{"id":14751,"date":"2022-05-24T13:35:12","date_gmt":"2022-05-24T11:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/olivemagazine\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=14751"},"modified":"2022-05-24T13:35:12","modified_gmt":"2022-05-24T11:35:12","slug":"the-ultimate-pizza-primer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/olivemagazine\/2022\/05\/24\/the-ultimate-pizza-primer\/","title":{"rendered":"The ultimate pizza primer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The ultimate pizza primer<\/h1>\n\n

Dumbfounded by Detroit? New to Neapolitan? Let olive break down those pizza styles, slice by slice<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Words TONY NAYLOR<\/p>\n\n

Once, pizza was simple: it was flat and round, occasionally deep-dish and sometimes had a stuffed crust. But recently Britain has undergone a pizza revolution, with a new wave of hip restaurants pushing niche pizza, from al taglio squares to New York slices. <\/strong>It can seem bewildering, but no more \u2013 read on for your ultimate pizza primer. Tuck in!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Detroit-style at Ramona, Manchester<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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Served in rectangular slices, Detroit-style pizza has a thick, focaccia-like base that\u2019s topped, in reverse order, with meat, cheese and an intense, cooked tomato sauce (hence its nickname, \u2018red top\u2019). Fittingly for a pizza originally baked in shallow steel trays that were used in Detroit\u2019s car factories, the Manchester exponent of this style occupies a former MOT garage. Co-founder Dan Mullen describes Ramona\u2019s take as an \u201cartisan approach\u201d to Detroit pizza, inspired by a Californian second wave that in recent years has taken the style in a fresh, gastro-nerd direction. Ramona\u2019s toppings \u2013 \u201cWe make everything in-house,\u201d says Dan \u2013 include pancetta, pineapple and thyme, or salami, \u2019nduja, sweet peppers and homemade hot honey that adds \u201crichness, acidity, heat\u201d. <\/p>\n\n

Some of Ramona\u2019s slices come garnished with scooped ricotta or pecorino snowdrifts, because you can never have too much cheese \u2013 least of all with Detroit pizza, which develops \u201ca crispy crust of cheese around the edge as it caramelises to the pan. The corner is the slice you fight over\u201d. Slices from \u00a35, takemetoramona.com<\/a> <\/em>Also available at: London Detroit Pizza, London E1, detroitpizzalondon.com<\/a>; <\/em>Square, Newcastle, hiptoeatsquare.com<\/a>; <\/em>White Label Pizza, Maldon, Essex, whitelabeldetroitpizza.co.uk<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n

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Neapolitan-style at Otto, Lichfield<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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Very few British pizzerias adhere to the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana\u2019s exacting rules (Herne Bay\u2019s A Casa Mia is one exception; acasamia.co.uk<\/a>). <\/em>But many, says George Leigh, chief pizza geek at Otto, are \u201cstrongly influenced by its spirit rather than the law\u201d. Using fiercely hot Gianni Acunto ovens, Otto\u2019s three Midlands restaurants produce authentically thin, soft, pliable pizza, the bases swollen and blistered at the cornicione rim. Neapolitans would recognise Otto\u2019s careful use of high-quality toppings and crushed (not cooked) Italian tomato sauce. But, at the same time, George likes to see delicious spots of so-called \u2018leopard\u2019 char on Otto\u2019s bases, which would be unorthodox in Naples. <\/p>\n\n

Otto\u2019s kitchens also use British cheeses and charcuterie in distinctive combinations, such as chorizo, \u2019nduja, mozzarella and honey, or roast squash, coppa, mascarpone and crispy sage. \u201cFerment slow, cook fast\u201d is the motto, says George, whose 90-second cooked sourdough bases prove for 72 hours to unlock the dough\u2019s character. Good neo-Neapolitan pizza involves coaxing layers of flavour from simple ingredients. \u201cThe longer I make pizza,\u201d says George, \u201cthe more I see how much complexity there is in simplicity. There\u2019s nowhere to hide.\u201d Pizza from \u00a39.50, ottopizza.uk<\/a> <\/em>Also available at: Honest Crust, Manchester honestcrustsourdoughpizza.com<\/a>; <\/em>Dusty\u2019s, Cardiff, dustyspizza.co.uk<\/a>; <\/em>Santa Maria, London, santamariapizzeria.com<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n\n

