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Tuesday, September 7, 2021
The Observer & Baker City Herald
Pizza
Proud
Sampling regional styles for
this favorite food
By DANIEL NEMAN
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
New York pizza isn’t
Chicago pizza, which isn’t
California pizza, which isn’t
Detroit pizza.
Each region has its own
signature style, its own
unique way of making
pizza. It can be hard to
believe they’re all variations
on the same theme.
And none of the styles is
precisely what you’d get in
Italy, the ancestral home of
pizza and a land full of its
own proud regional styles.
Yet the residents of New
York and Chicago and Cali-
fornia and Detroit all swear
that their method is the only
true way to make real pizza.
Pizza is crust, sauce and
cheese, and in each style
these essential elements are
as different as New York is
from California, as Chicago
is from Detroit — and all of
them from St. Louis.
As with most ethnic
foods, pizza first made its
way to this country through
New York, so it is there that
I decided to begin a recent
culinary journey across the
United States.
New York pizza is simple
and unfussy; it is meant to
be eaten on the go. It’s often
sold by the slice at take-out
joints that sometimes don’t
even have chairs; you eat it
while standing at a counter
after you’ve just stopped
in for a quick bite of some-
thing, oh, totally delicious.
The crust of a New York
pizza is thin and pliable. It
is meant to be folded in half
lengthwise before it is eaten,
doubling your pizza plea-
sure with every bite. But
even though it is defiantly
plain, the crust dough does
benefit by rising at least one
day in the refrigerator to
allow its familiar flavor to
fully develop.
The sauce, too, is simple
and straightforward; it is
merely crushed or pureed
tomatoes mixed with just a
few other herbs (oregano)
and spices (garlic) for a little
extra flavor. The sauce is so
easy to make that it doesn’t
even have to be cooked
before it is used. The ingre-
dients that require heat to
release their flavor (oregano,
garlic) get enough from the
brief cooking time in a very
hot oven.
Chicago pizza is prob-
ably this country’s next
most famous variety, but
only because it is so amaz-
ingly, spectacularly good.
There are actually two
styles native to the Windy
City, and the lesser known
one is by far my favorite.
Stuffed pizza begins with a
buttery, thin, light crust on
the bottom topped with gobs
and gobs of melted cheese
and your favorite topping
(spinach is amazing), topped
by another thin crust — so
it’s like a pie — and then the
whole thing is spread with a
thin layer of oregano-heavy
tomato sauce.
It is divine, and when I
lived in Chicago, I ate it all
the time. But I was young
then, and these days I don’t
need all those calories. No
one needs all those calories.
So I made the more pop-
ular version of a Chicago
pizza, deep dish pizza —
which isn’t on anybody’s
diet plan, either.
The most significant part
of a deep dish pizza is the
crust, which bakes up thick
and full of air bubbles, but
has more bite and is chewier
than the others. A layer of
sliced mozzarella cheese
goes on top of it to act as
buffer that keeps the sauce
from infiltrating that perfect
crust.
Your choice of toppings
goes next, and I tend to
use a light hand with these.
One popular Chicago piz-
zeria supposedly uses two
pounds of sausage on their
deep-dish pizzas, which to
my way of thinking turns
the dish into a sausage sand-
wich. I prefer the path of
moderation, which allows
the sauce, cheese and crust
to blend with the toppings in
harmony.
Like the New York pizza,
the sauce on a deep dish
is simple and deliciously
understated. You simply
take a can of top-quality
tomatoes and crush them
with your hands. Drain
them through a strainer so
they lose their excess mois-
ture (this step is crucial)
and then mix in the familiar
garlic and oregano, along
with salt and pepper.
California pizza is harder
to define. Invented or at
least popularized by Wolf-
gang Puck and, yes, Cali-
fornia Pizza Kitchen, it is
characterized by a host of
unusual toppings on a light
and airy crust, often without
a sauce.
The most famous ver-
sions of California pizza
are Puck’s iconic pizza
with crème fraiche, smoked
salmon and caviar, and the
one that put California Pizza
Kitchen on the map, bar-
becue chicken pizza.
I didn’t want to make
those. I wanted to make my
own, which at least high-
lights the flexibility of the
California pizza style.
I kind of accidentally
chose to go vegan, by car-
amelizing onions with
fennel and a hint of garlic
and thyme. I roasted a red
pepper and added strips of
it, adding lovely pops of
flavor to the subtlety and the
sweetness of the onions and
fennel.
It was a delight: unex-
pected, healthful and very
Californian.
Meanwhile, Detroit
pizza is enjoying a cur-
rent moment in the pizza
pantheon. The Motor City
marvel is instantly recog-
nizable by its rectangular
shape, its crust that resem-
bles a thick slice of artis-
anal bread, its liberal use of
cheese and its sweet sauce.
The pizza’s distinctive
shape is directly related to
its city of origin: the rect-
angular baking pans were
originally created to serve
as automotive drip pans or
as trays to hold tools and
parts.
