What's Brooklyn-Style Pizza And What Makes It Unique?
Many regions across the United States have a particular kind of cuisine they call their own. Texas has its cultural fusion of Tex-Mex, and areas of the mid-west are well-known for things like Skyline Chili in Cincinnati and Kansas City BBQ. Perhaps the most recognized regional dish is New York-style pizza. However, there's a one-of-a-kind variety of NY pizza adored by local residents and pizza lovers nationwide — the Brooklyn-style pizza.
This adaptation of New York pizza gets made with an extra thin hand-stretched crust that straddles the line of crispy and chewy, creating the perfect base that harmonizes with the often humble toppings that accent this regional delicacy. A tangy, sweet tomato sauce is essential, as is a generous helping of cheese that should be slightly stringy as it separates from the pizza. Most importantly, a Brooklyn pizza is cut into large slices and made to fold and eat on the go. While it is similar to NY-style pies, the smallest of variations make all the difference in the world.
The difference between New York-style pizza
A traditional New York-style pizza is similar to a Brooklyn pizza, but one of the main differences is all in the crust. While New York pizza is typically thin, it's not as thin as Brooklyn style. Most NY pizzas were historically made in coal-fired ovens, though they are more commonly cooked in gas-fired ovens today. Those who make the NY subset of Brooklyn-style pizza continue to use coal ovens to cook their thin, hand-stretched dough, giving their pizzas a distinct smokey flavor.
Brooklyn pizza is also known for using simple ingredients to top the pie. Because each slice is incredibly thin, too many garnishes can ruin the structural integrity of the pizza and create a recipe for disaster if you don't plan on wearing your toppings. Mushrooms, pepperoni, and Italian sausage are common ingredients consumed on a Brooklyn-style pizza, but plain cheese may be the most popular way to order this recognizable slice. The cheese mixture itself also differs from a typical NY-style pizza, which typically utilizes a low-moisture mozzarella. Brooklyn pizza gets cheesed with a provolone and mozzarella blend — with a higher ratio of provolone folded into the mozzarella. The provolone creates a creamy texture nearly as iconic to Brooklyn pizza as its thin, foldable crust.
How Brooklyn pizza formed its own identity
The origins of New York pizza date back to the late 19th century, when Italian immigrants began selling cuisine inspired by recipes they had carried with them from the old country. As time went on and more entrepreneurs started getting into the pizza business, many started making slight adjustments to the recipe. By 1924, restaurants in New York's most populous borough of Brooklyn began making New York-inspired pizza within their own neighborhood. However, local Brooklynites didn't often refer to it as "Brooklyn-style". In 2006, national pizza chain Domino's came out with a "Brooklyn-style" pizza and, by all accounts, coined the phrase. But this wasn't a new culinary invention — it merely inherited the moniker from which Domino's took its inspiration to create it. The name stuck, and Brooklyn-style pizza became recognized for the unique style of pizza that it is.
From Detroit to California, it seems every region in the country wants to have a claim to pizza fame that is exclusively their own. Each of these pizzas boasts a unique personality, and Brooklyn pizza is no different in that regard. Essentially the opposite of a deep-dish Chicago-style pie, a Brooklyn pizza is something made to eat on the go by someone with just enough cash and time for a quick but memorable slice. A testament to the bustling New York lifestyle, Brooklyn pizza stands apart from other pies with a simple, iconic style treasured by New Yorkers and emulated by pizzerias nationwide.