Pizza is practically a universal love language. But while the toppings get a lot of the glory, the truth is that the crust is the literal foundation of a great pizza. It dictates the texture, flavor, and overall experience.
In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into the wonderful world of pizza, exploring the many different types of crust for pizza, from the paper-thin and crispy to the deeply thick and chewy.
We’ll explore thin and thick crusts, regional variations, and exactly how each style is prepared.
Understanding Thin Crust Pizzas
If you like your pizza with just a bit of chew and a lot of crisp, you’re probably a fan of thin crust pizza. The crust on these pizzas is generally a quarter of an inch thick or less, so the toppings are usually kept to a minimum.
Thin crust pizzas are typically baked at a high temperature for a relatively short time. This helps the crust get nice and crispy without becoming too hard.
Neapolitan Pizza: The Original Thin Crust
Considered by many to be the original pizza, Neapolitan pizza has very specific requirements when it comes to how the dough is made, how big the pizza can be, how thick the crust should be, and what kind of oven you can bake it in.
Traditionally, Neapolitan pizza dough should be no more than 14 inches in diameter and about 0.1 inches thick in the center. Also, Neapolitan pizzas are only made with a few simple, high-quality ingredients, such as San Marzano tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.
New York Style Pizza
New York style pizza is known for its large, foldable slices and a crust that’s both crispy and chewy. To get that chew, the dough is often made with high-gluten flour.
Brooklyn style pizza is a recognizable thin crust style with regional variations and is considered to be a subset of the New York style.
Exploring other thin crust varieties
While Neapolitan pizza has a thin crust, it’s not the only kind of thin-crust pizza out there. Here are a few more types of thin-crust pizza you might like to try.
St. Louis pizza
St. Louis-style pizza is known for its cracker-thin, unleavened crust. It’s almost always cut into squares or rectangles instead of pie-shaped slices, and it usually features Provel cheese, a processed cheese product that has a very different flavor than mozzarella.
California pizza
California-style pizza is all about fresh, local ingredients and unusual flavor combinations. The pizzas served at Spago, Wolfgang Puck’s Los Angeles restaurant, are a good example of this type of pizza. The sauce is often used sparingly.
Boardwalk pizza
You’ll find boardwalk-style pizza along the Jersey Shore. The crust is thin, but the sauce is sweet. It’s often served in large, rectangular slices perfect for eating as you stroll along the boardwalk.
Diving into thick crust pizzas
Sometimes, you want a pizza that’s more than just a delivery vehicle for toppings. You want a pizza where the crust itself plays a starring role. That’s where thick crust pizzas come in.
What makes a crust “thick?”
Generally, a thick crust is more than a half-inch thick. This sturdy base is designed to hold a generous amount of toppings and sauce without getting soggy.
Thick crust pizzas are typically baked at lower temperatures for a longer time, which helps create that signature thickness and chewy texture.
Detroit-style pizza
Detroit-style pizza is known for its medium-well done, almost fried, chewy texture. It’s baked in square pans, which gives it those crispy, cheesy edges that everyone loves.
The pizza’s origin story is pretty unique: supposedly, it was first baked in a spare parts tray! Detroit-style pizza also has a reverse layering order.
Chicago-style pizza
Chicago-style deep-dish pizza is famous for its thick, deep crust and its ability to hold a mountain of toppings. The crust is buttery and flaky, adding to the overall richness of the pizza.
Like Detroit-style, Chicago-style pizza also uses a reverse layering of toppings and sauce. The toppings go on first, followed by the sauce, which prevents the crust from getting soggy under all that weight.
Other Notable Thick Crust Styles
When it comes to pizza crust, there’s more than one way to go big! Here are a few more thick-crust styles you’re likely to encounter:
Greek Pizza
Greek pizza features a thick, chewy crust and a tomato paste base that’s heavy on the oregano. Feta cheese and olives are common toppings. Greek pizza is typically baked in a pan, resulting in a crust that’s slightly oily.
Grandma Pizza
This thick-crust style usually features a simple cheese and tomato combination, although some recipes call for a thin, crispy crust and minimal toppings. Grandma pizza is usually baked in a rectangular pan and has a simple, rustic flavor.
Stuffed Crust Pizza
This pizza, which has extra mozzarella cheese enclosed in the crust, is a popular offering from major pizza chains. Stuffed crust is the second-most popular crust style in the United States.
Specialty Crusts
We’ve covered a lot of the more common pizza crust types. But there are many other options out there for people who want something a little different or who have dietary restrictions.
For example, sourdough pizza uses a sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast. This gives it a light, chewy texture and a tangy flavor. Another technique involves fermenting the dough for 48 hours to create a unique flavor and texture.
And if you can’t eat wheat, you can substitute wheat flour with other kinds of flour to make a gluten-free pizza.
Pizza chefs are always experimenting with new ingredients and techniques, so you never know what kind of exciting new flavors they’ll come up with next.
To Conclude
From the simple, thin crispness of a Neapolitan crust to the buttery, sky-high edges of a Chicago deep-dish, pizza crusts offer a world of flavors and textures all their own.
The crust is more than just a way to hold the cheese and toppings. The crust is the foundation on which every great pizza is built, and it plays a starring role in the overall experience.
With so many different styles of pizza crust to choose from, there’s a perfect pie out there for every pizza lover. So, don’t be afraid to experiment and explore. Your next favorite pizza crust is waiting to be discovered!