7 Different Types of Italian Pizza

Pizza is pizza, right? Not so fast. Visit Italy (or Eataly) and you will find many different types of Italian pizza, from la pizza Napoletana to la pizza Romana. America has New York-style and Chicago deep dish. Italy has its own varieties, and here is a closer look at each slice.

1. Pizza Napoletana

Born in Napoli, la pizza Napoletana is one of the most famous Italian styles. It carries a Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) certification, so it has to be made in a very particular way.

The dough is made of wheat flour, yeast, salt and water, and it rises for up to 24 hours. It is shaped by hand into a flat, round disk about 3 millimeters thick, topped and baked for 90 seconds in a wood-burning oven at around 900°F. The result: a soft, elastic center and a tall, fluffy crust called the cornicione. Find it at La Pizza & La Pasta at your local Eataly.

In 2017, the art of making pizza Napoletana was added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.

2. Pizza alla Pala

Pizza alla pala means "paddle pizza." It began in Roman bakeries as a way to use up leftover bread dough. Bakers stretched the dough lengthwise, topped it with fresh ingredients and served it by the slice on a wooden paddle.

Unlike Napoletana, the dough is highly hydrated (about 80% water) and bakes in an electric oven at around 580°F. It is denser and rises for a long time, which gives each slice a soft, fluffy interior and a crispy exterior. Get a slice at your local Eataly and try our recipe.

3. Pizza Tonda Romana

Pizza alla pala is not the only pizza from Italy's capital. Roman pizzerie also serve la pizza tonda Romana: flat, round and very thin. Where Napoletana is soft, this style is crispy, with an almost cracker-like crust.

4. Pizza al Taglio

Pizza al taglio literally means "pizza by the cut," and it is made for eating on the street. It bakes in a large, rectangular pan and is cut into squares or long strips. Each slice is often priced by weight, so you decide how big a piece you want when you order.

5. Pizza Fritta

A classic Neapolitan street food, pizza fritta is fried pizza dough in many shapes. Montanara is round, while calzone is shaped like a half moon.

Like many great things in life, pizza fritta was born out of a crisis. After World War II, the price of mozzarella and of wood for the ovens rose dramatically. To keep serving their staple dish, cooks in Napoli fried the dough instead of baking it and filled it with whatever ingredients they had on hand.

Another type is panzerotti. Shaped like half-moons, they are pizza dough stuffed with ingredients like mozzarella, tomato and ricotta, then deep fried until golden. They are often street food in Puglia and have become a popular tradition in many regions across Italy.

6. Pizza al Padellino

Pizza al padellino, or "pan pizza," bakes in small, round pans. Think of it as Italian-style deep dish. Typically served in Torino, it has a thick, soft crust that browns slightly on the outside. Toppings range from prosciutto to mozzarella.

7. Pizza Siciliana

Also known as sfincione, Sicilian-style pizza has a thick crust with a fluffy, sponge-like texture. It bakes in a rectangular pan and is topped with tomato sauce, anchovies, onions, oregano and a hard sheep's milk cheese. Breadcrumbs go on last to absorb some of the oil from the toppings. Sfincione is often served in bakeries rather than pizzerias, as a snack or street food.

Now that you are an Italian pizza expert, pick your favorite style and buy the ingredients to make it at your local Eataly or online.