American‑Style Pizza
As the name suggests, "American‑style pizza" originated in the United States. Although pizza traces its roots back to Italy, it was American brands represented by Pizza Hut that made pizza popular across the globe. In fact, American‑style pizza evolved on the basis of its Italian counterpart.
The United States has the world’s largest pizza consumption. Despite its relatively short history, as a new continent home to immigrants from various European countries, the U.S. received pizza from Italian immigrants as early as two centuries ago. The recipe then spread and evolved across the country, giving rise to distinctly American‑style pizza.
Geographically, American‑style pizza falls mainly into the following categories:
1. New‑York‑Style Pizza
Historically, New York Harbor served as the first stop for countless European immigrants arriving in the New World, which also made New York pizza’s first foothold in America. New‑York‑style pizza has developed its own unique style. To be shared among a group, it comes in large sizes, generally ranging from 14 to 22 inches. It features a thin crust with simple toppings; Margherita is the most common variety, sometimes topped with pepperoni. It is usually baked in a gas deck oven for about five minutes. Since the oven temperature is lower than that of traditional wood‑fired kilns, its baking time is longer than that of classic Italian pizza.
2. Chicago‑Style Pizza
Chicago‑style pizza re‑imagines the shape and baking method of traditional pizza. It is baked in a round, rimmed iron pan. First, a layer of dough is laid, also lining the inner rim of the pan. Tomato sauce, cheese, meats and other fillings go into the centre. Then another sheet of dough is placed on top like a lid for the pan. Tomato sauce and cheese are spread over this top dough layer before baking. Naturally, such a thick multi‑layered pizza requires a long baking time to cook all the way through, so it is slowly baked at a relatively low oven temperature.
3. California‑Style Pizza
California is known by many Americans as the cradle of American gourmet food. Influenced by culinary traditions from numerous countries and ethnic groups, California pizza naturally incorporates elements from many cuisines. It is characterised by abundant, mixed‑and‑matched ingredients and flavours fused from diverse culinary backgrounds.
To sum up, compared with Italian‑style pizza, American‑style pizza generally features larger portions, thicker crusts, richer fillings and a wider variety of flavours. It is baked at lower temperatures with longer baking times.
