Pizza Styles: 18 Famous Pies Americans Argue About, and How to Make Each One at Home

These famous pizza styles have started more friendly fights than any other food in America, and every city swears its pie is the best. A new video from chef Andy Cooks ranking the best pizzas in the world pulled in more than 700,000 views in under two weeks, and pizza tours on YouTube keep racking up tens of millions. The good news is you do not need a plane ticket to taste them. Almost every legendary pie can be made in a regular home oven with one or two small tricks, like a hot sheet pan, a cast iron skillet or a cheese you might not know yet. Below you will find what makes each one special, plus a simple recipe for your next family pizza night. Pick your favorite and get the oven hot..

Pizza Styles Start With One Good Dough

Every famous pizza city swears theirs is the best. You do not need to travel to settle it. Most of the styles here start from the same easy dough, and what changes is the pan, the cheese, the sauce and how hot you bake it. Make a double batch on Friday, keep half in the fridge for up to three days, and you can bake a new style every night. Which camp are you in: A: thin and crispy, B: thick and soft, or C: anything with extra cheese?..

You will need: 4 cups bread flour, 1 1/2 cups warm water, 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp olive oil.

How to make it: 1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a big bowl. 2. Add the water and olive oil and stir into a shaggy dough. 3. Knead 8 minutes until smooth. 4. Cover and let rise 1 1/2 hours, or chill overnight for more flavor. 5. Divide into 2 or 3 balls. 6. Rest the balls 30 minutes before shaping.

Pizza Styles 101: The New York Slice, Made to Fold

Of all the pizza styles, the New York slice is the one most people picture first. It is wide, thin and floppy enough to fold in half lengthwise, which is exactly how locals eat it on the go. The crust is crisp on the bottom but still chewy, with a light layer of tomato sauce and plenty of low moisture mozzarella. The home trick is a very hot oven and a preheated pizza steel or stone, so the bottom crisps before the cheese burns.

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough, 1/2 cup smooth tomato sauce, 1 1/2 cups shredded low moisture mozzarella, 2 tbsp grated Parmesan, dried oregano, pepperoni (optional).

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 550 F with a steel or stone inside for 45 minutes. 2. Stretch the dough into a thin 14 inch round. 3. Spread the sauce thinly. 4. Add the mozzarella, Parmesan and pepperoni. 5. Slide onto the hot steel and bake 7 to 9 minutes. 6. Cut into big wedges and fold to eat.

Chicago Deep Dish: Pizza Styles Turned Upside Down

Chicago deep dish turns pizza upside down. A tall, buttery crust lines a deep pan, then comes a thick layer of sliced mozzarella, your fillings, and the chunky tomato sauce goes on top so the cheese does not burn during the long bake. One slice is a full meal. At home, a 9 or 10 inch cast iron skillet or cake pan works perfectly.

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough (or add 3 tbsp melted butter to the dough), 2 tbsp butter for the pan, 12 oz sliced mozzarella, 8 oz Italian sausage, 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp oregano, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 cup Parmesan.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 425 F. 2. Butter a deep 10 inch pan well. 3. Press the dough up the sides about 2 inches. 4. Layer the mozzarella, then press the raw sausage in a thin layer. 5. Mix the tomatoes with garlic and oregano and spread on top. 6. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake 30 to 35 minutes, then rest 10 minutes.

Chicago Tavern Style: The Thin Pie Cut in Squares

Here is a twist many people do not know about Chicago pizza styles: most Chicago locals eat thin pizza far more often than deep dish. Tavern style has a cracker thin crust, sauce and toppings right to the edge, and it is cut into small squares instead of wedges, so it is easy to share with a crowd. The corner pieces are the ones everyone fights over. Are you A: team corner or B: team middle?

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough rolled very thin, 1/2 cup pizza sauce, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, 6 oz crumbled Italian sausage, 1/2 tsp fennel seed, pepperoni.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 500 F with a sheet pan inside. 2. Roll the dough as thin as you can with a rolling pin. 3. Spread the sauce all the way to the edge. 4. Add the cheese, sausage, fennel and pepperoni. 5. Bake on the hot pan 10 to 12 minutes until very crisp. 6. Cut into 2 inch squares.

