Pizza has undergone a number of changes since its early days and discovery 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. 

1. 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. 

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Sicilian Pizza

The "sfincione," or "Sicilian pizza," is a thick slice of pizza with pillowy dough, a crunchy crust, and hearty tomato sauce. In order to keep the pie from getting soggy, the cheese on this square-cut pizza is frequently placed underneath the sauce. Sicilian immigrants introduced Sicilian pizza to America in the 19th century, and after the Second World War, it gained popularity there.

Traditional Sicilian Pizza Toppings

Slices of tomato, onion, anchovies, and herbs are frequently added to Sicilian pizzas as part of traditional toppings. 

Tips for Baking Sicilian Pizza

Try coating your pan with an olive oil mixture to bring out the flavor of your Sicilian pizza dough. How long your pie should bake depends on the temperature of your oven. Your Sicilian pizza should bake in 15 to 20 minutes, for instance, if your oven is set to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Greek Pizza

Greek immigrants to America who were exposed to Italian pizza produced Greek pizza. Greek-style pizza has a thick, chewy crust that is cooked in shallow, oiled pans to produce a bottom that is almost deep-fried in texture. It is particularly well-liked in the New England states. Despite having a crust that is chewier and puffier than thin crust pizzas, this style's crust isn't quite as thick as Sicilian or deep-dish crusts.

Traditional Greek Pizza Toppings

Greek pizza typically has more sauce than cheese. Typically, the sauce has a strong oregano taste and a sour tomato paste. It is frequently solely covered in cheese, usually a provolone or a mozzarella and cheddar mixture. Various non-Greek and Greek toppings, including feta cheese, black olives, and red onion, may be present.

Baking Recommendations for Greek Pizza

Greek pizza is often baked in a shallow, round pan that has been liberally coated in olive oil to achieve a puffy, chewy crust. The bottom of the dough can cook while baking if oil is used to line the pan.

6. California Pizza

Pizza from California, also called gourmet pizza, is distinguished by its exotic toppings. When Chef Ed LaDou started experimenting with pizza recipes in the renowned Italian eatery Prego in the late 1970s, this pizza was born. By chance, he made Wolfgang Puck a pizza with red pepper, pate, mustard, and ricotta. LaDou's inventive pie won Puck over, and he invited him to work as the head pizza maker at his restaurant. 

Traditional Toppings for California Pizza

There are no customary toppings for California pizza. You can use your creativity because of the lack of detail. You may add anything, from goat cheese and egg to chicken and artichokes.

California Pizza Baking Recommendations

The thickness of the dough you use will affect how your pizza is baked.

7. Detroit Pizza

In the 1940s, Detroit-style pizza was first baked in a square automobile parts pan, reflecting the city's close ties to the auto sector. Pepperoni is placed on top of Detroit pizza before brick cheese, which is spread all the way to the pan's edges to create a caramelized cheese border. The pizza is then covered with sauce in a manner reminiscent of Chicago-style pizza. The crust on this pizza is thick, and extremely crispy, and the interior is tender and light.

Traditional toppings for Detroit pizza 

The traditional toppings include tomato sauce, pepperoni, and brick cheese (often Wisconsin brick cheese). Mushrooms and olives are two more common toppings.

Detroit Pizza Baking recommendations

Use a customized Detroit pan or a conventional jelly roll baking pan when making a Detroit pizza. Stretch the dough up the sides by about half an inch while pressing the air out of it as you push it to the pan's edges. For a caramelized border, be sure to generously spread the cheese across the dough and to the borders. Cook for 10-15 minutes at the maximum temperature setting (500 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit). Make square cuts in your slices.

8. St. Louis Pizza

Searching for a thin slice? Then St. Louis pizza is your best option. The crust of St. Louis pizza is made without yeast and is thin with a cracker-like texture. Pizza from St. Louis is typically cut into three- or four-inch rectangles known as "party" or "tavern" cuts because of the crunchy crust. Provel processed cheese, a melty blend of provolone, Swiss, and cheddar cheeses, is used on this pizza. In the nineteenth century, a large number of Italian immigrants arrived in St. Louis looking for work. The St. Louis-style pizza was developed by the Italian community, which is primarily from Milan and Sicily. Its sweet sauce reflects the influence of Sicily.

Traditional toppings for St. Louis pizza

The toppings include Provel cheese and a tomato sauce that is sweeter and contains a lot of oregano. St. Louis-style pizza can support a variety of toppings because of its sturdy dough.

Baking recommendations for St. Louis pizza:

Use a thin baking sheet or a pizza stone and set it on the bottom rack.

Conclusion

With so many amazing pizza varieties like Napoli pizza style, and Neapolitan pizza style, people are provided with mouth-watering pizza all around the world. We at Pizza Bien, make fresh, flavorful pizzas from original ingredients from Naples. Choose Pizza Bien today and relish the pizza.

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