Subway Chicken Pizzaiola Pizza Sandwich

Subway Chicken Pizzaiola Pizza Sandwich Review

This is a review of Subway Chicken Pizzaiola (it could be pizziola but I am too lazy to find out the spelling). This sandwich is not one of Subway’s healthier sandwiches. The reason we are discussing the pizzaiola here is because it is what happens when you put pizza in a sandwich. So you can say that it is pizza related.

Our Italian pizza food blog will provide an overview of Subway before we begin the review. Subway has a very interesting storyline. Subway was founded in the summer of 1965 in Bridgeport, Connecticut by a 17 year old named Fred Deluca and his friend Dr. Peter Buck. Dr. Buck had lent Fred the money ($1000)to get started so that he can make money for college tuition. Fred had named the sandwich shop “Pete’s Super Submarines.”

Presently, Doctor’s Associate Inc. (DAI) is the current owner of Subway with Fred DeLuca serving as the President. The corporate headquarters is in Milford, CT and Subway employs about 600 people. There are currently over 31,000 Subway restaurants in 90 countries. 2005 Sales had reported around $9 Billion worldwide. Subway is the real deal fast food chain ranking number 2 in fast food franchises worldwide.

Subway sandwiches are promoted as healthy and light. An example of this is found in the marketing campaign of Jared Fogle, a man who lost around 250 pounds in one year from eating subway sandwiches as his diet. Jared is now a national celebrity and spokesperson for Subway. Also, see my Subway Philly cheese steak review for more information.

The pizzaiola review…

I ate the chicken pizzaiola (or pizziola) at Subway for lunch. This sandwich is supposedly a hybrid of pizza and a chicken submarine sandwich. I didn’t like the pizza sandwich. There are better ways to fuse a pizza with a sandwich. But then again what did I expect as Subway tends to have boring sandwiches and are not in the pizza business. Their lack of pizza knowledge would prohibit them from ranking a pizza sandwich in the top A list.

It’s not that I don’t like Subway sandwiches. I think that subway sandwiches are a good product for a certain type of people. Those who count calories and like sandwiches are a perfect fit for Subway products. Subway lets you know the exact health contents of all of their sandwiches. As the nutrition tradeoff rule states: the healthier the food the worst that it tastes. And because Subway sandwiches are healthier, they tend to be lighter and less tastier than your typical East Coast sandwich shops.

The chicken pizzaiola was very lighter than I expected. By the way, this was not a five dollar foot long - it was six dollars. On the entire foot long, I had maybe 6 small pieces of chicken, 6 pieces of pepperoni, 4 slices of American cheese, and not much tomato sauce at all. If I were to make a pizza sandwich..I would hook it up. There would be a lot of sauce, tons of cheese, plenty of pepperoni, and whatever else needs to be added.

I added sweet peppers and extra tomatoes to my pizzaiola. This didn’t really help out much with the taste though. I had ordered the Italian bread with this sandwich and asked for it toasted. This may have been the problem too as the sandwich did not appear completely hot (it was warm). This sandwich should have been hotter to enhance the taste.

I do have to say one good thing about the Subway pizzaiola and their sandwiches in general. I am writing this an hour after I ate and I am already feeling like I have digested their meal. This is good because it confirms that their sandwiches really are lighter. If I was to eat this same sandwich at a local sandwich shop, my calorie intake probably would have been tripled and I would have been asleep by now. Keep in mind that I ate a foot long – that is twelve inches. That is a big sandwich! So healthier, I have to give that to them.


This review on Subway Chicken Pizzaiola Pizza Sandwich was presented by Blog Pizza!

Zooma Bar Ristorante Best Pizza Review

Zooma Bar Ristorante Providence, Rhode Island Best Pizza Review

This post is the long awaited best pizza review of Zooma Bar Ristorante in Providence, Rhode Island. I promised this review and I know that I took awhile but it is here for your reading now.

Last week I was in Providence, Rhode Island with some friends. I love Providence because there is so much good food there. Providence people take culinary and art very seriously. In my opinion, even the food restaurants that don’t taste good in Providence are better than many similar restaurants in the average American city. Now on to Zooma…

I decided to try a place called Zooma Bar Ristorante. Zooma is located on Federal Hill at 245 Atwells Avenue, Providence, RI. Opened in 2004, Zooma is a very Italian restaurant. Actually, the location that they are in, Federal Hill, is considered a very Italian culinary area. There are so many Italian restaurants along this street that it would make your head dizzy from all of the different aromas that you take in on a short walk. But it’s great!

If you can recall my new rating system: green light means need to try at least once, yellow light is proceed with caution, and red light is a “forget about it.” According to this scale, Zooma is a Green Light. I would even take this one step further and have voted it as one of the best pizza places in Providence and have added it to my “Providence Best Pizza” page. This place should have been on Alan Richman’s top 25 best pizza list.

At Zooma’s I ordered the 12 inch thin crust Margherita pizza. There were several things that I liked about this pie. First, in terms of crust, this pizza baby was excellent. The thinness of the crust helped you to savor every bite. If you like it dark, this pizza crust had it. It was slightly blackened but done just right. It was not burnt but oven flavored. The crispiness of the thin crust was a perfect texture that did not crack easy but nice and smooth.

Twelve inches was a perfect appetizer for two. I also ate a giant bowl of pasta after this but I overdid it. I think that if you went there and ordered just the pizza and nothing else, anyone of any size can tackle this pizza solo. Besides, it is just that good.

What else did I like about Zooma Margherita pizza? This place just knows what they are doing. On the menu they tell you exactly how the pie is made, which to me is letting the customer know that they really know how to make a good pizza correctly. Zooma Ristorante makes their pizza by hand in the traditional Neapolitan style using imported Caputo “00” flour and baked in an 800 degree wood burning brick oven. The pizza shows that they did as they said. The blackening on the crust could have only come from a heated oven of such sort and such temperatures. The crust tasted a texture that could have only come from Caputo “00” flour. This restaurant is the real thing.

All of this discussion so far and I haven’t really talked about the pizza toppings. This was a Margherita pizza that was as basic as the Neopolitan style calls for. Margherita pizzas consist of tomato, mozzarella cheese, and basil. Zooma put large amounts of basil spread throughout the pie. The mozzarella cheese was cooked perfectly and dispersed evenly in patches but just enough for the tomato sauce to be noticed.

The tomato sauce (some Italians call it gravy) was really tasteful. It had a sweet backdrop to it. There is a high chance that the chef uses sugar in his/her sauce as this flavor would not have been created without it. Many Southern Italian chefs use sugar and many other spices in their sauce. This is different than the traditional northern Italian style which has a sauce very bland. It all comes down to what style you like. I like taste to my sauce – the more spices the merrier. This sauce didn’t have too many spices and was closer to bland but the way that it was done was indescribable.

Folks, if you ever go to Providence then you need to visit this place. They don’t only have pizza there; they have many other Italian foods as well but their pizza… Their margherita pizza is special. My biggest regret is that I didn’t go back the next day like I wanted to. I wanted to try their Quattro Staggioni pizza. This pizza had tomato, roasted peppers, prosciutto, artichoke hearts, and mozzarella cheese. If they can make a pizza taste so good with so few of ingredients that are in a Margherita pizza then I can only imagine what their pizza would taste like with a few good toppings.

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Murry’s Deep Dish Supreme Pizza

Murry’s Deep Dish Frozen Supreme Pizza Review

For dinner tonight I ate Murry’s Deep Dish Frozen Supreme Pizza. This review will discuss Murry’s and this brand of pizza that I ate tonight. The Supreme pizza was made with pork, green and red peppers, pepperoni, and onions.

Before we begin, I think there should be a little summary about Murry’s. Murry’s, Inc. was formed by Al and Ida Mendelson, and their son Murry, in Washington D.C. in 1948. Although they had a regular food business, they offered steak as an extra food product.

In 1956, Murry’s moved to a bigger manufacturing plant in Virginia and began offering more frozen food items. Throughout the next two decades, Murry’s continued to grow. In 1971, the company stepped up to the big leagues and purchases a 42,000 sq. foot manufacturing plant in Lebanon, PA and moved its operations to this new facility.

In 1976, Murry’s had two major business milestones. First, it celebrated its 50th retail store opening. Second, it purchased a 162,000 sq. foot building in Upper Marlboro, Maryland and moved its operations and headquarters there.

Murry’s, Inc. still continues to expand and is featured in several thousand restaurants, diners, and other food operations. The Food Stores Division has stores in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Philadelphia. Murry’s branded products are sold in 49 states and over 10,000 grocery stores (this is where I found their pizza at my local supermarket). The best part about this company is that they are still family owned. That must be one rich family!

With Murry’s background behind us, let us discuss Murry’s Deep Dish Frozen Supreme Pizza. This pizza came in a box of 6 small deep dish frozen pizzas individually wrapped in plastic. The interesting thing about Murry’s Deep Dish Pizza is that it is one of the few pizza products that this company sells. If you take a look at their other products you can see that they are all across the board with other foods. Murry’s food products include: breaded chicken, chicken wings, French toast, patties and burgers, meatballs, Salisbury steak, and sandwich steaks.

Murry’s only has one other pizza product that I am aware of besides the one in this review, pizza patties (they look somewhat appetizing). This means that Murry’s is not completely specialized in frozen pizza. With that said, let the games begin!

According to my new ratings system that I have begun, which includes red, yellow and green lights, I would give Murry’s Deep Dish Frozen Supreme Pizza a yellow light. This means to proceed with caution. Why? Well let’s start out with what I like about Murry’s pizza.

I liked the box on Murry’s pizza. Some may think that this is a stupid reason to like a pizza but the box is as important as a cover on a good book. There were lots of designs and pictures of fresh vegetables and pizza. It was creative and may be what attracted my attention at the supermarket to buy their pizza.

I also liked the size of these pizzas. Murry’s deep dish pies were only maybe 3 or 4 inches in diameter. These size pizzas are great to eat in piecemeal depending on your hunger state.

I like the cook time for this frozen pizza. The pizza box says to microwave for 2 minutes but I needed an extra minute because the cheese did not look done. 3 Minutes for a frozen pizza is still pretty quick.

From a health standpoint, Murry’s pizza was about neutral. The calories were 390 calories with 150 calories from fat. This is about average for frozen piiza. This supreme pizza also had 12% dietary fiber and 30% Vitamin C.

What did I not like about Murry’s Deep Dish Frozen Supreme Pizza? I did not like or dislike their pizza crust. The crust received a yellow light from me as well. It was only about ¾ inch deep. The crust on the bottom had sort of a pale color to it even after it was cooked. This to me produces skepticism as to whether or not the pizza was full cooked.

I did not like their sauce either. It was just bland. This may have been due to this being a supreme pizza and the sauce was hidden by all of the toppings but I doubt it.

The toppings on this pizza were not something worth going crazy about. I also give them a yellow light as well.

But the biggest thing that I did not like about this pizza was the cheese. The cheese just seemed to not look right. It appeared bubbly like the texture in certain ricotta cheese. But I inspected their cheese ingredients thoroughly and ricotta cheese was not in there. This leads me to the ultimate potential problem with this pizza. I am sitting here writing this about a half hour after I finished eating and I am already starting to feel queasy (queasy comes from queso meaning “cheese” – how ironic).

I hope that I don’t throw up tomorrow. If I do I will blame it on the cheese in this pizza and will make sure to let my readers know. You may say “Well, do you feel queasy for some other reason like the fact that you ate 3 pizzas?” I seriously doubt it. 3 pizzas at 390 calories each is less than 1200 calories. I only had one other meal today. My calorie intake for the day is considered still very low compared to what I am used to.

To summarize, I don’t extremely dislike Murry’s Deep Dish Frozen Supreme Pizza (yet) but I am not crazy about it either. The food cooked quick, has deep dish pizzas with a nice size, has a good marketing box, and is somewhat healthier than average. The problem with Murry’s pizza is that I don’t think their pizza tastes that good. More importantly, I am starting to feel sick after eating a pizza meal. I think Murry’s needs to figure out if they really want to be a player in the frozen pizza market. It appears to me that they are hanging on the fences. Murry’s has so many other products and very few of them are pizza. My advice to Murry is to close the deal. What I mean by that is that they have a great box which got their product in my freezer. But when it was time to eat, I was left not completely satisfied. They need to work on the formula of their pizza more, especially the cheese.

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Salad

Salad, Pizza, Salad Pizza, or Pizza and Salad?

Tonight I ate a nice salad for dinner. I know you are saying “Hey, what does this have to do with pizza?” To that I say “Hey, leave me alone, it’s my freakin’ blog!” Besides, I love a good healthy salad and I don’t have anywhere else to put these ramblings.

If you like salad, here are some ideas. I like to put many different vegetables in my salad. These include: cucumbers, lettuce (or Romaine hearts), asparagus, green and red peppers, celery, almonds, raisins, and cranberry raisins. This is my basic salads before I start getting creative (depending on my mood). I usually add various seasons including: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil (or fresh basile), and red pepper. Finally, you can always add your meats, fish, or chicken (grilled or fried).

Salads are great! They are a healthy way to live and be merry. Salads keep you slim and trim and are good for your overall health. Plus they taste great. A salad doesn’t always have to be a meal, they can be an appetizer too. You can eat salads with just about any meal out there. Matter of fact, other than breakfast (that’s just too weird) I can’t think of many other meals that a good salad cannot complement.

Of course, a good secondary appetizer to salad is a good bowl of soup. Any kind of soup will be just right with a salad including: chicken noodle, clam chowder, and even Chinese wonton soup.

Salad also complements less healthy foods as well. Salads go well with: cheese steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs, roast beef sandwiches, Italian hoagies, and of course pizza. I hope my audience feels better. I have managed to slip pizza into this conversation so now this post is relevant to pizza.

Pizza and salads are a perfect duo! But can you have salad pizza? I don’t think that is a good idea but if we took the ingredients in a salad and create a pizza for each one it would definitely work. But to take for example a Caesar salad and put it on top of a pizza, that may be weird.

Anyway, I didn’t forget about that review of Zooma Bar and Ristorante in Providence, Rhode Island. I will have that for you shortly. I am still thinking about how good that pizza was!

Blog Pizza on Salad!

Providence Rhode Island Pizza

Providence, Rhode Island Pizza

This is a quick post to let you know that I am still alive and to talk about Providence, Rhode Island pizza. I went to Providence, Rhode Island this weekend for a little fun. I helped a friend of mine start his blog. His blog called Providence Restaurant Reviews will be about reviews of every restaurant in Providence. The owner of this blog is a food fanatic. He eats out every day and will be providing some solid information to anyone interested in that area. He already has been to both best pizza places on Alan Richman’s top 25 list and has some words to say about it. Keep your eye on that blog to follow his reviews.

I wanted to briefly let you know that I ate at a restaurant on Federal Street in a very Italian part of Providence this weekend and have added a best Italian pizza restaurant to the list. There is a place called Zooma Bar and Ristorante where I ate a traditional margherita pizza that will knock the socks off of any place on Richman’s list. I will give the full review within the next few days but let me say this: every bite of this pizza was like stopping time. I enjoyed this pizza in slow motion and would return to Providence just to eat there again. OK, see you soon for my Zooma Providence Rhode Island pizza review!

Best Pizza Coupons

Best Pizza Coupons

After writing my last post I have decided that I think it would be a service to my readers to start mentioning the best pizza coupons that I am aware of. This will help the readers who are seeking good discounts on their pizza bill. After all, it is nice to eat the greatest food on the planet and save money at the same time.

For now on, If I find out about great pizza promotions or see good pizza coupons I will throw a post in about it. The trick to this is that you have to catch the sale and act quickly. There is nothing more useless than a good pizza coupon that expired. Sometimes a little paying attention can get you free pizzas though. Does anyone remember the story of Dominos free pizza coupons a few months back? Follow the link that I put up for a quick review.

So keep your eye out for the best pizza coupons that will be discovered here at Blog Pizza!

Pizza Coupons

Pizza Coupons

Today Blog Pizza will discuss pizza coupons. First, I would like to start out defining what a coupon is. Then I would like to proceed into what a pizza coupon is. Finally, we will do some miscellaneous analyzing of pizza coupons as well as present some pizza coupon ideas.

According to Merriam Webster, a coupon is:

“a form surrendered in order to obtain an article, service or accommodation: as
a: one of a series of attached tickets or certificates often to be detached and
presented as needed; b: a ticket or form authorizing purchases of rationed
commodities; c: a certificate or similar evidence of a purchase redeemable in
premiums; d: a part of a printed advertisement to be cut off to use as an order
blank or inquiry form or to obtain a discount on merchandise or services.”

With the definition of a coupon behind us we can move on to explore what a pizza coupon is. A pizza coupon is, in its simplest form, a coupon (definition above), from a pizza business for one of its food products. It can be for pizza or it can be for something else. As long as it comes from a pizza business for something that it sells. I am applying this definition very liberally. Normally, a basic definition of a pizza coupon is a coupon for pizza. I am extending this definition to include other foods as long as it is from a pizza business.

Blog Pizza’s formal definition of a pizza coupon:

A pizza coupon is an advertisement, either printable or online, that can be
used to obtain a discount for the goods or services from a pizza business (of
any form).

The reason that I am so liberal with this definition is because the words “pizza coupons” have become very ambiguous over the years. The major pizza distributors such as Dominos, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s have contributed to this confusion. For example, many times Pizza Hut will offer coupons for its pizza pasta which is not pizza but is labeled as a pizza coupon. Under this new definition, these coupons will now officially be considered pizza coupons.

Why are pizza coupons beneficial to a pizzeria or pizza restaurant? A pizza coupon has significant value to a business. It is another tool that can be used to foster the growth of a pizza business. These coupons, in conjunction with the pizza menu, can be used to leverage the customer’s attention. People are always attracted to businesses that offer the best discounts on their products, especially if their products are good. Well, it is the same with the food industry. Pizza coupons are a reflection of the management’s attitude towards helping its customers save money on their order. It is a sign by the company that they care about the well being of the customer.

Pizza coupons in this current economy are a huge tool to winning over potential customers’ business. People now are having very hard times affording everything, including pizza. If a pizza business offers a good pizza coupon that will save customers’ money, they should have no problem increasing their sales.

What are some good deals that a pizza business can offer on its pizza coupons? Great question. Here are some ideas for pizza specials:


How about a three for two sale? Three large pizzas at regular price for the price of two large pizzas.

A two for one sale: Two Large pizzas for the price of one. You might want to make this a limited time only offer and start promoting this coupon months before you offer it.

Smaller coupons include: Buy a large pizza a get a 2 litter soda of your choice for free.

Pizza toppings coupon: Buy a large pizza and get 1 topping (or as many as you want to offer) for free.

Cross selling pizza coupons: Try our new Philly cheese steak stromboli and receive a small plain pizza for free.

Large Order pizza coupons for big parties: Buy 15 large pizzas at the price of ten – toppings extra.

As you can see, pizza coupons serve a variety of functions and are a necessity for a successful pizza business. I have put some ideas out there for pizza owners today of the type of pizza coupons that can be offered. These ideas ranged from smaller promotions to large pizza orders. Hopefully this information is helpful. Please feel free to comment as you like.

This is Blog Pizza on Pizza coupons!

Pizza Hut Pizza Locations

Pizza Hut Pizza Locations

What can be said about the Almighty Pizza Hut pizza locations? Blog Pizza is back again discussing pizza locations with a special emphasis on the king of pizza franchises, Pizza Hut.

This post was added to foster our research to discover every country where pizza is located. We have taken a big project to discover the many pizza locations around the world where you can find pizza to eat. It is amazing how popular pizza is and how many people on this planet love pizza despite the variety of tastes that people are accustomed to.

Research on Pizza Hut has led us to this list, which has some extra places that we will add to our big list of pizza locations. Does anyone notice that Italy is not on this list? How ironic. Can anyone confirm that there is a Pizza Hut in Italy? It would just make sense to have at least one pizza shop. For now I will omit it until we have proof that there is a Pizza Hut over in Italia.

The following is a list of International Pizza Hut pizza locations:

Algeria
Andorra
Australia
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belgium
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Fiji
Finland
France
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Guatemala
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Mauritius
Mexico
Morocco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Saint Marten
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Somalia
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Suriname
Sweden
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands
Yemen
Zambia

And of course…

American Pizza Locations

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

U. S. Commonwealths and Territories

American Samoa
District of Columbia
Federated States of Micronesia
Guam
North Marianas
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands

Papa Johns Pizza Locations

Papa Johns Pizza Locations

Where are Papa Johns Pizza Locations? You thought that the pizza locations discussion was over. Here is another post for you about Papa Johns.

It was interesting to note that Papa Johns have locations in every state of America but their international presence is a little weaker than Dominos Pizza locations. This shows the art of pizza franchising. It takes time for some giant pizza conglomerates to acquire franchises in various countries.

Papa John’s international pizza locations didn’t help our search for countries to put on our big list of pizza locations. The countries on the big list were already stated before.

The following is a list of International Papa Johns pizza locations:

Bahrain
Canada
Cayman Islands
China
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
India
Ireland
Jordan
Kuwait
Malaysia
Mexico
Nicaragua
Oman
Pakistan
Peru
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Russia
Saudi Arabia
South Korea
Trinidad
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Venezuela

And of course…

American Pizza Locations

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Dominos Pizza Locations

Dominos Pizza Locations

Where are Dominos Pizza Locations? This post is a follow up post to our previous discussion where I had listed all of the locations in the world that pizza is located. The list is far from complete but is very close.

The reason that I wanted to add this post about Dominos pizza locations is to solidify my point that Italian pizza is one of the few specific types of ethnic foods that can be found all over the world. I venture to say that one of the main competitors would be hamburgers from McDonald’s or Chinese fried rice (Vietnamese Pho will be next).

This post of Dominos pizza locations list all of the international locations of Domino’s throughout the world. This list is in addition to every state, district, and territory of the United States. The total pizza locations as of this post are 63.

I want my readers to really take a look at this list. There are some places in here that the average American never even heard of. Italian pizza is a food that is loved by many. Doesn’t it fascinate you that although this world has many ethnic foods and thus, many different people with different taste buds, there is such a food as PIZZA that the majority of the planet can commonly agree that they love. In this regard isn’t pizza really a universal food?

The following is a list of Dominos pizza locations outside of America where pizza can be found:

Aruba
Australia
Bahamas
Bahrain
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Cayman Islands
China
Colombia
Curacao
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
England
France
Greece
Guam
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Korea, Republic of
Kuwait
Lebanon
Malaysia
Mexico
Morocco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Northern Ireland
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Peru
Philippines
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Russian Federation
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Maarten
Saudi Arabia
Scotland
Spain
Sri Lanka
Switzerland
Taiwan, Province of China
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Venezuela
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Wales

and of course.......

American Pizza Locations

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

U. S. Commonwealths and Territories

American Samoa
District of Columbia
Federated States of Micronesia
Guam
North Marianas
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands

Pizza Locations

Pizza Locations

How many pizza locations are there in the world that have pizza? Pizza is one of the only foods that can be found in any modernized city or country in the world. I have created this page to list every country where pizza can be found.

It may sound silly to create a post that lists every single pizza location in the world but it is good material to look over while waiting for your hot pizza to be delivered that you ordered online. Please feel free to add to this page. I have started with pizza locations in the 50 United States. We know that you can find some kind of pizza shop in every state in America. If not there, there is always a Pizza Hut or Dominoes pizza store around.

For your convenience, I will be listing all states in America and then every country where pizza is found. If I have missed a country just chime in and let us know. Post a city or country in the comment section to add to our list of pizza locations.

Pizza Locations of the World:

American Pizza Locations

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

U. S. Commonwealths and Territories

American Samoa
District of Columbia
Federated States of Micronesia
Guam
North Marianas
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands

Countries

Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Argentina
Aruba
Australia
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belgium
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Canada
Cayman Islands
Chile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
England
Ethiopia
Fiji
Finland
France
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Guatemala
Haiti
Holland
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kenya
Kuwait
Lebanon
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Mauritius
Mexico
Morocco
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Nigeria
North Korea
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Maarten
Saudi Arabia
Scotland
Serbia
Singapore
Somalia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
Suriname
Taiwan, Province of China
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Uruguay
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Wales
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia


I think that you are starting to get the idea….Pizza is located in almost every pocket of the world. There are very few specific food besides hamburgers (McDonalds) that this occurs. If you believe that we have missed pizza locations, please let us know as this is a work in progress.

More relevant links:

Dominos pizza locations

Papa Johns pizza locations

Pizza Hut pizza locations

Pizza Toppings for a Pizza Menu

How would a list of Italian pizza toppings help a pizza shop develop a pizza menu?

Yesterday’s list of the best Italian Pizza toppings could help owners of pizza shops develop their pizza menu. This information is a foundation to deciding on many important aspects about a pizza menu. We shall review the advantages of such a list.

This post is a follow to the previous article about the necessity of a pizza menu. A pizza menu is extremely important for a pizza shop and can be the determining factor of how much growth they will have. To select the items that a business will put on its menu a business must analyze its objectives. For example, a pizzeria that wants to specialize only in traditional Margherita pizzas needs to determine if they want to offer pizzas with toppings, and if so, to what extent.

Some pizzerias only serve pizza in its basic form. On the extremist side, there are pizzerias that only serve pizza without toppings. On the other extreme, there are pizza shops that serve pizza with any topping that you can imagine. To serve toppings and to what extent is an executive decision that every pizza business owner needs to make. The pizza menu is an outline of this decision.

When a pizza business owner decides on what pizza toppings they will specialize in they incorporate this information onto their pizza menus in order to notify the public. The public then uses this information to decide on what pizzas they will order.

But how does a pizza shop decide on what toppings they will serve at their business? These decisions come from the management’s goals and opinions about the direction they would like the company to go. Usually pizzerias just benchmark what the pizza business down the street is selling and serve something very similar.

Do the pizza owners have some sort of toppings list to cross off in order to figure out what goes on their menu? They do now! Yesterday’s post about the best Italian pizza toppings can be a very useful tool for these business owners. Instead of making decisions for their menus haphazardly the old fashioned way, there is now a list of all possibly good Italian pizza toppings to consider. As of the current count we have about 300 toppings, more than the average pizzeria will ever need to consider. But the point is to create an extensive checklist of all good Italian pizza toppings based off of the criteria mentioned in that article.

This pizza toppings list should be very helpful to the common pizza owner for creating their menus as it helps in the brainstorming process. All that is needed now is to check off what toppings on that list will be served. You can use a number system too by putting a number next to each topping that stands a chance. 1 -10 with ten being the highest. After you rate each topping, revisit your list to see which toppings were scored the highest and then reevaluate the toppings list until you have the ones that you want.

Hopefully, this post has served as a help to pizza shops either creating their menu or about to update it. Either way just remember that the customer will always interpret the menu as a reflection of management’s concern for its business. A good menu is highly correlated to a successful business.

Another fine article by Blog Pizza on pizza toppings and pizza menus!

Best Italian Pizza Toppings

Best Italian Pizza Toppings

I have decided to create a page about the best Italian pizza toppings. This page will try to be an all encompassing one stop shop – the most complete Italian pizza toppings page on the internet. This is an extreme challenge but I think possible. I have not found any website yet that has completely focused on this big topping menu that I have mentioned. So on a mission to make Blog Pizza unique – here I go!

Keep in mind that the following list will be a work in progress. Because pizza can really have toppings that can extend with one’s imagination, in theory, this list will include every edible food imaginable. That is not the goal here. I would like to make this page of Italian pizza toppings that the common person would have an interest in eating. If it is too bizarre of a combination then we may have to reserve those Bizarre Foods for Andrew Zimmern.

I am also creating this list to give ideas for pizza makers who are deciding what type of pizza they would like to cook next and are looking for ideas for their pizza recipe. As stated this page is a work in progress but I don’t want to be the only person on the mission. So I am inviting the public to help me create this page by commenting below. Any ideas, please let us know. Remember that I am not looking for styles of pizza, for example, Sicilian pizza. I am trying to just simply generate a list of the most complete best Italian pizza toppings out there. These toppings can be combined with one another in any variety or quantity but as an individual topping it should be able to meet a minimum criterion.

The criteria to be on this best Italian pizza toppings list include:

1) Must be edible
2) Must be able to make an average Italian traditional crust pizza taste good without any other toppings needed.
3) Must only be one topping (for example, can’t be peanut butter and jelly – can only be peanut butter as one item and jelly as another (but jelly pizza would be bizarre)).
4) Must not pass the limit of being considered a bizarre food.

Some of these criteria are opinionated but I will let the public influence the results. This will help balance out the subjectivity.

So (drum roll) here is Blog Pizza’s Best Italian Pizza Toppings List:

Alfalfa sprouts
Almonds
American Cheese
Anchovies
Anchovies
Apple
Artichoke Hearts
Asparagus
Avocados
Bacon
Balsamic vinegar
Bamboo shoots
Banana
Barbecue Sauce
Basil
Bay leaf
Bean sprouts
Beetroot
Black Olives
Blue Cheese
Bologna
Brie Cheese
Broccoli
Broccoli Rabe
Buffalo Chicken
Calamari
Camembert Cheese
Capers
Cappicola
Cardamon
Carrots
Catfish
Cauliflower
Celery
Cheddar Cheese
Cherry Tomatoes
Chick Peas
Chicken
Chili
Chinese Wonton
Chives
Chocolate
Chorizo
Cilantro
Clam
Coconut
Colby Cheese
Coriander
Corn
Corn Beef
Crab
Crawfish
Cucumber
Cumin
Curry Chicken
Dates
Dill
Dried Tomatoes
Duck
Eggplant
Eggs
Escargot
Fennel
Feta Cheese
Figs
Fish
Fried Beans
Fried Rice
Fungi
Garlic
Goat Cheese
Goat Cheese
Gorgonzola Cheese
Gouda Cheese
Green Olives
Green Onions
Green Peppers
Ground Beef
Gruyere Cheese
Ham
Hamburger
Jalapeno Peppers
Laurel
Leaks
Lemon
Lettuce
Lettuce
Limburger Cheese
Lime
Lobster
Manchego Cheese
Mango
Marshmallow
Meatball
Monteray Jack Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
Muenster Cheese
Mushroom
Mushrooms
Mussels
Noodles
Orange
Orange Peppers
Oregano
Oysters
Parmesan Cheese
Parsley
Pasta
Peanuts
Peas
Pecans
Pepperoni
Pickle
Pine Nuts
Pineapple
Pistachio
Plum
Pork
Potatoes
Prosciutto
Provolone Cheese
Prunes
Prwan
Red onion confit
Red wine
Ricotta Cheese
Roast Beef
Roast Beef
Roasted Peppers
Roquefort Cheese
Rosemary
Salami
Salmon
Salsa
Sardines
Sausage
Scallions
Scallop
Shrimp
Sour Cream
Soybeans
Spanish rice
Spinach
Squash
Squid
Steak
Sticky Rice
String Beans
Swiss cheese
Tapenade
Tofu
Tomato
Tomato
Tuna
Turkey
Veal
Veal Cutlet
Venison
Walnuts
Watercress
White
White Rice
Yams
Yellow Peppers
Yellow Rice
Zucchini

Italian Pizza Shopping

Italian Pizza Shopping

My freezer was getting light so I went to the supermarket to do a little Italian pizza shopping. That is right – the frozen pizza reviews will be continuing in the near future.

Even though I have done a large amount of frozen pizza reviews so far, you wouldn’t believe how many variations of Italian frozen pizza are out there. I mean if you combine all of the microwave pizzas, oven pizzas, and toaster over pizzas plus microwave variations of pizzas like strombolis and pizza bites…this frozen pizza project could go on for another 6 months (2 months if I ate frozen pizza everyday – sorry I don’t care for hospitals).

I have concluded that I am on a mission to try every frozen pizza out there to find the best pizza but it will have to be spread out over time because it is just too much. I mean I can do it but the price has to be right. Since this pizza blog is run entirely without a salary I will have to slow down. Despite the challenges ahead, I think that my quest to explore all Italian frozen pizzas is doable in time. If I focused doing this blog 100% on frozen pizza reviews I can complete this task quicker but I would like to eat regular pizza and discuss other pizza topics as well.

So I went pizza shopping tonight and was overwhelmed when I realized how much more frozen pizzas I have left to eat. Regardless, I filled up half a shopping cart and went on my way. The lineup of frozen pizza reviews include: Hot Pockets, Lean Pockets, Bagel Bites, Murray’s deep dish pizza, Kashi, and Totino’s pizza rolls. From these brands I have bought various varieties including: calzones, pepperoni, and cheese flavors.

I hope that you are enjoying these reviews. As far as I know I think that Blog Pizza has the most extensive frozen pizza reviews so far on the internet. If I am wrong please let me know. Right or wrong in about 3 months from now Blog Pizza should have the most complete frozen pizza reviews regardless.

Well I am back from my Italian pizza shopping experience tonight and I am fired up to start my pizza reviews!

Los Angeles Pizza Blog Review

Los Angeles Pizza Blog Review

Today’s review will be about Los Angeles Pizza Blog (or LA Pizza Blog). This blog is the most popular pizza blog in the LA area produced by John Berardi (JAB).