Detroit Square Pizza: The Crispy Cheese Edge

Detroit style pizza was first baked in square steel pans from the city’s auto industry, and the pan is still the secret. Cheese goes all the way to the sides, where it fries into a dark, crunchy, lacy edge. The sauce goes on last, in stripes over the top. You can get very close with a 9 by 13 inch metal pan and Monterey Jack mixed with mozzarella.

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough, 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 cups cubed Monterey Jack and mozzarella, 20 pepperoni slices, 1 cup thick pizza sauce, 1 tsp dried oregano.

How to make it: 1. Oil a 9 by 13 inch metal pan and press the dough in, letting it rise 1 hour. 2. Heat the oven to 500 F. 3. Press the pepperoni into the dough. 4. Pile the cheese to the very edges of the pan. 5. Bake 13 to 15 minutes until the edges are dark. 6. Spoon two stripes of warm sauce on top and cut into squares.

New Haven White Clam Pie

In New Haven, Connecticut, pizza is called apizza (say ah-beets), and it comes out of very hot ovens with a charred, chewy crust. The most famous pie there has no tomato sauce and no mozzarella at all: just fresh clams, garlic, oregano, olive oil and grated Pecorino. It sounds odd and tastes amazing. Would you try a clam pizza: A: yes, B: no or C: only with a dare?

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough, 2 dozen fresh littleneck clams (or 2 cans chopped clams, drained), 4 cloves garlic, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano, parsley, lemon.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 550 F with a steel or stone for 45 minutes. 2. Shuck and chop the clams. 3. Stretch the dough into a thin oval. 4. Brush with olive oil and scatter the garlic, clams and oregano. 5. Sprinkle the Pecorino and bake 6 to 8 minutes. 6. Finish with parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

St. Louis Pizza Styles: Cracker Crust and Provel

St. Louis style pizza has a crust so thin it snaps like a cracker, because the dough has no yeast. It is topped with Provel, a soft processed blend of cheddar, Swiss and provolone that melts into a gooey layer, and then it is cut into squares. The sauce leans a little sweet with plenty of oregano. If you cannot find Provel, mix the three cheeses yourself.

You will need: 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup pizza sauce with a pinch of sugar, 1 1/2 cups Provel (or mixed white cheddar, Swiss and provolone), oregano.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 475 F. 2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, oil and water into a stiff dough. 3. Roll it paper thin and set on a sheet pan. 4. Spread the sauce and sprinkle with oregano. 5. Top with the cheese. 6. Bake 10 to 12 minutes and cut into squares.

Neapolitan Margherita: Soft, Blistered and Simple

Naples is where modern pizza was born, and the classic Neapolitan margherita, the mother of all pizza styles, is about restraint: crushed tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and good olive oil. In Italy it bakes in about 90 seconds in a wood oven, which gives the puffy crust its leopard spots. At home, use your broiler and a hot steel or a cast iron skillet to get close. It is soft in the middle, so eat it with a knife and fork, the Naples way.

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough, 1/2 cup crushed San Marzano style tomatoes, a pinch of salt, 4 oz fresh mozzarella torn into pieces, fresh basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to its highest setting with a steel on the top rack for 45 minutes. 2. Stretch the dough to 10 inches, leaving a puffy rim. 3. Spread the salted tomatoes thinly. 4. Add the mozzarella. 5. Bake 4 minutes, then broil 1 to 2 minutes until spotted. 6. Add basil and olive oil.

Roman Pizza al Taglio by the Slice

In Rome, pizza al taglio is baked in long rectangular pans and sold by weight. You point at the piece you want, and it is cut with scissors. The dough is very wet, which makes it light and full of big holes, with a crisp, golden bottom. Toppings are often added after baking, like thin ham, arugula and burrata. It is one of the best pizza styles for parties, because one pan feeds a crowd.

You will need: 3 cups bread flour, 1 1/2 cups cold water, 1 tsp instant yeast, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup crushed tomatoes, 8 oz mozzarella, thin sliced prosciutto and arugula for topping.

