Pizza is easily one of the most versatile types of food available today. This complete meal can be modified to suit different tastes and preferences. There are various styles of pizza available today. The New York Style pizza is one of the most popular styles. Not only does this pizza come in large portions but it is also easy to enjoy on the go. The thin chewy crust makes it easy to fold a slice into two for a mess-free meal. These pizzas are also known as cheese pizzas. This is because they often feature a large volume of cheese. Below, we explore what makes New York Style Pizza so unique and the best cheese for pizza.
What Makes a Pizza a New York Style Pizza?
New York style pizza is one of the most popular styles of pizza. It features a large pie with a thin chewy crust. The crust is light and crispy on the outside but has a soft chewy inside. This large and thin crust is achieved by hand tossing the dough when preparing it.
The crust also has a distinct flavor. Some people like to attribute this flavor to the minerals in the water in New York. However, it is largely because of the recipe and preparation of the pizza dough. In order to prepare New York Pizza dough, you would need to use bread flour. This high-gluten flour includes some barley. Its high gluten content is what makes the pizza crust chewy. It also gives the crust its unique flavor. Other ingredients used for the crust include kosher salt, active dry yeast, granulated sugar, water and olive oil.
Another distinct feature of the New York Style Pizza is the sauce. Authentic New York style pizza features a tomato-based sauce. The sauce provides the base that ties the flavors of the pizza together. Simple tomato based sauces that include a mix of olive oil, onions, basil and oregano are often used for this pizza.
The Best Pizza Cheese for New York Style Pizzas
The pizza cheese is definitely the start of the show when it comes to New York Style pizza. It is not surprising that this pizza is often referred to as a cheese pizza. It often simply features pizza sauce and a large amount of cheese. However, with various types of cheese available, you may be wondering what is the best cheese for pizza.
If you’re like many people, you probably thought of mozzarella as the first option for the cheese on this pizza. Mozzarella is definitely the best stretchy cheese for a pizza. However, unlike with other pizza styles such as the Neapolitan pizza which uses fresh mozzarella, the New York Style pizza features dry mozzarella pizza. This is the same type of mozzarella cheese that you would get in a meatball sub. The cheese is grated and sprinkled on the pizza. This cheese melts on the surface of the pizza when placed in the pizza oven to form a loose matrix. The molten cheese mingles with the sauce underneath it. It is also browned by the high heat of the oven. The result is a mix of brown, red and white.
There are several other things to note about the best type of cheese to use for New York Style pizzas. The mozzarella cheese ought to be full-fat cheese. This is because you can only achieve that stretchy effect with full fat cheese. Low-fat or part-skim cheese does not stretch the same.
It is also important to note that the cheese ought to be grated in-house. Don’t be tempted to purchase pre-shredded cheese. This type of cheese is coated with starch to prevent it from clumping. The starch coating however also prevents the shredded cheese from melting properly. You won’t achieve the right effect with pre-shredded cheese.
What About Vegans?
Just because you’re a vegan does not mean that you can’t enjoy a cheesy New York style pizza. There are many vegan cheese options that are used in pizzas. The best vegan cheese for pizza is a diary free mozzarella cheese. These cheeses include vegan ingredients such as rice starch, cashews and chickpeas. Vegan mozzarella cheese is not dry and waxy like other types of vegan cheese. It in fact produces the same stretchy effect that regular mozzarella cheese offers. You can therefore enjoy the same great experience while being a vegan.
Big Mario’s Pizza
If you’re looking to enjoy an authentic New York Style pizza while in Seattle, there’s no better place to be than Big Mario’s Pizza. We are specialists in New York Style Pizza. We adhere to traditional methods of preparing a pizza to ensure you can enjoy the best flavors and have the best experience.
Visit Big Mario’s Pizza or order your New York-style pizza online.