San Francisco Pizza
Types or Styles of Pizza
California
A thin-crust style of pizza that combines elements of many other styles of pizza. Topping are typically the same ingredients found in Californian cuisine such as artichoke, goat cheese, kale, beets, and nuts. California style pizza also usually has a low or no lip and topping will go nearly to the edge.
Chicago deep-dish
Chicago style deep-dish pizza is thick pizza that’s baked in a pan. Toppings are usually: sauce on the bottom, then vegetables or meat, then sauce on top. The crust is fried and flaky. Some people eat Chicago deep-dish pizza with a fork and knife because it’s so bulky and messy.
Chicago thin-crust
Chicago thin-crust style pizza (also known as “tavern style”) is a thin-crust pizza that supposedly pre-dates Chicago deep-dish pizza, which is more famous. Dough for the pizza is rolled instead of tossed. The pizza is cooked until the crust is crispy and crunchy. Instead of triangle slices the pizza is cut into smaller squares – good for sharing a single pie with more people.
Detroit
Detroit style pizza is a rectangle shaped pizza that is baked in a steel pan. Wisconsin brick cheese is spread across the top of the tomato sauce all the way to the edge of the pan so that cheese drips down the sides and caramelizes as it cooks. This gives Detroit pizza a distinct crispy and chewy edge. Traditional Detroit style pizzas are made with the toppings in reverse order: cheese on the bottom, then meat and vegetables, then sauce on top; however Detroit pizza uses much less sauce that other styles of pizza so it may have a more typical cheesy pizza look or may look very saucy like Chicago deep-dish pizza.
Grandma
Grandma pizza (or “Grandma pie”) is a rectangle shaped pizza with a thin crust. Grandma pizza is originally from Long Island, New York and was traditionally made at home in half-sheet pan in a regular home oven. Toppings are reversed: cheese is placed on the dough first then sauce on top of the cheese. Similar looking to Sicilian style pizza.
Greek
Greek style pizza is a thin-crust pizza that is cooked in a shallow metal pan heavily coated with olive oil. The crust is a chewy texture similar to focaccia bread but more oily and less thick. (Note: currently I don’t know any places serving Greek pizza in San Francisco).
Neapolitan
A style of pizza from Naples, Italy. The tomatoes used must be San Marzano or Pomodorino del Piennolo del Vesuvio. Cooked in a wood-fired oven at about 900 °F.
New Haven
New Haven style pizza is a thin-crust coal-fired Neapolitan pizza. Common around New Haven, Connecticut and can be found around the New England and New York area.
New York
New York style pizza is a thin-crust pizza made with hand-tossed dough. Originally from New York City and the most common style of pizza found around New York, New Jersey, and other east coast states. Pie size varies but are typically circle and cut into eight triangle slices. Slices are often folded over lengthwise and eaten one-handed.
Ohio Valley
Ohio Valley-style pizza has thick, square-cut crust, generous amount of cheese, and simple toppings. The crust is typically made with a high-gluten flour and is allowed to rise for several hours before it is baked in a hot oven. The cheese is typically a blend of mozzarella and provolone, and the toppings are typically limited to tomato sauce, pepperoni, sausage, and mushrooms.
Old Forge
Old Forge style pizza is a type of pizza that originates from the small town of Old Forge, Pennsylvania. It is sometimes referred to as “Pennsylvania-style pizza” or “Old Forge tomato pie.” The crust of an Old Forge style pizza is typically cut rectangular and has a slightly crispy texture. The dough made with a blend of wheat flour and cornmeal, which gives it a slightly sweet and slightly crunchy taste. The sauce is also has a distinct flavor, usually made with a combination of canned tomatoes and tomato paste, as well as a blend of spices. The cheese used on an Old Forge style pizza is often a blend of mozzarella and a local cheese called “Old Forge-style cheese,” which has a slightly tangy flavor and melts easily.
Pan
Pan pizza is any type of pizza that is baked in a deep dish pan. The pan helps to create a thicker, more flavorful crust. Pan pizza is often topped with a generous amount of cheese and toppings.
Pinsa
A pinsa (also known as a “romana” or “pinsa romana”) is a Roman style pizza flatbread. Usually in an oval shape and cut squarely. Pinsas are doughy but still have light and airy bubbled crust.
Quad City
Quad City-style pizza is a variety of pizza originating in the Quad Cities region of the states of Illinois and Iowa in the United States. It is characterized by its thin crust, malt-infused dough, and toppings that are placed under the cheese. The pizzas are typically cut into strips instead of triangular slices.
Sheet
Sheet pizza is a type of pizza that is baked on a sheet pan. It is typically rectangular (like the sheet), cut in square or rectangular slices, and served for a family meal or at an event with a large number of people. Sheet pizza is often made with a pre-made crust, which makes it a quick and easy option for busy weeknights. The crust is typically thin and crispy, and the toppings are typically simple and classic, such as pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, and peppers.
Sicilian
A square or rectangular pizza that is characterized by a thick, fluffy crust that is crispy on the outside. The crust has a light and airy texture. Sicilian style pizza is often baked in a deep dish, which gives the crust its characteristic height. Toppings on Sicilian style pizza can vary, but are often more sparingly used than on other pizza styles.
St. Louis
St. Louis-style pizza is a type of pizza popular in St. Louis, Missouri, and surrounding areas. The style has a thin cracker-like crust made without yeast, generally uses Provel cheese, and is cut into squares or rectangles instead of wedges.
Stuffed
Stuffed pizza is a type of pizza that has an extra layer of dough on top of the toppings and cheese. This extra layer of dough is typically pressed down to create a seal around the toppings and cheese, and it is then baked along with the rest of the pizza. This different from stuffed crust pizza, which is typically a pizza with a cheese-filled crust.
Stuffed crust
Stuffed crust pizza is a type of pizza with cheese stuffed into the crust. It was popularized by Pizza Hut beginning in 1995.
Italian tomato pie
Italian tomato pie is a type of pizza that is popular in the Northeast United States. It has a thick, porous, focaccia-like dough covered with tomato sauce. It may be lightly sprinkled with oregano or romano cheese (less common).
Trenton tomato pie
Trenton tomato pie is a type of pizza that originated in Trenton, New Jersey in which cheese and other toppings are added on first, then the sauce. Unlike the thicker square Italian tomato pie, Trenton tomato pie is often circular, of the thin-crust variety and includes cheese. In this style of tomato pie, the mozzarella and toppings are placed on the pie first followed by the tomato sauce placed on top.