How to make it: 1. Stir the flour, water and yeast, rest 20 minutes, then add the salt and oil. 2. Chill the dough 24 hours. 3. Press it into an oiled 9 by 13 inch pan. 4. Bake at 475 F with the tomatoes for 15 minutes. 5. Add the mozzarella and bake 8 minutes more. 6. Top with prosciutto and arugula and cut with scissors.

Sicilian Sfincione: The Original Thick Square

Before there was Sicilian pizza in American pizzerias, there was sfincione from Palermo, one of the oldest pizza styles still made today. The name means sponge, and the thick, airy crust is topped with tomato sauce cooked with lots of onion, a little anchovy, grated cheese and toasted breadcrumbs. It is often eaten warm or at room temperature around Christmas in Sicily. Here is an easy pan version.

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 large onion sliced, 1 cup crushed tomatoes, 3 anchovy fillets (optional), 1/2 cup grated Pecorino or caciocavallo, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, oregano.

How to make it: 1. Oil a 9 by 13 inch pan and press in the dough, then let it rise 1 hour. 2. Cook the onion in oil 10 minutes, then add the anchovies and tomatoes for 10 minutes. 3. Heat the oven to 425 F. 4. Dimple the dough and spread the sauce. 5. Top with cheese, oregano and breadcrumbs mixed with oil. 6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until golden.

Grandma Pie Pizza Styles: Sheet Pan Comfort

The grandma pie comes from Long Island, New York, where it started as the simple pizza Italian grandmothers made at home in a sheet pan. The dough is thin and pressed into an oiled pan, then topped with mozzarella first and dollops of garlicky crushed tomatoes on top. The bottom fries in the oil until crisp. It is the easiest style on this list, no special tools needed.

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough, 4 tbsp olive oil, 2 cups shredded mozzarella, 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1 tsp dried oregano, salt, grated Parmesan, fresh basil.

How to make it: 1. Pour 3 tbsp oil into a sheet pan and stretch the dough to the corners. 2. Let it rest 30 minutes. 3. Heat the oven to 475 F. 4. Mix the tomatoes with garlic, oregano, salt and 1 tbsp oil. 5. Top the dough with mozzarella, then spoon the sauce in dollops. 6. Bake 18 to 22 minutes and finish with Parmesan and basil.

Ohio Valley Style: The Cold Cheese Surprise

This is one of the strangest pizza styles, and it shocks first timers. In the Ohio Valley, around Steubenville, Ohio, the square pizza bakes with only sauce on the crust. The shredded provolone and pepperoni are added cold, after it comes out of the oven, and they melt just a little from the heat of the pizza on the way home. Fans love the contrast. Would you eat it A: as is or B: back in the oven?

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup pizza sauce, 2 cups shredded provolone, 25 pepperoni slices, oregano.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 450 F. 2. Press the dough into an oiled sheet pan. 3. Spread the sauce over the dough. 4. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until the crust is golden. 5. Right out of the oven, scatter the cold cheese and pepperoni on top. 6. Cut into squares and serve right away.

Quad Cities Pizza Styles: Malty Crust, Cut in Strips

Around the Quad Cities on the Iowa and Illinois border, pizza has a dark, nutty crust made with malt, a spicy, smooth sauce and a heavy layer of lean sausage under the cheese. Then it is cut into long strips with big scissors instead of wedges. It is one of the most unusual regional pizza styles in America and very easy to copy with malt powder from the baking aisle.

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough mixed with 2 tbsp malted milk powder, 3/4 cup smooth pizza sauce, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 12 oz lean Italian sausage, 2 cups shredded mozzarella.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 475 F with a pan inside. 2. Stretch the malted dough into a 14 inch round. 3. Spread the sauce mixed with red pepper flakes. 4. Press thin pinches of raw sausage over the whole pizza. 5. Cover with the mozzarella and bake 12 to 14 minutes. 6. Cut into long strips with kitchen scissors.

California Style: Creative Toppings on a Thin Crust

In the early 1980s, chefs in California like Ed LaDou and Wolfgang Puck started putting unexpected toppings on thin, crisp crusts: smoked salmon, barbecue chicken, goat cheese and piles of fresh greens. That idea changed pizza styles and menus across the country. It is a fun style for using up what is in your fridge. What topping would you never put on a pizza?