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Al taglio at Mike\u2019s, London SE15<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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There are two types of Roman pizza: the familiar round al tondo, and al taglio, served in rectangular slices. These, explains Mike Davies, co-founder of Peckham\u2019s Mike\u2019s, are then \u201cgenerously topped, often with things that go on after the bake, like charcuterie or fresh cheese\u201d. Cooked in large teglia trays, an al taglio slice should \u201chold when you lift it \u2013 the challenge is incorporating a super-crisp underside and a light, airy bubble structure [into the base], while keeping it strong enough to hold plenty of toppings, without being over-thick\u201d. It\u2019s a task that Mike\u2019s chef, Francesco Canzani, has mastered, to the extent that its rosso slice (tomato sauce, home-dried oregano and confit garlic oil), is a big hit on Mike\u2019s sun-trap terrace. \u201cIt\u2019s a perfect representation of the work that\u2019s gone into making the slowly fermented dough taste as it does,\u201d says Mike. Other flavours recently wowing regulars include a tomato-sauce-free white pizza with caramelised leeks, baked prosciutto and gorgonzola cream; and a salsa verde, piquillo pepper and tuna slice. Slices from \u00a33, mikespeckham.co.uk<\/a> <\/em>Also available: Fritto, Liverpool, fritto.org<\/a>; <\/em>Baked, Glasgow (follow on Instagram @bakedpizzaaltaglio<\/a>); <\/em>Simpatico, Leeds, simpaticopizza.co.uk<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n\n

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Britalian at Great British Pizza, Margate<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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Is British pizza a thing? Increasingly, yes. The Britalian bunch includes a broad church of pizza perfectionists who vibe off British seasonal produce or global flavours of UK food, to create pizza far removed from its Italian origin. Think of the smoked potato, black garlic vinaigrette and miso mayo umami bomb at Bertha\u2019s in Bristol, or Crate Brewery\u2019s Kashmiri dhal pizza in London. In Margate, Great British Pizza uses a \u201creally zingy\u201d slow-cooked tomato sauce (instead of Neapolitan-style crushed toms), and toppings range from Cobble Lane Cured wagyu beef salami with horseradish cream, rocket and parmesan; to sprouts, chestnuts and pancetta. \u201cFrom day one, we knew we weren\u2019t creating authentic Neapolitan or Roman pizza,\u201d says co-founder Lisa Richards. \u201cThat gave us the opportunity to play with flavours.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Big, gutsy British flavours were something we were passionate about. But we just love food \u2013 especially, at the moment, Korean and Middle Eastern. It\u2019s fun to top pizza with stuff we love. I could eat tahini on anything.\u201d Pizza from \u00a36, greatbritishpizza.com<\/a> <\/em>Also available at: Homeslice, London, homeslicepizza.co.uk<\/a>; <\/em>Bertha\u2019s, Bristol; berthas.co.uk<\/a>; <\/em>Crate, London E9, cratebrewery.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n

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New York slice at Peacer, Birmingham<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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In Moseley, Jack Richards and Dann Matheson are taking the classic New York slice \u2013 crisp XXL triangles with cheese-forward toppings \u2013 and doing it their way. This is a very New York attitude. In Brooklyn, every element of pizza is debatable. For example, some pizzerias use a cooked tomato sauce, to which they might add garlic or sugar; others use a fresh, uncooked, simply seasoned sauce. Peacer splits the difference, using an uncooked marinara with salt and oregano: \u201cIt\u2019s got a sweet, tangy punch,\u201d says Jack. <\/span>Peacer\u2019s lower-hydration dough has been fine-tuned using long, cold fermentation to create a sturdy, aerated base bursting with flavour (note: New York slices shouldn\u2019t flop about much). <\/p>\n\n

More unusually, Peacer\u2019s toppings are meat-and fish-free. \u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019ll find many traditional New York shops that use halloumi,\u201d says Dann, who quit eating meat seven years ago. Creating arresting pizza without meat requires fastidious scratch-cooking. \u201cI\u2019ve yet to try a bottled BBQ sauce that works as well as making one,\u201d says Jack. This ensure Peacer\u2019s combos of confit garlic cream, house pesto, mushrooms and rocket; or blue cheese, buffalo sauce and crispy fried onions, remain vivid. Slices from \u00a33.50, <\/span>peacer.co.uk<\/a> <\/em>Also available at: Nell\u2019s, Manchester nellspizza.co.uk<\/a>; <\/em>West, Cardiff, west.pizza<\/a>; <\/em>Voodoo Ray\u2019s, London and Manchester, voodoorays.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n

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ANOTHER SLICE? MORE PIZZA STYLES TO GET ACROSS <\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n\n