All About Pizza

All About Pizza

You are about to learn all things pizza (the history, the types or styles, the cooking techniques, and how to make a homemade pizza).

The History of Pizza

Where did it come from?

Over 3 billion pizzas are sold each year in the United States!! People have been eating pizza for centuries. Flatbreads with toppings had been enjoyed by the ancient Greeks and Romans. The birthplace of modern pizza was a region in Italy near Naples. People in Italy ate pizza out of necessity because they were poor and it was the cheapest form of food. Italians actually thought that eating pizza was a disgusting thing only done by the poor.

Multiple Choice

The birthplace of modern pizza was ____.

• Texas, U.S.A

• Athens, Greece

• Naples, Italy

• Rio, Brazil

When people began immigrating to the United States from Italy, the people from Naples brought recipes of their pizza with them. Many immigrants from the region formed pizzerias in cities like New York and Chicago.

Immigrants in the U.S

Pizza became popular once it was introduced in the United States before it became popular in Italy

Popularity of Pizza Grew

Multiple Choice

Why did people in Italy start to eat pizza?

• They were poor

• They were rich

• They loved dough

• They had extra cheese

Multiple Choice

Where did the first pizzerias in the United States start?

• L.A. and Detroit

• Houston and Denver

• NYC and Chicago

• Pasadena and Newark

Pizza is about a $30 billion industry and makes up for about 17% of all U.S. restaurants

Pizza Industry Facts

Open Ended

What do you find surprising about pizza sales around the world?

The original Italian pizza!!

The dough is made with Italian wheat flour, crust is thin and baked in a wood-fired oven. Toppings are usually mozzarella, sauce and basil.

The Neapolitan/ Margherita

It is baked in a deep dish like a cake pan and has a high crust. The pizza has a large amount of toppings that are assembled "upside down". The cheese and veggies are on the bottom and covered by the sauce.

​​Chicago Deep Dish

​Popular Pizza Styles in the U.S.

Began in the early 1900s in NYC. The crust is thin and crunchy so that you can fold it while you eat. Toppings include tomato sauce, lots of mozzarella cheese and toppings of your choice. Most pizzerias in the U.S. sell some version of the New York Style pizza.

New York Thin Crust

A square shaped pizza that has a deep crust and marinara sauce on top. It is baked in a well oiled pan so that the edges caramelize. Since Little Caesars offers a Detroit style pizza, it has become more popular.

Detroit Style

​Popular Pizza Styles in the U.S.

Usually has a cup and char pepperoni and a very thin crust. It has a sweeter sauce and lots of cheese.

​​Buffalo Style

A thin crust pizza that is similar to the New York style but it is fire oven cooked. What is different or unique about this pizza is that is often has fresh, local ingredients.

​​California Style

​Popular Pizza Styles in the U.S.

Match

Match the pizza style to their picture.

Margherita

Detroit Style

Buffalo Style

Chicago Deep Dish

NY Style

• Margherita

• Detroit Style

• Buffalo Style

• Chicago Deep Dish

• NY Style

Brick Oven

Coal-Fire

Commercial pizza oven used in most pizzerias. Most are flat and solid and the pizza cooks directly on it. They are made of either stone or stainless steel. Gives the pizza a crispy, browned crust.

Deck Oven

Pizza Cooking Techniques

Multiple Choice

How long does it take a brick oven to cook a pizza?

• 1 hour

• 30 minutes

• I have no idea

• A couple of minutes

Reorder

What are the correct steps to make pizza dough

• Add flour, salt, sugar, oil, active yeast, and warm water

• Process or mix until ball of dough forms

• Place dough in greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or towel

• Let is rest in a warm area for 45 mins-1 hour or until doubled in size

• Add a little flour and roll dough out to make a pizza

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Pizza Sauce

Pizza sauce is an uncooked tomato sauce. The best pizza sauce is simply pureed tomatoes and tomato paste with added spices (garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pizza sauce is different than pasta sauce because pasta sauce is cooked and has more water content. Some pizzas use a pesto sauce made of olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and basil.

Drag and Drop

Pizza sauce is ​

Placeholder

while pasta sauce is ​

Placeholder

.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

uncooked tomato sauce

cooked

red

chuncky

This is used on traditional pizza. Processed mozzarella is often used because it has less water than fresh. Processed cheese also allows for proper browning, melting, and stretchiness that is desired on pizza.

​​Mozzarella

Provolone

Cheddar

​​Parmesan

​fresh mozzarella cheese

Multiple Choice

Why is processed cheese used more on pizza than fresh mozzarella?

• It is older

• It has less water

• It has more water

• It makes the pizza bigger

Poll

What is your favorite pizza option below?

• Margherita Pizza (Classic Cheese)

• Pepperoni

• Pineapple and Bacon

• Cheeseburger

After trying Hawaiian pizza: "this isn’t a pizza, this is a mistake. This is an Italian tragedy.”

Draw

Draw your favorite pizza below. You can use some of the examples of toppings to help you get started.