Detroit pizza is also
notable for its cheese; it
doesn’t just use mozzarella,
it uses a mix of mozzarella
and brick cheese. Brick
cheese is a mild cheese, but
not as mild as mozzarella,
that comes from Wisconsin.
I happily stumbled upon it at
an Italian grocery, but it can
be hard to find; if you can’t
locate it, muenster or Mon-
terey Jack will do.
Detroit pizza is so sin-
Hillary Levin/St. Louis Post-Dispatch-TNS
Homemade pizza, New York style.
Hillary Levin/St. Louis Post-Dispatch-TNS
Homemade pizza, California style.
gular that it is the source of
one of those raging, ongoing
debates that can split a city
in two: Who has the best
Detroit pizza, Buddy’s or
Shield’s?
I can categorically state
that the answer is Shield’s,
based on precise scientific
reasoning: It is the only one
I have been to.
NEW YORK
PIZZA
Yield: 8 servings (4 small pizzas)
For the crust
2 1/4 cups water, room
temperature
6 cups (796 grams) all-
purpose or bread flour
1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the sauce
1 (28-ounce) can tomato
puree or tomato sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
Handful of fresh basil, if available
1 to 2 teaspoons granulated
sugar, optional
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Pinch of red pepper
flakes, optional
1/2 teaspoon ground black
pepper, optional
8 ounces shredded or sliced
mozzarella cheese
Note: For best results, make
the dough 1 to 3 days
before baking the pizza.
1. For the dough: Place water in
mixing bowl. In a separate bowl,
mix flour, yeast, salt and sugar.
Add flour mixture to water and
stir until all the flour has been
incorporated. Add oil and knead
until smooth, 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Divide dough into 4 equal
pieces, shape each into a ball,
and place into 4 greased bowls or
freezer bags. Seal or tightly cover
and refrigerate overnight or up to
72 hours.
3. When ready to use, remove
dough from refrigerator and bring
to room temperature, 1 hour or
less. Meanwhile, place a pizza
stone or upside-down baking
sheet on the middle rack of your
oven and preheat to 550 degrees,
if possible, at least 1 hour.
4. For the sauce: While the
dough warms and the oven heats,
combine tomato puree or sauce,
olive oil, basil, sugar if using, salt,
oregano, garlic powder, onion
powder, and red pepper flakes
and black pepper if using. If sauce
is too thick, add water, a little at
a time.
5. Line a pizza peel or the back
of a baking sheet with parchment
paper or dust with flour. When
dough has warmed for 1 hour,
place 1 ball (or 2, if they’ll fit)
onto the prepared pizza peel and
gently stretch each one into as
large a circle as you can make it
without tearing. If dough tears,
simply pinch it closed. Top with
sauce, cheese and your favorite
toppings, if using.
6. Transfer pizza from peel to
oven or slide parchment paper
onto preheated pizza pan or
baking sheet and cook for 4 to
6 minutes until browned on top
and cheese has melted but not
burned.
Per serving: 570 calories; 17 g
fat; 5 g saturated fat; no choles-
terol; 20 g protein; 85 g carbohy-
drate; 7 g sugar; 5 g fiber; 1,373
mg sodium; 182 mg calcium.
— Recipe by feedingfoodish.
com
CHICAGO
DEEP-DISH
PIZZA
Yield: 4 (two-slice) servings
1 (28-ounce) can top-quality
whole tomatoes, such as
from San Marzano, Italy
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 packet (21/4 teaspoons)
active dry yeast
18 ounces all-purpose flour
(about 3 1/2 cups)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon
corn oil, plus additional
for oiling the bowl
1 tablespoon butter, melted
12 ounces deli-sliced part-
skim mozzarella
Your choice of toppings
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese, for
topping and garnish
1. Set a strainer above a bowl.
Crush the tomatoes by hand and
add to the strainer; do not add
the juice in the can. Allow to drain
at least 45 minutes. Position an
oven rack in the middle of the
oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
Meanwhile, make the dough for
the crust.
2. Mix sugar, yeast and 11
ounces room temperature water
(about 80 degrees) in a bowl and
let bloom for 15 minutes. Com-
bine flour, 2 teaspoons of the salt
and cream of tartar in the bowl
of a stand mixer. Once yeast has
bloomed, add to dry ingredients
along with corn oil. Gently com-
bine with a rubber spatula until a
rough ball is formed.
3. Knead on low speed with
the dough hook for 90 seconds.
Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl,
cover with plastic wrap and let
rise about 6 hours. Punch down
and let dough settle for 15 more
minutes.
4. Coat bottom and sides of a
12-inch cake pan, Chicago-style
pizza pan or cast-iron skillet with
melted butter. Using your hands,
spread out about three-quarters
of the dough across the bottom
and up the sides of the pan (save
the remainder for another use).
The dough will probably slide
down the sides, but keep trying.