JAB’s LA Pizza Blog is a perfect starting point for anyone who is interested in finding out about the best pizza places in Los Angeles, California. In LA, it is not as easy to find a good pizza place as Italian food is not as common on the West Coast as the Northeast corner of the United States. For this reason, JAB’s pizza blog is a bit more challenging than the average city pizza blog. JAB has to play a little more detective work in search of the best pizza.

Los Angeles Pizza Blog was formed in 2008 and is a continuous work in progress for JAB to find great pizza according to his taste buds. What kind of pizza does JAB like? JAB ideally likes a NY style pizza as he is originally from the East Coast here in Blog Pizza’s neck of the woods. He also likes as few as toppings as possible. His preferences are a prerequisite in order to understand his ratings for his pizza.

What kind of rating system does he use? JAB uses a 5 slices pizza rating system with 5 being the absolute best pizza and 0 being the worst. Even JAB admits that finding his perfect pizza is difficult in a place like LA.

So far, JAB has created a very elaborate best LA Pizza list that rivals any other LA pizza list out there. LA Pizza Blog has honest reviews and if the pizza isn’t good then JAB will tell you straight up. That is why I like this guy and his blog. Anyone could just give great pizza reviews but “to describe it as they see it” is what a real food critic should not be afraid to do.

So back to Los Angeles Pizza Blog’s Top Ten Best Pizza Places in LA…I have posted his reviews in our LA Best Pizza page and of course, it can be found on JAB’s website as well. JAB also has another top pizza page for those pizza places that have not made it to the top ten best pizza places but are still good enough.

To conclude, the Los Angeles Pizza Blog is the place to go if you want to find a good review of top LA pizza joints. If you live in LA or plan on visiting then I would suggest to read his blog if you want a good pizza place to eat. If you don’t then you may spend countless hours looking for a pizzeria and probably end up eating at JAB’s worst pizza places.

This pizza blog review on Los Angeles Pizza Blog is brought to you by Blog Pizza!

Mexican Pizza Review Two

Mexican Pizza Review Two

This post is a follow up post to the Mexican Pizza that I ate last night. I know that I gave a good review of this burrito/taco combo in a pizza format but then took it away and said that I probably would not order this food again. That is why I decided to post this follow up because a change has occurred.

This morning when I went to the gym (it is a necessity when you run a food blog) and reevaluated my Mexican pizza review. I decided that I ate too much pizza yesterday and this may have had an effect on my judgment of the Mexican pizza. Is it possible that too much pizza in one day can do such a thing? Yes, I think so. This applies to eating too much of any food. After a while you start to lose interest and may review things that under normal circumstances you would have felt differently.

Yesterday I ate two boxes of frozen pizzas within a two hour window from when the pizza arrived. I was already pizzad out when the delivery man came. I was hungry because it was dinner time but not the same kind of hungry if I didn’t eat those frozen pizzas.

I am writing this to confirm a change in opinion. I agree with everything that I wrote yesterday about Mexican pizza except the last part (This is like a review of my own review). I would order this pizza again. I had said last night that I liked the Mexican pizza but would never order it again. That was my full stomach talking. Refreshed a day later I realize how good that pizza was. I mean it had cilantro, fresh avocados, jalapeño peppers, fried beans, chorizo meat…this pizza was good!

I know that my taste buds were all confused but a day later I think that I can get used to a pizza like that. This is what happens when Italians and Mexicans mix their food – great things happen. I think the last time that Mexican food and Italian food fused was a few hundred years ago and we all know the result of that meal. That had started Italians adding tomatoes into their meals and thus, Italian food as we know it today had begun.

I think that this Mexican pizza is really on to something new. This may be a point of pizza evolution happening. If you have never tried that meal – then try it twice. That is my new recommendation because I think that the first time you may hype yourself up to much about there being too much fusion happening.

Is it possible for someone to change their review a day later? Folks, it just happened. I can’t believe that one day later I am actually craving for this pizza again. It was like the first time that I ate a burrito (it was too long ago and I can’t remember when). But I do know that eventually I came to the point where I craved that food. This is what is happening with the Mexican pizza.

The Mexican pizza review is proof of the continuous transitional state of a food review. A food review is always in a state of change. A review may be written and a day later (or even an hour), the reviewer may have formulated a different opinion about the same food. This is a lesson that most food blog authors who have been writing for awhile have probably figured out.

This is Blog Pizza on the Mexican Pizza Review Two.

Pizza Words Menu

Pizza Words Menu

The following is a menu of pizza words. We have provided these pizza terms for the benefit and convenience of our readers. This list was derived from pizzamaking.com's famous pizza glossary page. Blog Pizza will be adding definitions over time but this list is a great starting point. Enjoy!


00 FLOUR: In Italy, flour is classified either as 1, 0, or 00, and refers to how finely ground the flour is and how much of the bran and germ have been removed. 00 flour is the most highly refined and is talcum-powder soft. Italian 00 flour is made from Italian grains and/or blends of Italian and imported grains (including Manitoba flour from Canada) to achieve a range of protein of about 10–12.5%. Common brands of 00 flour available at the retail level in the U.S. include Caputo, Bel Aria and Delverde. The Vermont-based King Arthur Flour Company produces a "clone" of the 00 flour (called Italian-Style flour) with a protein level of 8.5% which is quite a bit lower than the imported Italian 00 flours, therefore it is not an authentic 00 flour and will have different behavioral characteristics.

6 IN 1 TOMATOES: A brand of canned tomatoes produced by Escalon Premier Brands located in the rural community of Escalon in the heart of California's San Joaquin Valley. Escalon tomatoes are always vine-ripened to a vibrant red, picked and packed within hours of harvest. Citric acid (a sour tasting preservative) is never added to any Escalon branded product. As a result, the final products are bright in color, and true to the sweet taste of fresh tomatoes. Spooned directly from the can then lightly seasoned, these tomatoes are the secret to making a genuine Chicago-style deep dish pizza. See also ESCALON PREMIER BRANDS.

ABSORPTION: A measurement established by flour producers to describe the capacity of a flour to absorb water and achieve a desired dough consistency. The value is expressed in terms of percent of water absorbed by a flour sample during the measurement test. The measurement is a laboratory measurement and, hence, is not identical to the hydration ratio actually achieved in field applications, although it is usually quite close.

ACTIVE DRY YEAST (ADY): A dried form of yeast that, before combining with other dough ingredients, is activated by re-hydration, or "proofing," in warm water (or other liquid) at around 105–115°F Some brands of active dry yeast can also be combined with a portion of the flour and other dry ingredients, in which case the temperature of the liquid used (usually water) can be as high as 120–130°F Advantages of active dry yeast include convenience of use and long storage life, especially when sealed and frozen in an airtight container.

ADY: See ACTIVE DRY YEAST.

ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: Flour with a protein level of 10-12%. Ideal for general baking purposes. Higher protein flours make firmer, stronger doughs while lower protein flours produce softer, weaker doughs. Cake flour is typically 7-9% protein; pastry, or cookie, ≈9-10%; all-purpose, 10-12%; bread, 12.5-13.5%; clear and high-gluten, 14-15%; and gluten "flour" (actually refined gluten), 45%.

ALPHA-AMYLASE: The alpha-amylase enzyme develops when grain sprouts. It has a direct impact on bread quality and adversely affects the malting process. As little as 5% sprouted grain, mixed with 95% good grain, can render the entire mixture unacceptable. A certain amount of alpha-amylase is necessary for proper baking to occur. The alpha-amylase breaks down starches to provide sugars to help fuel the fermentation process. The amount of enzyme present can have a direct bearing upon the quality of bread produced. When the alpha-amylase activity is right, a high volume bread with firm and soft texture is achieved. If the activity is too high, a sticky bread crumb and low volume may result. If the activity is too low, a dry bread crumb with large holes may result. Measured using the "falling number" method. See also FALLING NUMBER.

AP: An abbreviation for all-purpose flour.

ASCORBIC ACID: An organic acid more commonly known as Vitamin C and commonly used as an additive for flour and also for instant dry yeast (IDY), and sometimes with active dry yeast (ADY). When added to flour, it acts as an oxidizing agent (by virtue of acting with atmospheric oxygen), which makes it easier to form the gluten network (by preventing the gluten bonds from breaking down) during kneading of the dough. When used with yeast, it acts as a nutrient and provides an acidic environment for the yeast so that it acts faster and longer.

ASH: A term used in relation to flour to indicate its mineral content. The higher the ash count, the more minerals are present in the flour, and vice versa. To calculate the ash count, a sample of the flour is incinerated and the remains (the "ash") are then weighed in relation to the original sample weight to calculate the ash count for that flour. The ash count can serve as an indication of the degree of refinement of the flour since a flour from which most of the bran has been removed will have a lower ash count than one from which less bran has been removed. A flour with a high ash count will also be slightly darker than one with a low ash count because of the higher amount of bran. Today, ash count has even less of a relationship to milling quality than it did a few decades ago because new wheat varieties and richer soils have made higher ash levels the norm, with typical ash values commonly being around 0.50% for domestic wheat varieties.

AUTOLYSE: A rest period, typically lasting 15–45 minutes, during which flour and especially the protein in the flour fully absorb the water before the yeast and salt are added and fermentation activity begins. Full absorption allows the gluten structure to form better, more complex bonds and serves to reduce oxidation of the dough and shorten the overall mix time. Autolyse also helps increase the extensibility of the dough due to the action of protease enzymes in the flour to break down the gluten slightly during the autolyse. Over time, the term "autolyse" has come to be used to refer to almost any rest period during the mix/knead cycle even though such use is not technically an autolyse as conceived by its originator, Prof. Raymond Calvel, a professor emeritus of baking sciences at L'ecole Francais de Meunerie and author of the classic work on European breadmaking, LeGout de Pain. The term autolyse is pronounced ah-toh-leez.

BAKER'S PERCENTS (OR PERCENTAGES): A mathematical tool and "language" used by bakers to analyze recipes and to scale or re-size recipes up or down in quantity. It is a weight-based system in which the percentage of each ingredient is stated in relation to the weight of the flour, which always has a baker's percent of 100%. In the context of pizza dough production, baker's percents can be used to determine the quantities of ingredients required to make any dough batch size or number of pizzas of any given size and crust thickness.

BIANCA: See PIZZA BIANCA.

BIGA: An Italian term that generally means preferment. A biga is made from a mixture of flour, water, a small amount of commercial yeast, but no salt, and typically uses a hydration sufficient to achieve a generally quite stiff, dough-like consistency, much like the final dough into which it is to be incorporated. It is allowed to ferment and ripen at room temperature for several hours (typically 12–24 hours or more) before incorporating into the final dough. Although bigas most often use commercial yeast, a biga can also be made using naturally occurring (wild) yeast. Such a biga is sometimes referred to as a "Biga Natural." The term "biga" is pronounced bee-gah.

BREAD FLOUR: Flour with a protein level of 12.5-13.5%. Ideal for breads and "hand tossed" thin crust pizza. Higher protein flours make firmer, stronger doughs while lower protein flours produce softer, weaker doughs. Cake flour is typically 7-9% protein; pastry, or cookie, ≈9-10%; all-purpose, 10-12%; bread, 12.5-13.5%; clear and high-gluten, 14-15%; and gluten "flour" (actually refined gluten), 45%.