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, 4 oz goat cheese, 4 slices cooked bacon chopped, 1/2 red onion sliced, 2 cups arugula, 1 tbsp lemon juice.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 500 F with a stone or pan inside. 2. Stretch the dough thin and brush with olive oil. 3. Top with mozzarella, goat cheese, bacon and onion. 4. Bake 9 to 11 minutes until golden. 5. Toss the arugula with lemon juice and a little oil. 6. Pile the greens on the hot pizza and slice.

Rhode Island Pizza Strips: No Cheese, No Problem

In Rhode Island, Italian bakeries sell pizza strips: long rectangles of soft, thick bread topped only with a rich tomato sauce, no cheese at all, and they are eaten at room temperature. Locals buy them by the box for parties, picnics and family gatherings. They are cheap, easy to make ahead, and kids love them. Want more pizza night ideas? See our homemade pizza night ideas.

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp dried oregano, salt, red pepper flakes.

How to make it: 1. Press the dough into an oiled sheet pan and let it rise 1 hour. 2. Simmer the tomatoes with garlic, sugar, oregano and salt for 20 minutes until thick. 3. Heat the oven to 425 F. 4. Spread a thick layer of sauce over the dough. 5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. 6. Cool completely and cut into long strips.

Old Forge Pizza Styles: Red and White Trays

The small town of Old Forge, Pennsylvania, calls itself the Pizza Capital of the World. Here you do not order a pie, you order a tray, and slices are called cuts. A red tray has a light, airy crust with a sweet onion tomato sauce and a mild cheese blend on top. A white tray is two layers of crust with cheese and toppings in between. Which tray would you order: A: red or B: white?

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 small onion grated, 1 tsp sugar, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella mixed with 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar, oregano.

How to make it: 1. Press the dough into an oiled metal sheet pan and let it rise 1 hour. 2. Heat the oven to 450 F. 3. Simmer the sauce with the onion and sugar for 10 minutes. 4. Spread the sauce over the dough. 5. Top with the cheese blend and oregano. 6. Bake 18 to 20 minutes and cut into rectangles.

Buffalo Style: Thick Crust and Pepperoni Cups

Buffalo, New York, is famous for wings, but locals are just as proud of their pizza and rank it among the best pizza styles in the country. It sits between thin and thick, with a soft, bready crust, a slightly sweet sauce, cheese spread right to the edge, and lots of small pepperoni that curl into crispy little cups in the oven. The cups hold tiny pools of flavor. Look for natural casing pepperoni to get that curl at home.

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough, 1 tbsp olive oil, 3/4 cup pizza sauce, 1 tsp sugar, 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, 40 small cup style pepperoni slices, oregano.

How to make it: 1. Oil a 14 inch round pan and press in the dough, then let it rise 45 minutes. 2. Heat the oven to 475 F. 3. Stir the sugar into the sauce and spread it on. 4. Cover with cheese right to the edge. 5. Add a heavy layer of pepperoni and oregano. 6. Bake 14 to 16 minutes until the pepperoni cups and crisps.

Lahmacun: The Turkish Flatbread Pizza Bonus

Our world bonus is lahmacun, a paper thin flatbread from Turkey and Armenia topped with spiced ground lamb or beef, tomato, pepper and herbs. It bakes in minutes, then you pile on parsley, onion and a squeeze of lemon, roll it up and eat it like a wrap. It is light, fast and a great change from cheese pizza. A good dough for this is in this well loved pizza dough recipe from NYT Cooking. Which of these pizza styles will you make first?

You will need: 1 ball pizza dough, 8 oz ground lamb or beef, 1 small onion, 1 tomato, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin, salt, parsley, sliced red onion, lemon wedges.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 500 F with a pan inside. 2. Blend the onion, tomato, pepper and parsley stems until fine. 3. Mix with the meat, tomato paste, spices and salt. 4. Divide the dough into 4 and roll each paper thin. 5. Spread the meat in a very thin layer and bake 6 to 8 minutes. 6. Top with parsley, onion and lemon, then roll up.