Top 10 Types of Pizza
A classic choice, cheese pizza is still statistically the most popular. Vegetables are the second most-popular topping.
There are many pizza types, which vary by region, ingredients and even culture. The following 10 pizzas range from your traditional to the more adventurous – including one made with mashed potatoes, squid ink and fermented soybeans!
1. Neapolitan
Neapolitan pizzas feature a very thin crust, which is usually charred in spots and cooks fast because of the high temperature used. It is topped with simple ingredients like tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil.
The dough is made with flour (type 0 or 00), water, salt, and yeast. It’s kneaded by hand and cooked quickly.
The toppings are fresh, including the mozzarella (ideally fior di latte or mozzarella di bufala), which is very important. The pizza was first created by a baker for the king and queen of Naples in the 1880s, and it was named for Margherita of Savoy because of the use of red tomatoes, white mozzarella, and green basil, which represent the colors of the Italian flag.
2. Sicilian
Sicilian pizza is a different style of pizza than regular pizza. It has a thicker crust and is often made with no other toppings besides sauce and cheese. It originated in Sicily as a way to use up leftover ingredients, like chicken offal and peas, in order to feed the poor.
The dough for Sicilian pizza is proofed twice (normally it’s proved once after kneading) and baked in a square pan. It is topped with a mixture of breadcrumbs, anchovies and grated caciocavallo cheese, a tomato sauce and salt.
Mozzarella is not used on Sicilian pizza as it is not from the region, instead the cheese is usually made from sheep’s milk or goat’s milk. This is one of my favorite pizzas to make! It’s also great for reheating. I like to make it with a little extra mozzarella on top.
3. Hawaiian
The debate on whether pineapple belongs on pizza rages on, but for those who love it, there is no better pizza topping than this fruity delight. When cooked, the pineapple's juices sweeten and blend well with the salty cheese and savory ham or bacon. It's a perfect balance of sweet and salty, and it also smells amazing from the oven!
Despite its namesake, Hawaiian pizza was actually invented in Canada by a Greek immigrant. Sam Panopoulos's original pizza featured ham and pineapple, which were popular ingredients in his native country but were rarely seen on American pizzas at the time.
Make your own Hawaiian pizza at home by preparing a classic tomato sauce, spreading on some shredded mozzarella, laying on some sliced ham, and finishing it off with a sprinkle of sweet pineapple. Bake until the crust is golden.
4. New York
Whether you prefer your pizza to come by the slice or as a whole pie, New York has the best pizza in the country. Whether it's from a hole-in-the-wall pizza joint in one of the outer boroughs or a fancy upscale restaurant in Manhattan, NYC has got you covered when it comes to delicious cheesy slices.
The pizza is typically sold in large slices and can be easily folded to eat, which makes it very convenient when on the go. Unlike pizza in Italy, which is often made in the Romana style with a thick crust, NY pizza tends to have a thin hand-tossed pizza crust.
A typical New York pizza is topped with a cooked tomato sauce with garlic, salt, sugar, and herbs like oregano and basil. It can also have grated low-moisture mozzarella cheese.
5. California
A favorite of health-conscious eaters, California pizzas are a great option for those who want to try something different. They are light in both flavor and calories, and they usually include a variety of vegetables and protein.
Innovative Toppings
This West Coast pizza style combines the time-honored traditions of traditional Italian pizza with the inventive spirit of California cuisine. Chefs like Ed LaDou and Alice Waters are credited with the development of this style, which is served at popular restaurants such as Spago.
The ingredients used in this pizza style are often sourced locally, which allows them to be at their peak of freshness and taste. These unique flavors can be found on pizzas with toppings such as barbecue chicken, Thai-inspired vegetables, or smoked salmon. In addition, the crusts of these pizzas are usually structurally strong enough to allow customers to eat them without using utensils.
6. Italian
Italian pizzas typically feature a selection of fresh toppings such as basil, tomatoes and prosciutto. The sauce is usually lighter in flavor than American versions and focuses on highlighting the natural flavors of each ingredient.
Originally, Italian pizza was a peasant's food made from leftover dough and simple ingredients such as cheese and tomatoes. It was not until the visit of Queen Margherita in 1889 that it took on its name. Margherita pizza is a white pizza topped with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil, the colors of the new Italian flag.
In Italy, pizza is often sold by the slice and eaten as a hand-held snack. This style is called Pizza a taglio and is served in long rectangular slices that are cut by hand and priced by weight. It may be topped with anything from a simple mozzarella and tomato to a meat lover's pizza topped with pepperoni and sausage.
7. Onions
From fresh California-style pies to New York slices and Chicago deep-dish, pizza in the US is as diverse as its populace. Some love meat and pile their pies with sausage and pepperoni while others opt for a vegetarian feast of eggplant, spinach and peppers.
Onions are a popular pizza topping and can be paired with a wide range of flavors. They can be added raw for a sharp and savory bite or caramelized for a sweet flavor that pairs well with almost any pizza.
Pineapple may seem like the last thing you’d expect on a pizza but with ham, it creates a solid sweet and salty combo for this type of pie. Buffalo sauce is another unexpected and delicious choice for pizza.
8. Sausage
From California-style pizzas to stuffed pizzas, there are many ways to express your pizza personality. Stuffed pizzas can be made with a variety of ingredients, including meats and vegetables, in addition to cheese.
Similar to a calzone, stromboli is a rolled pizza that is stretched out and filled with cheese and toppings before baking. Panzarottis are a variation of this, folded and then either fried or baked.
Tavern pizzas were first served in Chicago bars to working-class patrons and are distinguished by their unusual square slices, which are cut so they fit on bar napkins. They can be topped with just about any kind of meat, including sausage and ham. Mushrooms are also popular on these pizzas, adding a touch of earthiness and savory flavor. They are often combined with pepperoni or sausage. The best tavern-style pizzas are simple and satisfying.
9. Pepperoni
As the most popular pizza topping in the US, pepperoni has a savory salty taste and a spicy kick. It also has a texture softer than salami and melds well with many different cheeses and sauces.
The meat used to make pepperoni is a combination of pork and beef, which gives it its classic flavor. It’s also seasoned with spices like paprika and garlic. Pepperoni can be eaten uncooked, but it’s more delicious when cooked. When sliced and placed on a pizza, it can curl up into little “cups” in the oven, which creates crispy edges and pools of tasty oil in the middle.
To make pepperoni, meatmakers combine lean and fatty cuts of pork, then add salt and sodium nitrate to cure the mixture. They then stuff the cured sausage into a casing (typically natural hog casings) and hang it to dry.
10. Garlic
Adding fresh herbs like rosemary, oregano or parsley to your pizza is a great way to add flavor. Just remember that these delicate herbs are easily destroyed by heat, so only add them as your pizza comes out of the oven.
The Hawaiian pizza is a unique type of pizza that combines pineapple with thinly sliced ham. This combination creates a beautiful color and flavor contrast that is sure to please everyone’s taste buds!
Tavern pizzas are known for their strange-looking, uneven square slices. These pizzas were originally served in Chicago bars and were cut into small pieces to fit onto bar napkins. Today, these pizzas are still popular in many areas of the country. These pizzas are typically topped with meat, cheese and vegetables. They are also often seasoned with garlic. They are usually served on a New York-style crust.
