Pizza Styles Explained: From Naples to Detroit, One Slice at a Time

Pizza is one of those foods everyone thinks they understand, until they travel. Order „a pizza“ in Naples and you get something soft, puffy-edged and eaten with a knife and fork. Order one in Rome and it might arrive thin enough to crackle. Walk into a Roman bakery and it is sold by the slab, cut with scissors and weighed. Puffin has spent many happy evenings studying the subject, usually right up until the staff start stacking chairs. Here is what he has learnt.

Neapolitan: the soft original

The Neapolitan pizza is the one that made pizza famous. Its craft was recognised by UNESCO as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage in 2017, which is quite an honour for a disc of dough.

• The dough: simple flour, water, salt and yeast, left to rise slowly and stretched by hand rather than flattened with tools.
• The bake: a very hot wood-fired oven, for roughly a minute to a minute and a half.
• The result: a thin, soft, slightly wet centre and a puffy, airy rim called the cornicione, with dark charred spots known affectionately as „leopard spotting“.

The two classics are the Margherita (tomato, mozzarella, basil, olive oil) and the Marinara (tomato, garlic, oregano, olive oil, no cheese). The soft centre means many Neapolitans eat it with cutlery, or fold each slice in half. Neither is wrong.

Roman tonda: thin and crisp

In Rome, the round pizzeria pizza, called pizza tonda or scrocchiarella, goes the other way. The dough is stretched very thin, often with a little oil, and cooked a bit longer so it turns crisp right to the edge. There is hardly any rim at all. It makes a satisfying crunch and is perfect for people who like their toppings front and centre. Roman pizzerias traditionally open in the evening, and the atmosphere is loud, busy and cheerful.

Pizza al taglio: by the slice, by the weight

Pizza al taglio means „pizza by the cut“. It is made in large rectangular trays, displayed under glass, and you simply point at what you want and show with your hands how big a piece you would like. It is cut with scissors, weighed, warmed up and handed over on paper. The dough is usually thick, airy and crisp underneath, and the toppings change through the day: potato and rosemary, courgette flowers, mortadella, simple red with tomato. It is the ultimate „just one more“ pizza, because you can always ask for one more small square.

Pinsa: the oval newcomer

Pinsa is an oval flatbread from Rome that has become popular across Europe. Its dough usually blends different flours, such as wheat, rice and soy, and holds a lot of water, then rests for a long time. The result is light, crisp on the outside and soft inside. Pinsa makers like to link it to ancient Roman flatbreads, but the modern pinsa as you find it today is a fairly recent creation. Either way, it is delicious.

Sicilian sfincione: the soft, thick one

From Palermo comes sfincione, a thick, spongy, focaccia-like pizza made in a tray. Classic toppings are tomato sauce with plenty of onion, anchovies, a local cheese such as caciocavallo, oregano and a crunchy layer of toasted breadcrumbs. It is often sold in squares by street vendors and in bakeries, and it is especially loved around Christmas. One square is filling. Two is a commitment.

A quick hop across the Atlantic

Pizza travelled with Italian emigrants and grew new branches.

• New York style: wide, thin slices that are crisp underneath but flexible enough to fold lengthways as you walk. Sold whole or by the giant slice.
• Detroit style: rectangular, thick and airy, cooked in steel pans, with cheese spread right to the edges so it caramelises into a crunchy, lacy border. The sauce is often added on top in stripes.

Both are increasingly easy to find in big European cities, usually in small, enthusiastic pizzerias run by people who fell in love with them abroad.

„Every pizza has a perfect moment. Mine is the last slice, when the oven’s still warm and nobody’s in a hurry.“ – Puffin

How to order one more slice

Puffin’s specialist subject. A few phrases and habits help:

• In a Roman al taglio shop: point and say „un pezzo così“ („a piece like this“), showing the size with your hands. „Un altro pezzetto“ means „another small piece“.
• In a Neapolitan pizzeria: pizzas are usually one per person, not shared. If you are still hungry, ordering a second to split is perfectly normal.
• At a slice counter: ask for it warmed up. Most places reheat slices in the oven for a minute, and it makes a world of difference.
• Toppings: in Italy, pizzaiolos tend to keep things simple. Fewer toppings, better ingredients.

Puffin’s tip: the best time to visit a busy pizzeria is just before the late rush or just after it. You get a calmer room, a chattier pizzaiolo and, occasionally, a slice „on the house“ because it came out a little lopsided.

If you are wandering after dark and want to know which cities do the best late bites beyond pizza, read our guide to one more slice: late-night food in Europe. And remember, there is no wrong pizza, only pizza you haven’t tried yet.