It’s well known that Quebeckers enjoy novelties and like to switch things up where dining is concerned. Pizzerias are no exception. At some point, we all manage to carve out a place on our list of favourite neighbourhood restaurants.
Defining what “real” pizza is can be a challenge. Around the world, there are variations more or less closely related to pizza. Whether made with pita, naan or leavened dough, bread remains the only constant, and that’s true across all continents.
Pizza across the globe
When Californians first fell for pizza, basic rules went out the window and toppings became endless. While some combinations didn’t stand the test of time, others left their mark and became classics.
This spirit of innovation was championed by Wolfgang Puck, the chef-owner of Spago in Los Angeles. He popularized, among other things, pizza topped with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes, now referred to as California pizza.
Today, however, the pendulum has swung back towards simplicity and authenticity, with fewer ingredients but quality ingredients. For example, the spotlight is back on Neopolitan-style pizza, like the Margherita, and its different variations.
Back to where it started
In Italy, appreciation for pizza goes way back. Two hundred years before our era, when Italy was still a Greek colony, pistores (millers who evolved into bakers) were making 15 different breads, including strepticius, a type of focaccia.
The recipe was simply dough rolled thin with flour, olive oil and pepper, baked on a hot stone. Many consider it the direct ancestor of contemporary pizza. The real explosion, however, occurred in Naples in the 19th century, when a baker had the brilliant idea of pairing white pizza (without tomato sauce) with an ingredient newly arrived in Europe: tomatoes. Add to that basil and fresh tomato, and a culinary icon was born.
Simple to make, easy to transport and eat, this inexpensive food was known as the people’s dish. But even royalty couldn’t resist it. Ferdinand I, King of the Two Sicilies, wanted it added to the list of official court dishes, while Queen Margherita herself adored pizza in the colours of the Italian flag, with tomato, mozzarella and basil. That pizza still carries her name today.
The excitement had risen to fever pitch with the opening of the first Pizza Hut in Kansas in 1958, and it hasn’t slowed since. The United States is the world’s largest consumer of pizza, with 13 kg per person consumed annually. Supermarkets quickly followed suit by offering make-your-own-pizza kits, frozen pizza, plain crusts to garnish and bake, not to mention the various toppings and condiments. Globally, 30 billion units are consumed every year.
Just as we now enjoy discovering artisanal breads and other local products, we also take immense pleasure in savouring quality pizzas, clearly distinguishing between a chain pizza and a piping hot, aromatic slice straight out of the wood-fire oven of a family trattoria.
Tips on cooking it perfectly
How pizza is baked plays a big role when it comes to flavour. Wood-fire pizza has a unique and unbeatable taste. Inside these ovens is a subtle smokiness that contributes to pizza’s characteristic flavour. The challenge is getting as close as possible to that authentic taste at home without having to build your own wood-fire oven.
A pizza oven delivers excellent results, as does a pizza stone. To use the latter, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with the stone placed on the lowest rack. It needs to be very hot when the dough is placed on it, and I like to sprinkle a bit of cornmeal on the stone too before baking. It helps to replicate that faint wood-ash flavour.
A pizza peel is also handy for sliding pizza onto the stone or into the oven. If you don’t have one, a rimless cookie sheet works just as well. Always sprinkle flour or cornmeal on the peel before placing the dough so it doesn’t stick. You can bake the pizza directly on the reverse side of the cookie sheet or an aluminum pizza plate, but the crust won’t turn out the same or as crispy. Now, all that’s left is to get your hands dirty!
For more pizza suggestions, try these recipes:
