than the destination.
Credit for the definitions of regional pizza types goes to Serious Eats: Slice Pizza blog.
