Your Complete Guide to Pizza Terms and Jargon
Whether you are a pizza enthusiast or just a person who enjoys eating takeaway meals, it is time to learn pizza terminology and what all those terms mean. We’ll explain all the terminology, from the dough to toppings to regional variations, that will help you to order your pizzas like a professional, amaze your friends, or even try yourself in making your own pizzas.
Table of Contents
What is Pizza Terminology?
Pizza terminology is the vocabulary of the pizzeria and speaks to the words and phrases that are strictly associated with the delivery of pizzas. These are the terms concerning the food materials used in making pizza, how it is made, various types of pizza, and even how consumers may order for it. In this article seven terms and definitions are given whether you make your own pizza or order one it is helpful to know these terms.
General Pizza Terms
Crust:
The bottom or circumference of a pizza. It can be very thin, or it can be the thick or deep dish category.
Thin Crust: A pizza with a thin and crunchy crust as those of New York style or Neapolitan pizzas.
Thick Crust: A pizza with rather dense, often soft or doughy crust, like pan pizzas, or Chicago style deep dish.
Stuffed Crust: Pizza where the outer rim (or edge) is stuffed with cheese or other ingredients.
Pizza Sauce
The spread of the sauce on the dough took place before it was topped with the ingredients. While tomato based sauces are the most common, there are many alternatives:
Pesto: Great green sauce that is prepared from basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and cheese.
White Sauce: A sauce that is an alternative to the cream and may contain garlic and butter.
Pizza Toppings:
Extra toppings included in the pizza as cheese, meat, vegetables and spices among others.
Pepperoni: A type of spicy cured pork or beef that is sausage, one of the most commonly used toppings for pizza.
Vegetarian: vegetarian pizza which may contain such vegetables as peppers, onions, mushrooms and olives.
Cheese: Included in most pizzas, and the most popular cheese type is mozzarella though other types of cheeses include Parmesan, provolone and cheddar.
Popular Pizza Styles terminology Around the World
Neapolitan: The traditional Neapolitan pizza from Italy, that is characterized by a soft pasta crust and thin, slightly burnt and with a limited amount of toppings.
New YorkStyle Pizza: Mostly described by its big and foldable slices with a crispy yet chewy thin crust.
Chicago Style (Deep Dish): A large and thick pizza having an outer edge similar to a pie with a chunky cheese, meat, vegetables and a chunky tomato sauce.
Sicilian Pizza: A large patted dough with a thick, square cut base and spongy texture, accompanied by a basic tomato sauce and limited cheese and vegetable toppings.
Detroit-Style Pizza: Another is a crispy edged thick crust pizza with Wisconsin brick cheese and sauce poured on the toppings (layered in reverse order).
California-Style Pizza: Famous for setting trends on unconventional toppings with fresh and gourmet ingrediants such as arugula, goat cheese and artichokes.
Pizza Baking Methods: How Your Pizza is Cooked
Wood-Fired: Pizza cooked in a small oven that uses wood as fuel in the preparation process, which makes pizza have a kind of burnt appearance and a crispy crust.
Brick Oven: A pizza cooked in a oven with a temperature of 450 degree F or more and generally cooked in a brick or stoned oven which give a crispy crust and short cooking time.
Conveyor Oven: Standard for fast foods or perhaps chain restaurants, the pizza is conveyed through an oven through a conveyor belt.
Pizza Sizes and Servings
Personal Pizza: A slice of pizza which could be consumed by one person, more especially when it measures 68 inches in diameter.
Medium Pizza: Sliced into 8 pieces, usually this is 12 inches in diameter.
Large Pizza: Typically ranging from 14 to 16 inches in diameter with 10 to 12 slices.
ExtraLarge Pizza: Sometimes they were 16 to 18 inches or more, serving more than people, with 12+ slices.
Pizza Specialty Terms
Margherita Pizza: A traditional Neapolitan pizza topped with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil, and olive oil, representing the colors of the Italian flag.
Calzone: A folded pizza, often filled with cheese, meat, and vegetables, baked like a pizza but shaped like a halfmoon.
Stromboli: Similar to a calzone, but usually rolled into a log shape before baking, with the fillings wrapped inside.
Pizza Bianca: A “white pizza” made without tomato sauce, often using olive oil, garlic, cheese, and other toppings.
Pie: An American slang term for pizza, especially in New York where people often refer to pizzas as “pies.”
Dough Related Terms
Dough Ball: The round piece of dough that is shaped into the pizza base.
Proofing: The process of letting the pizza dough rise before it’s stretched or baked.
Stretching: The act of shaping the pizza dough by hand, creating the base of the pizza.
Topping Placement
Double Toppings: When a topping is ordered in double portions, typically resulting in a larger quantity spread across the pizza.
Topping Under the Cheese: A style where the toppings (such as pepperoni or mushrooms) are placed under the cheese layer, rather than on top.
Ordering Terminology
Half and Half: When a pizza is ordered with different toppings on each half.
Extra Cheese: A common order request where the pizza has more cheese than the standard amount.
Well Done: Ordering a pizza to be cooked slightly longer, resulting in a crispier crust.
Advanced Pizza Terminology
Artisanal Pizza: Pizzas that are handcrafted and often use high quality or unique ingredients, prepared with a focus on traditional methods and fresh ingredients.
Gluten gluten-freeFree Pizza: Pizza made with a gluten free crust, often using alternative flours such as rice flour, almond flour, or cauliflower crusts for those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.
Vegan Pizza: A pizza made without any animal products, often using dairy free cheese substitutes and plant dairy freebased toppings.
Regional Variations
Greek Pizza: Known for its thicker, spongy crust, often cooked in a pan and typically served with Greek inspired toppings like olives and feta cheese.
Quad Cities Style Pizza: A unique style from the Quad Cities region, known for its malted dough, spicy sauce, and being cut into strips rather than slices.
St. LouisStyle Pizza: Features a thin, crackerlike crust and is often topped with Provel cheese, a blend of cheddar, Swiss, and provolone.
Conclusion: Mastering Pizza Terminology
Understanding these pizza terms can help you communicate better with pizzerias, whether you’re ordering, making your own pizza, or simply exploring the variety of pizza styles around the world!
Whether you’re talking about Neapolitan pizza, deepdish or woodfired pizza, these pizza terms will help you navigate the pizza world like an expert!
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