Cheese, sauce, and toppings represent a pizzaiolo’s artistic vision. But dough is the golden-brown canvas for pizza creativity. It’s well-known that different regions and cities have their own preferences: New York-style is known for its hand-tossed dough; Chicago – its deep-dish crust; Detroit is characterized by square, Sicilian-style slices. The Performance team of pizza chefs and master pizzaiolos is renown for their expertise in Italian-style pies, from popular Neapolitan, featuring tomatoes and mozzarella, to the thin, crispy crunch of Roman slices.
Photos courtesy of Performance Foodservice
Three Chicago Styles
Chicago-style pizza is pizza prepared according to several different styles developed in Chicago, widely referred to simply as deep dish pizza due to its cooking style. The pan in which it is baked gives the pizza its characteristically high edge which provides ample space for large amounts of cheese and a chunky tomato sauce. Chicago-style pizza may be prepared in deep-dish style and as a stuffed pizza.
There is also a style of thin-crust pizza found in Chicago and throughout the rest of the Midwest. The crust is thin and firm enough to have a noticeable crunch, unlike a New York-style pizza. This pizza is cut into squares, also known as “tavern-style” or “party cut”, as opposed to wedges.
Neapolitan Style
Neapolitan is the original pizza. This delicious pie dates all the way back to 18th century in Naples, Italy. During this time, the poorer citizens of this seaside city frequently purchased food that was cheap and could be eaten quickly. Luckily for them, Neapolitan pizza was affordable and readily available through numerous street vendors.
Detroit Style Pizza
Detroit Style Pizza is a rectangular pizza with a thick, crispy, and airy crust. It is traditionally topped with a blend of mozzarella, white cheddar, and Wisconsin brick cheese, then tomato sauce layered on top of the other toppings (rather than directly onto the dough). This style of pizza is baked in rectangular steel pans.
Roman Style Pizza
Whether you call it Roman style pizza, Roman pizza, Pizza Romana or Pizza al taglio, one thing is certain, Roman style pizza’s popularity is on the rise. Some may think it’s a fad, but this style pizza originated in Rome in the early 1960’s and is now widespread throughout Central Italy and gaining fans in the United States.
The dough is left to rest in the refrigerator for two whole days. The secret to the best Roman pizza is allowing the dough enough time to rest and develop large air bubbles. Those large air bubbles are the key component to a light and airy Roman style pizza crust. On the third day, the dough is ready to be transferred into pans to rise and proof at room temperature for eight hours.
Performance Foodservice’s Italian food experts source products for the Roma® family of brands directly from Italy. They find the best aged balsamic vinegars, extra virgin olive oils, espresso, cheeses, prosciutto, and other authentic Italian staples and deliver them directly to your local pizzeria’s kitchen.