BROMATED FLOUR: See POTASSIUM BROMATE.

BUFFALO MOZZARELLA (MOZZARELLA DI BUFALA): A cheese made from the milk of water buffaloes (river water buffaloes). The cheese is generally considered to be of high quality because the water buffalo milk from which the cheese is made is thicker than regular milk, whiter (porcelain-white), with more butterfat, and more non-fat solids. (It also has 38% more calcium and 43% less cholesterol than cow's milk.) The cheese is a firm, stringy-textured cheese with a thin rind and delicate taste. Its principal drawback for the average home pizza maker is that the cheese has to be imported from Italy, mainly the Campania region of southern Italy (which is home to over eighty percent of Italy's water buffaloes), and, accordingly, is expensive compared with domestic cow's milk mozzarella cheeses. It also starts to deteriorate in quality fairly quickly. While most buffalo mozzarella cheese is imported from Italy, there are at least two domestic producers of the cheese as of this writing.

CAKE FLOUR: A relatively low-protein flour (typically 7–8.5%) milled from soft red winter wheat and used primarily for baking cakes and similar soft baked goods. It is often combined with other flours, including all-purpose, pastry and bread flour, to simulate imported Italian 00 flours for use in making Neapolitan-style pizzas. It has a typical absorption rate of about 53%, ± 2%. It is one of the few flours to be bleached by King Arthur, which is done to achieve greater volume.

CALIFORNIA STYLE PIZZA: One of the identifying characteristics of California style pizza is the toppings. California style tends to use exotic toppings and "off-the-beaten-path" combinations. While it is difficult to determine the origins of this style, some think it started in the 1970's or early 1980's. Back in the 1970's, creative culinary experts like Wolfgang Puck started experimenting with different, non-traditional toppings and later, around the mid-1980's, concepts like California Pizza Kitchen began selling the West Coast style. The dough has the same protein content as Chicago style, but the dough is mixed until it is smooth. The dough is placed in the pan and allowed to rise. In many cases these crusts are par-baked (sometimes called double baked) to order. This is done to help retain the height after baking and it also contributes to the crispy eating characteristic. The crust is light, airy and tender, which comes from the flour and proofing. Toppings tend to range from shrimp and asparagus to smoked salmon and other seafoods. Vegetarian combinations are also predominant. Source: PMQ.

CALVEL (Prof. Raymond): A recognized expert on the production of quality French and other European hearth breads and the originator (in the 1970's) of the autolyse method and other aspects of dough and bread making. Was a professor of baking sciences at the L'ecole Francais de Meunerie and the author of the classic work on bread production, Le Gout du Pain (translated into English as The Taste of Bread.) Is considered by many to be the "father" of bread making.

CAPUTO: An Italian producer of Caputo 00 flours sold in the U.S. and in several other countries for use in making pizza doughs and doughs for other baked goods. The Caputo brands in the U.S. include Caputo 00 pizzeria flour (the flour most commonly used by pizzamaking.com members), Caputo Rosso, and Caputo Extra Blue. The Caputo Rosso flour has the highest level of protein of the three flours and the Caputo Extra Blue has the lowest. See also the Caputo website: http://www.molinocaputo.it/#.

CHEF: See PATE FERMENTE.

CHICAGO STYLE PIZZA: One of the identifying features of Chicago style pizza is its deep dish. In 1943, Ike Sewell created a deep-dish pizza. Ike's belief was if you made a pizza with massive amounts of ingredients (especially sausage) it would become a hearty meal choice for people. He was right, so he opened Pizzeria Uno which specialized in deep-dish pizza and started the Chicago style phenomenon. Chicago style pizza is usually eaten with a knife and fork rather than the hands because it is so thick and heavy. The dough, which contrary to many beliefs, is not really thick, but has a biscuit-like texture and has raised high on the sides of seasoned deep dish pans to hold all of the ingredients in. The cheese is placed directly on the dough and toppings added on top of that. The top is cheesed and sauced with a chunky sauce with a light sprinkling of cheese scattered on top of the sauce. Cooking times are usually longer due to the overall thickness of the pizza. The dough used for this style usually contains 10.5–11.5% protein and is under-mixed (not smooth.) Table grade margarine is used in the pans to add a slight, fried crispness, which contributes to the rich flavor and aids as a release agent in helping to get the baked pizzas out of the pan. Source: PMQ.

CLEAR FLOUR: See HIGH-GLUTEN FLOUR.

COLD FERMENTATION: The fermentation of a dough under refrigeration, usually for an extended period of time, for the purpose of developing better flavors and aromas in the finished crust through increased production of fermentation byproducts.

COMPRESSED YEAST: A fresh form of yeast also commonly referred to as "fresh" or "cake" yeast. It is a "wet" form of yeast inasmuch as it has a moisture content of around 70%, which makes it faster acting than dry yeasts and, hence, attractive to bakers and pizza operators who must use yeast regularly and in high volume in their businesses. This form of yeast is also available to consumers in small packages (usually 0.6 ounces, or 17 g.) sold in the refrigerated sections of many supermarkets. In use, the compressed yeast is either hydrated ("proofed") in tepid water (80–90°F) before using or crumbled and mixed into the flour and other dry ingredients. The principal drawback of this form of yeast is that it is highly perishable and has a short shelf life (refrigerated), usually around two weeks or less. For consumers (but not for bakers) it is also considerably more expensive than dry yeasts on an equivalency basis.

CORNICIONE: Italian term for the "lip" or the outer puffy edge of the pizza.

CRACKER STYLE PIZZA: Pizza Hut made the cracker style crust popular back in the 1950's and they are still identified with this style. The dough is under-mixed according to Tom Lehmann with the American Institute of Baking. It is mixed until you can still see some of the white flour (only about five minutes). This dough needs to be fermented for five or six hours and must be sheeted to obtain its layered, cracker-like texture. The toppings and cheese are modestly applied and not piled up high and a thinner sauce usually works best. Source: PMQ.

CRUMB: A term used by bakers to define the inside of a bread or pizza crust, that is, its internal cell structure. Many factors can influence the cell structure of the crumb. For example, a high hydration dough that has not been overkneaded, has been properly shaped, and has sufficient yeast available at the time of baking to produce a good, final oven spring will generally result in a crumb that is open and airy with a lot of large, irregularly-sized and shaped holes (called alveoles). Conversely, a dough with low hydration, rolled rather than hand shaped, and with low yeast levels at the time of baking (resulting in a poorer oven spring) will generally result in a crumb that is more breadlike, with small, even-sized and tightly formed cells. Experienced bakers can usually tell from the color and other facets of the crumb what kind of flour and yeast levels were used, including the use of preferments.

CUTTER PAN: A circular solid or perforated metal pan with sloping sides and a sharp exposed outer edge for permitting a rolled out or sheeted dough that has been draped over the sharp edge of the pan to be cut to fit the pan by rolling a rolling pin over the dough and pan.

DAIRY WHEY: A baking ingredient derived as a byproduct of cheese production and processed into a dry form for use in doughs to promote greater crust browning. Dried dairy whey includes around 70% lactose, a milk sugar. It's the only simple sugar that is not metabolized (consumed) by yeast. But it contributes to browning of the crust. The lactose also has a low sweetness factor, so it won't be detected in the crust. So the result will be better color in the finished crust but not the accompanying sweetness. The usual rate of use of dairy whey is around 4% by weight of flour.

DAMAGED STARCH: Starch in flour that is damaged during milling (and sometimes inherent in the wheat grain.) Damaged starch in a flour is important because enzymes in the flour, namely alpha- and beta-amylase, work on the damaged starch to produce compounds that are converted to simple sugars for feeding the yeast during fermentation and also to contribute to the residual sugars in the dough at the time of baking to promote better crust browning.

DIASTATIC MALT: A barley malt commonly used in flours to increase the extraction of sugars from the flours for use as food for the yeast during fermentation and to increase the residual sugars in the dough at the time of baking to promote increased crust browning. The diastatic malt is produced from barley that has been sprouted, dried and ground into flour. The diastatic malt works through enzymatic activity (it provides additional alpha-amylase) to release sugar from the damaged starch molecules of flour. Diastatic malt is available in both dry and liquid form. The recommended rate is about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon for every 3 cups of flour. Any more than that can result in a slack, sticky dough and a gummy crumb in the baked crust.

D.O.P./DOP: An abbreviation for Denominazione d'Origine Protetta, or "denomination of protected origin." This mark is guaranteed by the European Community (EU) and was created to promote the authenticity and artisan characteristics of certain food and agricultural products. These products are split into the categories of cheese, fruit and vegetables, salumi (or meats), and olive oils. A DOP certification guarantees that a product and all phases of production for that product have been carried out in a strictly defined geographic area which, in some cases, can be just a small cluster of villages. Among the pizza related ingredients that are often covered under the D.O.P. mark are San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella cheeses, olive oils, prosciutto di Parma, grana padano, pecorino Romano, and Parmiggiano Reggiano cheeses.

DOCKING: The act of poking numerous holes into a pizza skin immediately prior to topping which helps prevent large air bubbles from forming in the crust during baking. Usually performed using a specialized tool called a dough docker. Can also be performed using a fork, but this technique can be slow and time consuming.

DOUBLE-ZERO FLOUR: See 00 FLOUR.

DOUGH CONDITIONER: A general term used for additives that function to help improve the quality of the finished product by altering the way dough behaves. There are four main categories of dough conditioners: 1) enzymes, 2) oxidizing agents, 3) reducing agents, and 4) emulsifiers. Enzymes are biological catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions, such as increasing the extraction of sugar from starch. Oxidizing agents improve the dough strength by forming bonds between the protein chains. Reducing agents weaken the protein by breaking bonds between proteins during mixing, thereby reducing the mixing times and dough elasticity Emulsifiers strengthen the dough or soften the crumb. Examples of additives falling into the above four categories include diastatic malt, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), L-cysteine (or PZ-44), and lecithin, respectively.

DOUGH RELAXER: A baking ingredient used to relax dough that is excessively elastic and prone to shrinking and snapping back. The problem is most commonly experienced with doughs made from high-gluten flours. Common examples of ingredients used to relax such doughs so that they can be shaped and stretched to the desired size (diameter) include glutathione (dead yeast cells), L-cysteine, and PZ-44 (a combination of L-cysteine and whey proteins). Since these ingredients are available primarily for use by professional pizza operators, home pizza makers usually rely on high hydration levels and longer periods of fermentation to allow the enzymes in the flour (namely the protease enzymes) to soften the gluten so that the dough becomes sufficiently extensible to shape and stretch out to the desired size. (Note: a dough relaxer product produced by Lora Brody for use by home bakers has been discontinued.)

