New York Style Pizza

The Art of New York Style Pizza

It’s almost impossible to visit New York City without grabbing a slice of pizza. New Your style pizza is so popular that restaurants sell this style of pizza all over the world. This style of pizza came from America’s first pizzeria, Lombardi’s in Little Italy, NYC.

New York Style Pizza vs. Neapolitan Pizza

New York style pizza grew out of the traditional Neapolitan style pizza when Italian immigrants brought pizza to NYC. In Naples pizza is often served as an individual portion (come hungry) and is often served with more sauce than cheese. The basic pizza margherita Neapolitan style has just a few classic ingredients- basic dough, fresh mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, basil, olive oil. Adding more toppings is offered at some restaurants, but typically locals and tourists who come to Naples order the classic margherita.

In New York, pizza is often served by the slice making it easy for takeaway. If you order a whole pie, generally it’s meant to be shared among a few people. Unlike Neapolitan pizza there are a plethora of toppings added. Because each Neapolitan style pizza is made per person you typically order off of a menu. In New York most pizzerias cook many pizzas and reheat each slice when ordered. The menu is there but not necessary because it’s easier to pick your slice by checking out which pies are available.

Besides portion size and toppings, one of the main differences in NY style and Neapolitan style is in the cooking technique. In Naples, the center of the pizza is often softer making it easier to eat with a fork and knife and the pizzas are cooked with wood. In New York, the pizzas are cooked in coal fired ovens and crispy throughout. This makes it easier to eat the slices on the go and with your hands.

It’s All About the Pizza Dough

Because the crust is the base on which all toppings go and determines how you can eat your pizza, choosing the best dough is crucial. The recipe for making pizza dough NY style is similar to other doughs and requires only 5 ingredients. Caputo’s 00 Americana flour comes from Naples giving an authentic taste and is the perfect flour for making classic NY style pizza. This recipe is for a ton of dough so feel free to break it down if you’re wanting a smaller pie.

Ingredients:

  • 55 lbs. 00 Americana flour
  • 32 lbs of water
  • 4.5 oz fresh yeast
  • 17 oz olive oil
  • 22 oz salt

Process:

  1. Place water in a mixer bowl and melt the yeast. Then add 70% of the flour at slow speed.
  2.  After 2 minutes add salt. After 3 more minutes add the rest of the flour.
  3. Mix for 5 minutes and gradually add oil until the dough is smooth (total mixing time about 15 min).
  4. Place the dough on the table and divide into the desired size. Then place the dough balls into trays and brush lightly with oil.
  5. Let the dough ferment in the cooler at 40 degrees F for at least 24 hours (up to 72).
  6. You can use cold dough or take it out of the cooler up to 2 hours before using.

Now it’s time to make your pizza! Follow whatever recipe you like and use fresh ingredients for a delicious NY style pizza made in your own kitchen. Buon appetito!