5. Cover entire bottom in
mozzarella, all the way up to the
edge. Add whatever toppings you
choose.
6. In a bowl, combine drained,
crushed tomatoes with oregano,
garlic powder, the remaining 1/2
teaspoon salt and pepper. Spread
tomatoes across top of pizza to
the edge. Sprinkle evenly with
grated Parmesan.
7. Bake, rotating halfway
through, until golden around the
edge, about 25 minutes. Let rest
for about 5 minutes, then either
gently lift pizza out of pan or just
cut your slice out of the pan like
a pie.
Per serving: 1,021 calories; 50
g fat; 16 g saturated fat; 64 mg
cholesterol; 35 g protein; 108 g
carbohydrate; 5 g sugar; 5 g fiber;
1,813 mg sodium; 670 mg calcium
— Adapted from a recipe by
Jeff Mauro, via the Food Network
CALIFORNIA
PIZZA
Yield: 6 servings (2 pizzas)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon
(150 grams)
00 flour or all-purpose
flour, see note
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon and
2 teaspoons (150 grams)
all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons fine salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon
olive oil, divided
1 large red pepper, or roasted
red pepper from a jar
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 large fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme or pinch dried
1/2 cup pesto
Note: Italian 00 flour is ground
finer than all-purpose flour,
and it makes a pizza crust that
is both crisp and chewy. It is
available at Italian grocery
stores and some specialty
stores. If you can’t find it,
use all all-purpose flour.
1. In a large mixing bowl,
combine flours and 1 teaspoon of
the salt.
2. In a small mixing bowl, stir
together 7 ounces ( 7/8 cup)
lukewarm tap water, yeast and 1
teaspoon of the olive oil. Stir with
your hand just until it all comes
together in a ball. Let the mixture
rest 15 minutes.
3. Flour your hands and a
work surface, and gently but
firmly knead rested dough until it
becomes a smooth mass, about
3 minutes, putting more flour on
your hands if the dough starts to
stick to them. Cut dough into 2
equal pieces and shape each into
a ball. Place on a heavily floured
surface, cover with a dampened
cloth and let rest and rise for 3 to
4 hours at room temperature or,
preferably, 24 hours in the refriger-
ator. (If you refrigerate the dough,
remove it 30 to 45 minutes before
you begin to shape it for pizza.
4. Meanwhile, arrange a rack in
the center of the oven and place
a pizza stone or upside-down
baking sheet on it. Preheat oven
to 500 degrees.
5. If using a fresh red pepper,
roast it by placing it directly on the
grate over an open gas flame, oc-
casionally turning with tongs until
charred all over. If you do not have
a gas stove, place on a foil-lined
baking sheet in a 450 degree oven
until skin is dark and pepper has
collapsed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
In either case, place pepper in a
bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Let sit 20 minutes, then remove
charred skin with fingers.
6. Cut roasted or jarred red pep-
per into strips, discarding seeds
and stem, and set aside.
7. Heat butter and remaining
1 tablespoon olive oil in a large
skillet over medium-low heat until
butter melts. Add onion, fennel,
garlic and remaining 1/4 teaspoon
salt. Cook slowly, stirring occasion-
ally, until onion is golden brown
and vegetables are soft and
tender, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Five minutes before it is done, add
thyme. Taste and add more salt if
necessary.
8. On a floured surface, gently
push and stretch each dough ball
into a circle. Transfer each to a
pizza peel or the back of a baking
sheet lined with parchment paper.
Spread half of pesto all the way
across each pizza, and generously
scatter topping (along with the
flavored oil it was cooked in)
across the top.
9. Slide pizza with parchment
paper onto pizza stone or heated
baking sheet, and bake until
crust is golden brown about 10
minutes.
Per serving: 240 calories; 12 g
fat; 3 g saturated fat; 7 mg choles-
terol; 6g protein; 27 g carbohy-
drate; 4 g sugar; 3 g fiber; 915 mg
sodium; 98 mg calcium
— Dough recipe from “Rober-
ta’s Cookbook” by Carlo Mirarchi,
Brandon Hoy, Chris Parachini and
Katherine Wheelock; topping
recipe by Daniel Neman
DETROIT
PIZZA
Detroit’s pizza’s distinctive shape is
directly related to its city of origin:
The rectangular baking pans
were originally created to serve as
automotive drip pans or as trays
to hold tools and parts.
Yield: 8 servings
For the dough
1 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (290
grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon instant yeast
For the pizza sauce
1 (28-ounce) can crushed
tomatoes
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 tablespoon dried basil, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons finely
minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Toppings
1/4 cup shredded
Parmesan cheese
8 slices pepperoni, optional
2 cups shredded
mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded brick cheese,
muenster, Monterey Jack
or more mozzarella
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch salt
Note: Brick cheese is a type of
cheese; it is not any cheese that
comes in the shape of a brick.
See, Pizza/Page B3