DRY MILK: A powdered milk product commonly added to dough primarily for crust color development (browning). It includes lactose (about 50%), a simple sugar that is primarily responsible for the browning but is not consumed by the yeast. Consequently, the sugar is available during the time of baking as a residual sugar to promote browning. Because lactose has a low sweetness value, it will not be detected as sweetness in the crust. What is important is that the powdered milk be of a high-heat baker's grade form, not the type sold in supermarkets. The baker's grade form of dry milk has been heated at high temperature and otherwise processed to disable certain offending constituents of milk (either a whey protein or an enzyme) so that the dough doesn't become overly slack and soft. A typical rate of use of the baker's grade dry milk is around 3–5% by weight of flour. At higher levels of use, the dry milk can provide a measure of softness in the finished crust.

ELASTICITY: The capability of dough to return to its original shape after stretching. This effect is often referred to as "dough memory". Generally speaking, doughs made with high-protein, high-gluten flours tend most to exhibit this tendency because of their higher gluten content and their more extensive and stronger gluten network. Doughs will also exhibit high elasticity if they are reworked or re-kneaded just before shaping and stretching, which disorients and misaligns the gluten strands from their relaxed state just prior to reshaping.

ESCALON PREMIER BRANDS: Producer of super-premium "fresh pack" tomato products, considered to be one of the best in the industry. One of the few producers that does not use citric acid, a bitter-tasting preservative, in any of its products. Some popular Escalon brands include 6 IN 1 and Bontá. Used exclusively by reputable pizzerias around the country. Escalon's product line is similar to that of rival Stanislaus Food Products (see Escalon/Stanislaus Cross Reference table.) See also rival STANISLAUS FOOD PRODUCTS.

EVOO: Abbreviation for extra virgin olive oil.

EXTENSIBILITY: The capability of dough to be shaped and stretched without breaking or springing back to its original shape. Generally speaking, doughs made with low-protein low-gluten flours, high hydration levels, and long fermentation times will tend to be more extensible than doughs made with high-protein high-gluten flours, low hydration levels, and short fermentation times.

EZZO PEPPERONI: A super-premium brand of pepperoni produced by Ezzo Italian Meats based in Columbus, Ohio. Ezzo pepperoni is made by hand in small batches, is very lean (21% fat compared to 28% like most), and has an excellent spice profile.

FALLING NUMBER: A term used by millers and bakers to refer to the alpha-amylase activity in flour. The falling number (FN) value has an inverse relationship with the alpha-amylase activity meaning the higher the alpha-amylase activity the lower the FN value, and vice-versa. For many flours, the falling number is adjusted through the addition of diastatic malt, or fungal amylase, to increase the level of enzymatic activity for optimum dough performance. Such adjustments are usually done at the mill, but sometimes by the baker. Malted bread flours typically have falling numbers of 250–290. Generally, a falling number value of 350 or greater indicates low enzyme activity. Values below 200 indicate high levels of enzyme activity. For comparison purposes, the King Arthur Sir Lancelot flour, which is a malted flour, has a falling number of 250 ± 30 seconds. By contrast, the Caputo 00 pizzeria flour, which is unmalted, has a falling number of 340–360 seconds. Quite often, the falling number alone will indicate whether a particular flour is malted or not. See also ALPHA-AMYLASE.

FERMENTATION: The process by which yeast metabolizes (consumes) simple sugars to produce carbon dioxide and alcohol (ethyl alcohol). The sugars come basically from three sources: a small amount of simple sugars naturally present in the flour, sugars that are converted from complex sugars to simple sugars through a series of conversion operations, and sugar that is released by enzymatic action on damaged starch in the flour (starch that is primarily damaged during milling). The carbon dioxide resulting from fermentation is trapped within the gluten structure, causing the dough to rise. The alcohol is converted to compounds that provide flavor and aroma to the finished crust.

FIBRAMENT: A brand of baking (pizza) stone sold by AWMCO.

FIOR DI LATTE: "Flower of the Milk," a fresh, soft, whole-milk mozzarella cheese made from the milk of a cow.

FOCACCIA STYLE PIZZA: Focaccia style pizzas can be identified by the absence of sauce. These pizzas start with a round, flat bread (focaccia) that ranges from 3/8 to as much as 1-inch in thickness and starts with a medium crust dough. They are topped with oils, grilled vegetables and other toppings and can be found in many gourmet pizzerias. This style of pizza is among the oldest styles of pizzas as they were the first types made before the introduction of tomatoes by European explorers returning from Mexico and Central America. Source: PMQ.

FRESH PACK TOMATOES: Fresh pack tomatoes are only packaged during the tomato season. They are vine-ripened and usually processed and packaged within a few hours from being picked in the field. This is in contrast to remanufactured tomatoes where they are picked, processed into a concentrate and packaged at a later date after being reconstituted with water.

FRICTION FACTOR (FF): A value, expressed as temperature, that represents the amount of frictional heat imparted to a dough by the particular machine (e.g., stand mixer, food processor, or bread machine) used to mix and knead the dough. This value is used along with other temperature measurements, namely, room temperature and flour temperature, to calculate the temperature of water required to achieve a desired finished dough temperature (usually around 80–85°F, which is considered optimal for fermentation purposes.) Water temperature is selected for adjustment since it is the easiest of all the temperatures to control. The value of FF will vary depending on the type of machine used, the machine speeds used, bowl and dough batch size, and duration of knead.

GLUTEN: An elastic, rubbery substance that results when certain proteins in flour, namely glutenin and gliadin, are combined with a liquid (usually water) and mixed together. Prior to this combination the gluten does not exist. When the gluten in dough is properly kneaded, a strong and highly developed gluten network forms that has a honeycomb-like structure which traps gases (i.e., carbon dioxide) produced during fermentation. As the gases are produced in quantity, the gluten structure expands, causing the dough to rise.

GRANDE CHEESE: A super-premium mozzarella cheese produced by the Grande Cheese Company based in Lomira, Wisconsin. Their signature mozzarella cheese is rich and creamy, soft and tender, with excellent taste and cooking (melting) characteristics. Used by many reputable New York pizzerias, this high-butterfat cheese is credited for leaving those yellow trails of oil running down your arm when you eat a slice of genuine NY-style pizza.

HIGH-GLUTEN FLOUR: Flour with a protein level of 14-15%. Exceptional for "hand tossed" New York-style pizza and bagels. Higher protein flours make firmer, stronger doughs while lower protein flours produce softer, weaker doughs. Cake flour is typically 7-9% protein; pastry, or cookie, ≈9-10%; all-purpose, 10-12%; bread, 12.5-13.5%; clear and high-gluten, 14-15%; and gluten "flour" (actually refined gluten), 45%.

HOLE STRUCTURE: See CRUMB.

HYDRATION: A term that refers to the capacity of flour to absorb water. Hydration is usually stated as a baker's percent, or ratio, that is equal to the weight of water divided by the weight of flour used in a recipe. Different flours have different capacities to absorb water, with high-protein flours having higher hydration capacities than lower protein flours.

HYDROSCOPIC: See HYGROSCOPIC.

HYGROSCOPIC: The capacity of a substance to absorb moisture from its surroundings. Flour, salt and sugar (and honey) are good examples of hygroscopic ingredients familiar to pizza makers. The term hygroscopic is sometimes spelled hydroscopic.

IDY: See INSTANT DRY YEAST.

INSTANT DRY YEAST (IDY): A very finely-divided strain of dry yeast that, because of its particular strain and its smaller particle size than active dry yeast (ADY), needs no re-hydration, or "proofing", in water or other liquid to activate it and can thus be added directly to the flour and other dry ingredients. Moreover, instant dry yeast contains more live cells than active dry yeast, further facilitating its activation. Once in the flour, the instant dry yeast can tolerate liquid temperatures of 120–130°F Because of all these factors, the instant dry yeast will start to work faster than active dry yeast. Like active dry yeast, advantages of instant dry yeast include convenience of use and long storage life, especially when sealed and frozen in an airtight container.

JOHNS (Pamela Sheldon): A cookbook author known in pizza circles for her book, Pizza Napoletana!, devoted to Neapolitan-style pizzas. For a review of this book, see the book review section of the pizzamaking.com site.

KASL: See SIR LANCELOT FLOUR.

KING ARTHUR FLOUR COMPANY: A well-known source of baking ingredients and highly regarded for its high-quality, unbleached, unbromated flours with tight milling specifications and generally higher protein levels than competing brands. While King Arthur has a retail store in White River Junction, VT, it does a substantial mail-order business through its Baker's Catalogue.

KOSHER SALT: A form of salt produced through the use of evaporation processes but having a larger particle size (and different shape) than ordinary table salt. Kosher salts usually contain no additives. Kosher salt can be substituted for table salt in recipes, but because of its larger particle size, it is often recommended that the amount of the Kosher salt substituted be about 1 1/2 to 2 times the amount of table salt, by volume. As a matter of convenience, producers of some brands of Kosher salt suggest using the same amount of Kosher salt as table salt, by volume.

L-CYSTEINE: L-cysteine is used in flour as a treatment agent to aid in the relaxing of gluten in doughs, such as pizza bases, that are heavily manipulated. In controlled amounts, it will break the sulfhydryl bridges between gluten proteins, producing weakened flour. See also DOUGH CONDITIONER.

LEHMANN (Tom): Director of Baking Assistance at the American Institute of Baking (AIB), Manhattan, KS, and a technical advisor and consultant to the pizza industry. He is an acknowledged expert on pizza dough and its commercial production and management and is a frequent contributor on such matters at the Pizza Marketing Quarterly (PMQ) and Pizza Today, including their online forums. He is frequently referred to as the "Dough Doctor."

LEVAIN: A French term for a natural preferment that is essentially synonymous (in the U.S.) with sourdough. It is a culture of a naturally-occurring (wild) yeast and bacteria that can leaven and flavor a bread or pizza crust. It is refreshed periodically by replacement of a part of the culture by new flour and water, and a portion of the refreshed culture is allowed to ferment and mature (ripen) before incorporating into the final dough. The remainder of the culture is used to begin the next batch of dough. A levain, or "sourdough," can be perpetuated for many years, even centuries for certain highly-stable strains.

MAKE-UP BOARD: See PEEL.

MARGHERITA: See PIZZA MARGHERITA.

MARINARA: See PIZZA MARINARA.

MOZZARELLA CHEESE: A soft, pasta filata (stretched curd) cheese made in a way resembling provolone. In the United States, milk (whole, lowfat, nonfat) is usually pasteurized, and set by warming to 95°F and adding lactic acid-producing bacterial starters and a coagulating enzyme. The curd is separated from the whey, and when a critical acidity has been reached, the mozzarella curd is immersed in hot water (170° to 180°F), or heated with steam, and kneaded and stretched until smooth. Thereafter, the cheese is molded into proper forms, immersed in cold water to harden, and sometimes salted in brine. The cheese has little or no curing and may be used immediately after processing. Available forms of mozzarella cheese include part-skim mozzarella, low-moisture mozzarella, and low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella. String cheese derived from mozzarella is also popular. Source: National Dairy Council.

MOZZARELLA DI BUFALA: See BUFFALO MOZZARELLA.

