To most non-Italians, pizza means one thing: a round of doughy crust topped with tomato and mozzarella. In Italy, however, there are about as many types of pizzaas there are people living in Naples.
We know it can be overwhelming.That’s why we’vewritten aguide of the classicsso you know just what to order!
The Classic: Pizza Napoletana
As many Italianswill tell you, pizza was born inNaples.
The Neapolitans are pretty pernickety about their pizza-making. They have even created a registered discipline in Neapolitan Pizza Making to keep it in their preserve. They use no fat in the doughand addlots of waterto make it wet and sticky.
Typically, the dough is left to rise at room temperature for a good amount of time – 8 to 24 hours – before the dough is rolled out and cooked in a wood-fired oven.
Neapolitan pizza cooks at soaring temperatures (around450°C) and for a short amount of time (amaximum of 90 seconds). The result is wonderful: agooey soft centrewhich is boarded by atall, fluffycrustor‘cornicione’.
In Naples, they are so evangelical about their crust that theyuse hardly any toppings to garnish their pizza. In the most traditional pizzerias they only make two types of pizza:Marinara(tomatoes, garlic, oregano and olive oil) orMargherita(tomato, mozzarella, basil and olive oil).
→Perfect the art of pizza-making in ourpizza masterclass.
The Crispy: Pizza Romana
Roman pizzais practically the opposite to Neapolitan pizza: it iscrispyand they are not afraid of toppings. A classic on all menus in Rome is theCapricciosa: topped with ham, mushrooms, olives, artichoke, an egg and tomato.
Pizzaiolo cutting up a thin, crispy Roman pizza
Oil is added to the doughand there is muchless waterthan the Naples version. The pizza is cooked forup to 3 minutesat around350°Cand therefore the result is something completely different to the pizza of Naples: way crispier. All over Rome you can findround pizzaor‘al taglio’which is by the slice.
Long strips of pizza are topped with the most delicious toppings and then cut and sold by weight and wrapped in paper. It is originalRoman street foodand it is an institution of the city loved by all but you can also find it all over Italy.
→ Join us for apizza & gelato classand learn to make Roman pizza yourself!
The Spongy: Pizza Siciliana
Sicilian pizzahas a thickspongy doughand is probably most similar toAmerican style pizzaas many Sicilians migrated to the US which inevitably influenced the food of America.
Sicily grows extraordinarydurum wheatand their pizza benefits from the delicious flavour of the rich flour.
Of course, the local tomatoes and oregano also make for bold and delicious toppings. The dough isleft to rise from 2 hours to 72 hoursand then cooked at around300°Cfor3 or 4 minutes. All over Sicily you can find food carts selling hot slices of ‘Sfincione’- typical Sicilian pizza.
Perfectwith a cold beer, preferably on the beach!
The Sauceless: Pizza Bianca
Pizza without sauce may seem strange, but it has been a favourite of Italianssince Roman times.
In fact, menus here usually differentiate between ‘red pizza’ with sauce and ‘white pizza‘without sauce. Both are delicious and it serves well to order from each and share between two.
The ancient Romans used to cut their pizza in two and eat it with figs or cheese and chicory.
Nowadays in Rome, the most popular filling ismortadella, a ham from Bologna sometimes studded with pistachios which pairs beautifully with fresh white pizza. Tuscany has their own version ‘Schiacciata toscana all’olio’, an old farmer dish that was pressed – or ‘Schiacciato’ on a red – hot stone and then filled with local hams, cheese and vegetables.
It is now a feature in bakeries all over Florence.
So next time you come to Italy you will know exactly which pizza to order in which city!
→ Join us in Rome for aPizza and Roman Antipasti class
