A Slice of Brooklyn: What is Brooklyn Style Pizza?

If you’ve visited New York or lived there, you probably heard of the “Brooklyn style pizza”. You already knew Detroit already had its own style of pizza, but never heard that Brooklyn also had!

But what’s the story behind this special pizza? What ingredients make it so special, and where can you taste it? Keep reading to know what is Brooklyn style pizza.

The History of Brooklyn Style Pizza

Brooklyn style pizza can be traced back to the early 1900s, when immigrants from Italy started arriving in Brooklyn. These new residents brought with them their love of pizza, and began opening up pizzerias around the borough. Coal-fired ovens were common in many homes and businesses in Brooklyn at this time, and so these new pizzerias began cooking their pies in these ovens. The result was a thinner, crisper crust than what was typically found on other types of pizza.

The thin and cripsy crust is also a trait of the traditional Neapolitan pizza, that we can guess immigrants replicated in Brooklyn.

Fun fact: the pizza was originally introduced in America in the city of New-York by Italian immigrants… before the pizza fever spread all over the country!

As the years went by, more and more people started flocking to Brooklyn to try this new style of pizza. Indeed, we have to remind you that the American pizza has a lot of differences with its Italian cousin!

Soon, it became one of the most popular pizzas in New York City. Today, you can find Brooklyn style pizza all over the world, and it has become one of the most iconic types of pizza out there.

Brooklyn Style Pizza vs. New York Style Pizza: What’s the Difference?

When it comes to pizza, there are two main types that come from New York: Brooklyn style and New York style. So, what’s the difference?

Brooklyn style pizza is typically made with a thinner crust than other types of pizza. It is also cooked in a coal-fired oven, which gives the crust a crispy texture. Brooklyn style pizza is also usually topped with a variety of fresh vegetables and meats, rather than the traditional mozzarella cheese.

New York style pizza, on the other hand, is typically made with a thicker crust. The dough is hand-tossed and it is cooked in a gas oven, which gives the crust a chewy texture. New York style pizza is typically topped with mozzarella cheese and a few simple toppings, such as pepperoni or sausage. You usually buy it by the slice, to eat it on the go in your busy Big Apple day!

The ingredients of the Brooklyn Style Pizza

The dough is typically made with bread flour, water, salt, and yeast.

Unlike traditional mozzarella cheese-topped pizza, Brooklyn style pizza is generally topped with a variety of fresh vegetables and meats. Some popular toppings are onions, peppers, sausage, and ham.

Where can you grab a slice?

If you’re in Brooklyn, there are plenty of pizzerias that serve up this iconic dish.

Grimaldi’s

Founded by Patsy Grimaldi in 1990, this pizzeria located in Dumbo, Brooklyn, uses over 100-tradition pizza cooking in its recipes. It is now a very known pizzeria chain all over the states of North America. We love it for an authentic Brooklyn style pizza, and an authentic Italian experience right under the Brooklyn bridge.

Juliana’s

Considered as the rival of Grimaldi’s, Juliana’s also offers one of the best Brooklyn pizza-style in town. Even the New York Times says it: “The thin-crust pies are exceptional, especially with arugula and pepperoni, and the mystique of the original hand-built, blazingly hot hearth — the first coal-fired oven commissioned in New York in over 50 years — only adds to the wow.” You’d be wrong not to try!

Di Fara Pizza

It’s frequently mentioned as one of the city’s finest pizzerias by food critics and bloggers. Several publications have dubbed Di Fara “the greatest pizza in New York.” Di Fara is appreciated for using imported ingredients that add more flavor and body to its pies. Today, Di Fara’s still sells NYC’s most expense slice at $5.

Some of the most popular places also include L&B Spumoni Gardens, and Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitano.

If you’re not in Brooklyn, don’t worry! You can still enjoy Brooklyn style pizza. There are plenty of pizzerias around the country that serve up this delicious dish. So, if you’re ever in the mood for a slice of Brooklyn style pizza, be sure to check out one of these pizzerias.