NEAPOLITAN STYLE PIZZA: 'a pizza Napoletana. According to the Associazione vera pizza napoletana, genuine Neapolitan pizza dough consists of wheat flour (type 0 and/or 00), natural yeast or brewer's yeast, and water. For proper results, strong flour with high protein content (as used for bread-making rather than cakes) must be used. The dough must be kneaded by hand or with an approved mixer. After the rising process, the dough must be formed by hand without the help of a rolling pin or any other mechanical device, and may be no more than 0.3 cm thick. Baking the pizza must take place in a wood-fired, stone oven at 485°C (905°F) for 60–90 seconds. When cooked, it should be soft and fragrant. The classic types and their respective toppings include:

Marinara or Napoletana: tomato, olive oil, oregano, and garlic. Margherita: tomato, olive oil, fresh basil leaves, and fior-di-latte or mozzarella di bufala. Formaggio e Pomodoro: tomato, olive oil, and grated parmesan cheese. Basil leaves are optional.

NEAPOLITAN-AMERICAN STYLE PIZZA: See NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA.

NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA: New York style pizza can be traced back to the 17th century when Spanish soldiers were occupying the area around Naples, Italy. One of their favorite snacks was a soft, crispy dough with toppings that the Neapolitans called sfiziosa. Like local New Yorkers who fold their slices in half and eat while walking, these Spanish soldiers folded the flat bread into a libretto (little book) and ate it with their hands. One of the main characteristics of New York style pizza is its thin, chewy crust, but that isn't everything that defines New York style pizza. Many might say that it's not New York style unless it leaves those yellow trails of oil running down your elbow when you eat it. This comes from the high butter fat cheese they use. Big Dave Ostrander says most New York pizzerias use Grande mozzarella cheese to get this trait. For New York style, fresh mozzarella isn't an option... it's a rule! Many are hearth or deck oven baked and the sauce is usually thinner than most sauces with fewer ingredients added. The dough is made with high protein, high gluten flour (usually 13.5 to 14.5% protein) and is slightly chewy. There is an old urban legend that you can only produce New York pizza in New York due to the hard water they have. While it's true that New York has hard water, it's debatable as to whether this is the secret ingredient. Source: PMQ.

NON-DIASTATIC MALT: A diastatic malt without the enzyme activity capability and commonly used for flavoring, color, and crust browning purposes. Available in liquid or dry form, it is sweet and flavorful and can be used in lieu of other sweeteners, and caramelizes well and contributes to browning. However, it isn't the same as and doesn't operate like diastatic malt and consequently shouldn't be confused with diastatic malt.

OLD DOUGH: See PATE FERMENTE.

OSTRANDER (Dave): A former independent pizza operator and now a consultant to the pizza industry. He is also a frequent contributor to the Pizza Marketing Quarterly (PMQ), including its online forum. He is well known for his "Old Faithful" pizza dough recipes which have been used by pizza operators all around the world to make over 2 million pounds of dough. He is an acknowledged expert on the management of pizza operations, from startup to mature business. Ostrander is often referred to as the "Pizza Doctor" or, more commonly, "Big Dave."

OVEN SPRING: The rapid increase and final burst in the expansion of dough once it is loaded into the oven. The dough expansion will cease as soon as the temperature of the dough reaches about 140° F, at which point the yeast dies. There are many factors that influence the degree and quality of the oven spring when baking pizzas, including overall dough quality (it should not be stiff or overkneaded, and it should have good hydration), the amount of yeast in the dough as of the time of baking, the degree of fermentation (it should not be underfermented or overfermented), and oven temperature. The manner in which the pizza is baked, that is, whether using a pan, stone/tiles, or pizza screen, will also be a factor.

OXIDATION: As applied to pizza dough, the term means a chemical reaction that takes place when air is incorporated into the dough, as by mixing and kneading. The effect is to reinforce the gluten bonds and strengthen the dough and increase the hydration capacity of the dough. However, excessive oxidation, which can occur if the dough is kneaded too long, can have the adverse effect of destroying caretenoid pigments naturally present in the flour and result in a loss of color and taste in the finished crust. This is one of the reasons why an autolyse period is often used since the autolyse will have the effect of shortening the overall kneading time.

PAN STYLE PIZZA: This style gets its name because it's cooked in a pan, but there is more to it than that. The pan has oil in it that fries the bottom layer of dough giving it a light crunch, and a slightly different flavor than a conventionally, baked pizza. The dough is somewhat thick as a result of the dough being allowed to proof/rise in the pan prior to baking. Toppings and cheese usually don't identify a pan style and can be used in any amounts. Areas in the southeastern U.S. are usually identified with this style of pizza. Source: PMQ.

PAR-BAKE: The partial baking of a dough, without anything on it, to prepare a partially-baked crust, or "shell", to be used to prepare a finished pizza at a later date. Until then, the par-baked crust is refrigerated or frozen (or kept at room temperature for near-term use). When a finished pizza is to be made, the partially-baked crust is dressed with sauce, cheeses and other toppings and baked until done.

PARCHMENT PAPER: A paper that has been treated with sulfuric acid and coated with silicone. The sulfuric acid makes the surface of the paper smooth so that it resists grease and moisture and tolerates high oven temperatures. The silicone coating prevents foods from sticking. Instead of using a peel, some home pizza makers use parchment paper on which to build their pizzas before loading into the oven. Parchment paper is not wax paper, which is paper coated with a paraffin wax.

PARMESAN CHEESE: Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano) is the most widely known variety of grana (which means hard grating) cheese, the most important cooking cheese in northern Italy. This salty, sharp-flavored, grating cheese is also manufactured in the United States. A mixture of whole and nonfat milk, usually pasteurized, is warmed to 95°F and a bacterial starter is added. After ripening for 5 to 10 minutes, a coagulating enzyme is added. The resulting curd particles are cut into pieces no larger than wheat kernels and cooked, with stirring, for about 45 minutes at a relatively high temperature of 115° to 125°F. The curd is allowed to settle and drain, and is placed in circular cloth-lined hoops and pressed. The pressed curd is removed, salted in brine for 14 to 15 days, and then dried 8 to 10 days. During cooling, which takes from 10 to 24 months in a cool (50°F), ventilated room, the cheese is frequently turned. The rind may be treated with a mixture of dark earth dye and olive or other vegetable oil. Source: National Dairy Council.

PASTRY FLOUR: A relatively low-protein flour typically milled from soft white/red winter wheat and primarily used for pastries. However, it can be combined with other flours, including all-purpose, cake flour and bread flour, to simulate an imported Italian 00 flour for use in making Neapolitan-style pizzas. The flour has a typical protein content of 8.5–9.5%.

PATE FERMENTE: A French term used to mean a slightly-aged prefermented dough. In one version, the pate fermente is made by combining a starter, such as a sourdough starter, and flour and water, and the combination is left to rise and then refrigerated overnight or, in some cases, for several days before incorporating it into the final dough. In another form, often referred to as a chef or "old dough", a portion of one day's dough production is taken and used in the next day's production. Consequently, the removed dough has the same ingredients as the dough batch from which it was taken, including flour, water, commercial yeast and salt. In both forms, the hydration of the pate fermente is established to be reasonably close to the hydration of the finished dough into which the pate fermente is to be incorporated.

PEEL: A long-handled spade-shaped tool that is used chiefly by bakers for getting something (as bread or pizza) into or out of the oven. Peels generally come in wood and metal versions. The wood version, sometimes called a make-up board, is considered best for assembling and "peeling" a pizza into the oven, and the metal version, which has a very thin blade, is considered best for removing pizzas from the oven (although the two can be used interchangeably.)

PEPPERONI: In the U.S., pepperoni refers to a spicy Italian-American variety of dry salami made of pork and beef. Pepperoni is a descendant of the spicy salamis of Italy, such as salsiccia Napoletana piccante, a spicy dry pork sausage from Naples. Pepperoni is frequently used as a pizza topping in American-style pizzerias. It is the most popular pizza topping in North America, present on at least 30% of all pizzas. For pepperoni that "cups" and chars when cooked, choose a brand with a collagen casing.

PIZZAIOLO: A term most commonly associated with a trained Italian pizza maker, especially one with skills in making and baking Neapolitan pizzas, particularly in a high-temperature wood-fired oven, with exceptional skills in managing and mastering the use of the oven for high volume production. Plural form is pizzaioli. Called "pie man" in the U.S. Northeast.

PIZZA BIANCA: Roman leavened flatbread flavored with olive oil and salt.

PIZZA MARGHERITA: Classic Neapolitan pizza. Topped only with tomato, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, and fresh basil. See also NEAPOLITAN STYLE PIZZA.

PIZZA MARINARA: Also known as Napoletana. A cheeseless pizza topped with tomato, olive oil, oregano, and fresh garlic. See also NEAPOLITAN STYLE PIZZA.

PIZZA STONE: A flat slab of material, such as a ceramic, clay or other refractory material, or a lead-free firebrick material (cordierite), or soapstone material, that can be preheated at high oven temperatures (in excess of 500° F) to permit a pizza to be baked on it. The pizza stone usually is rectangular or round with a typical thickness of about 1/2 to 7/8 inch.

POOLISH: A French term with Polish origins that is used to mean a preferment that is made with equal amounts of flour and water (which produces a pancake-like batter with a hydration of 100%), and a small amount of commercial yeast, but no salt. It is usually left to ferment and ripen at room temperature for several hours, although it is sometimes refrigerated for many hours (e.g., overnight) before incorporating into the final dough. The term poolish is pronounced poo-leash.

POTASSIUM BROMATE: A flour improver that acts as a maturing agent. Potassium bromate is a strong oxidizer that strengthens dough and prevents it from falling when handled between proofing and baking yielding higher volume bread. Please note that potassium bromate has been classified as a carcinogen and has been banned by the World Health Organization. As a result, many nations, including Canada and those of the European Union, have banned its use. While not banned in the US, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has petitioned the FDA to do so. In response, the American Bakers Association, which opposes such a ban, published a statement saying that potassium bromate is converted to harmless potassium bromide during the baking process. Flours that are bromated are labeled as such on the packaging.

PRE-BAKE: To partially bake a dough, for a few to several minutes, without anything on the dough, for the purpose of creating a greater rise in the crust or, in some cases (as with a cracker-type crust), to allow the crust to dry out before adding sauce, cheeses and other toppings and completing the baking.

PREFERMENT: A partial preparation of flour and water and yeast (naturally-occurring or commercial), that may or may not include salt, that is left to ferment and mature before incorporating into the final dough. The ingredients and period of fermentation are controlled to achieve the desired leavening power and maturation (ripening) before incorporation into the final dough. The preferment can be fermented at room temperature or under refrigeration, or a combination of both. Depending on its final intended use, it can take a liquid form, semi-liquid form (like a batter) or it can be stiff and dough-like. The benefits from using a preferment include a strengthened gluten structure, a shortened overall production time, and superior crust flavor.

PROOF: A term often used in bread baking to describe the final rise of the bread dough while it is in the pan or bread board just prior to baking. The term is often somewhat erroneously used in the context of pizza doughs to describe the process of fermentation. It is more correctly applied to the process by which certain doughs, such as deep-dish doughs or Sicilian-style doughs, are permitted to rise, or "proof", either at room temperature or in a proofing unit (often with humidity), in advance of dressing and baking.

PROVEL CHEESE: A St. Louis original. A blend of white cheddar, Swiss, and provolone cheese. Considered the key ingredient in St. Louis-style pizza, most notably Imo's Pizza.

PROVOLONE CHEESE: Provolone, an Italian cheese, is representative of the pasta filata or stretched curd cheeses. In these stringy-textured cheeses, the curd is cooked to a relatively high temperature and is pulled and molded while hot into various shapes. The name provolone is derived from the Neapolitan word "prova," meaning ball-shaped. In the United States, provolone, except for the addition of special flavor-producing enzymes, is manufactured similarly to Cheddar up to the time of matting the curd. At this point, the curd for provolone is cut into slabs that are worked and stretched in hot (180°F) water or whey. The hot curd is kneaded and stretched either by hand or machine until it becomes shiny, smooth, and elastic. The curd is molded into various shapes, such as pear, melon, cylinder, sausage, or ball. The shaped curd is then chilled in cold (50°F) water to harden, and salted for several days in cool brine. After brining, the cheese is packaged, cured for a few months, and usually smoked. Before selling, the cheese may be covered with wax or plastic film. Source: National Dairy Council.

PROTEIN: The dominant proteins found in wheat flour are glutenin and gliadin which, when combined, form gluten. See GLUTEN.

PZ-44 DOUGH CONDITIONER: A blend of whey and L-cysteine, a crystalline amino acid which is a natural component of protein. PZ-44 dough conditioner is often used in pizzerias as a dough conditioner helping to produce a more workable pizza dough. Biochemical reactions of L-cysteine and flour proteins result in shorter mixing time and increased extensibility (rapid relaxation without fermentation.) See also DOUGH CONDITIONER.

QUARRY TILES: See TILES.

RAPID-RISE (OR QUICK-RISE) YEAST: A form of instant dry yeast (IDY).

REINHART (Peter): Chef on Assignment at Johnson and Wales University (a culinary institute), in Charlotte, NC. Is a consultant to the baking industry and food companies and a frequent lecturer on baking matters, and a well-known author of cookbooks on bread baking. Is the author of American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza. For a review of this book, see the book review section of the pizzamaking.com site.

RELEASE AGENT: A substance which helps prevent an unbaked pizza from sticking to the make-up board (or pizza peel) so that the pizza will slide off easily into the oven. Most people use a dusting of raw white flour for this purpose, but semolina flour or cornmeal can also be used. Another trick-of-the-trade is lifting a section of the dough's edge, blowing an air bubble underneath, then quickly releasing it before the air can escape. This air pocket causes the pizza to "float" on the peel making its release very easy.

REST PERIOD: See AUTOLYSE.

RETARDED DOUGH: See COLD FERMENTATION.

RIPEN: A term commonly applied to certain preferments to describe the maturation of the preferment, as evidenced by the preferment having achieved a fully risen state (domed) and on the verge of receding or falling back at the center. In the case of a poolish or sponge, the ripening is indicated by the presence of small carbon dioxide bubbles at the surface of the poolish with cracks and signs of collapsing. The term ripen is also sometimes used to refer to a dough that has fermented to the point where the dough has peaked and should be used before it overferments and starts to recede or collapse.

ROMANO CHEESE: Romano cheese, an Italian, sharply piquant, grating cheese resembling Parmesan and other grana cheeses, is manufactured in a similar manner to that described for Parmesan. Some Romano cheese is made in the United States from cow's milk but most of it is imported into this country. It is cured for 5 to 12 months or longer. Source: National Dairy Council.

SAN MARZANO TOMATOES: A famed varietal of tomatoes from the Naples region of Campania, Italy and grown on vesuvial volcanic soils. The San Marzano tomatoes (the varietal) are elongated, firm, plum-like tomatoes with fewer seed cavities than most tomatoes. They also have a naturally low-acid content. The San Marzano tomatoes sold in cans may or may not bear the D.O.P. designation. However, those that do will have a special numbered label, and will indicate the region around Naples, such as the Agro Sarnese-Nocerino region, where the San Marzano tomatoes were grown. Cans not bearing the D.O.P. label may be of questionable provenance.

SCREEN: A round, expanded, metal (usually aluminum) screen with a beaded outer rim. Because of the open character of the screen, air circulating beneath a pizza placed on the screen can readily permeate the screen and provide uniform baking of the pizza and browning of the bottom of the crust. Pizza screens come in a wide variety of sizes, from about 6 inches to over 20 inches. Although pizza screens are usually round, they also come in rectangular shapes.

SEA SALT: A form of salt formed from evaporation of seawater at ordinary atmospheric temperature and pressure and then harvested. It has a larger particle size than ordinary table salt, and can come in different particle size gradations, including very coarse, which may require grinding in a mill or mortar and pestle before using for applications requiring small particle size, such as pizza dough making (although it can be used as a condiment on top of a finished pizza). Sea salts include naturally occurring beneficial minerals such as calcium and magnesium and are free of additives, such as anti-caking and anti-clumping chemicals and dextrose, as are commonly added, along with iodide (usually potassium iodide), to ordinary table salts. In the context of pizza dough, Sicilian sea salts are considered by some to be particularly useful because of their high hygroscopicity capacity (their capacity to absorb water).

SEMOLINA FLOUR: A coarse, granular flour product with bright yellow color produced by milling durum wheat, a high-protein, high-gluten wheat. A typical protein content for semolina flour is around 12–13%. The semolina flour is available in coarse and fine grades. It is frequently combined with other flours, at a rate of up to 25%, to produce a chewy finished crust.

SHEETING: The act of rolling dough into a very thin and uniform sheet. Most commonly performed using a specialized machine known as a dough sheeter or dough roller. A rolling pin may also be used, but this technique can be slow and labor-intensive.

SIR LANCELOT FLOUR: King Arthur's Sir Lancelot (KASL) flour is a high-quality, high protein, high-gluten flour produced by the King Arthur Flour Company based in Norwich, Vermont. This flour is available in large quantities (50-lb. bags) from various bakery distributors, foodservice companies and other intermediaries, some of whom will sell to individuals on a cash-and-carry basis (the KASL flour is not presently sold at the retail level.) The KASL is made from 100% hard red spring wheat, is malted to increase enzyme performance, and has a protein level of 14.2% ± 2%, an ash level of 0.52% ± 0.02%, and an absorption rate of 63% ± 2%. The KASL tolerates a long dough fermentation time and will exhibit greater browning and chewiness in the finished crust than other flours. These characteristics of the flour make it especially suitable for thin New York style pizzas. Because of its high gluten content, King Arthur does not recommend hand kneading doughs made from the KASL. See also KING ARTHUR FLOUR COMPANY.

SKIN: A term of art used by pizza makers to describe a dough round that has been shaped and stretched or rolled out from a dough ball into a pizza round (or other shape) in preparation for dressing and baking.

SLACK DOUGH: An overly wet dough with no elasticity or spring-back.

SOURDOUGH: See LEVAIN.

SPONGE: A preferment similar to a poolish or biga. It can include part of the flour and yeast and all or a part of the water to be used in the final dough, and is combined with additional flour, water, yeast and salt to make the final dough. The sponge can be allowed to ferment and mature (ripen) at room temperature, under refrigeration, or a combination of both.

STANISLAUS FOOD PRODUCTS: Producer of super-premium "fresh pack" tomato products, considered to be one of the best in the industry. Some popular Stanislaus brands include Saporito, Full Red, and 7/11. Used exclusively by reputable pizzerias around the country. Stanislaus' product line is similar to that of rival Escalon Premier Brands (see Escalon/Stanislaus Cross Reference table.) See also rival ESCALON PREMIER BRANDS.

STARTER: See PREFERMENT.

STIFF DOUGH: An overly dry dough (less than 50% water) which is dense and nonelastic.

STONE: See PIZZA STONE.

STUFFED STYLE PIZZA: Some people confuse a stuffed pizza with Chicago style. While they may look similar, they are quite different. Stuffed pizzas start with a medium thick dough/crust and then some sauce, toppings and a layer of cheese are added. A separate (much thinner) layer of dough is then placed on top of the toppings and then given another, and greater, application of sauce and cheese on top of the pizza. This creates a lasagna-like pie. Cook times on this style are usually in the 30-minute range. Source: PMQ.

TARE: The weight of a container or wrapper that is deducted from the gross weight to obtain net weight. Most digital scales allow you to perform this task easily by placing the empty container on the scale and pressing the tare button. Then, when the container is filled, only the weight of its contents is displayed.

THICK STYLE PIZZA: Thick style pizzas are really nothing more than a thicker version of a thin crust pizza. They are usually baked on a screen, disk, or directly on the oven hearth. The height or thickness of this style of pizza is achieved through both greater dough weight and some proofing, though not as much proofing as is given to the pan style thick crust varieties. Immediately after proofing, the dough is sauced and topped in the usual manner and taken to the oven for baking. The finished pizzas have moderate thickness, a slightly crispy bottom texture and a moderately chewy eating characteristic. This type of pizza does not have a regional preference, but it is instead, found served throughout the entire U.S. Source: PMQ.

THICKNESS FACTOR: A number often used within the pizza industry to correspond to a particular pizza crust thickness, from "thin" to "medium" to "thick". The thickness factor is used in a mathematical expression to calculate the amount of dough that is needed to make a pizza of any given size (diameter) and desired thickness. The thickness factor of an existing dough can also be calculated from the weight of the dough and the size of pizza made from that dough. Typical values of thickness factors for "thin", "medium" and "thick" crusts are 0.10, 0.11, and 0.12–0.13, respectively. Thickness factors for deep-dish doughs will usually be higher (above 0.13).and for cracker-type or other thin crusts they will often be lower (around 0.05).

TILES: Unglazed, fired, quarry clay tiles used in arrangements of one or more layers on an oven rack or grill for use as an alternative to pizza stones for baking pizzas. The tiles are most commonly found in ceramic tile stores or home improvement stores (such as Home Depot and Lowe's, with typical sizes of 6″ × 6″, 8″ × 8″ or 4″ × 8″ (and generally about 1/2″ thick). Since food is to be cooked on the tiles, for health reasons it is very important that the tiles be unglazed.
THIN STYLE PIZZA: A thin crust style pizza dough is mixed until it is smooth and then stretched by hand. The texture of a true thin crust is crispy on the outside, yet soft inside. This style of pizza has been traditionally found in taverns and bars because they allow the customer to eat without being filled up on dough. The toppings and cheese are modestly applied and not piled up high and a thinner sauce usually works best. Source: PMQ.

VWG: See VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN.

VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN (VWG): A dried wheat protein of high-gluten, hard wheat grain that has had all of the starch removed and is then dried. It is frequently used to supplement other flours to increase the overall protein level of such flours. Vital wheat gluten has a typical gluten content of about 45% and a protein content of about 75%. Its recommended use is at the rate of 1 to 2 teaspoons for each cup of flour or 2–3% by weight of flour. Each 1% addition of vital wheat gluten increases the protein content of the flour to which it is added by 0.6%.

VITAMIN C: See ASCORBIC ACID.

YEAST: A living, microscopic, single-cell organism that, as it feeds, converts sugars and starches into alcohol and carbon dioxide (known as fermentation.) This trapped carbon dioxide gas is what causes doughs to rise, or leaven. See also LEVAIN, ACTIVE DRY YEAST, INSTANT DRY YEAST, and COMPRESSED YEAST.