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What we know as pizza
today is not how pizza started. History
shows us that flatbread is where pizza really started. Flatbread pizza has made a comeback these
past few years. but to the early Romans,
panis focacius, or focaccia, was a flat, cooked bread that had toppings added
to it. These toppings often consisted of
oils and herbs.
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| Flat Bread Pizza |
French and Italian archaeologists found bread baked over 7,000 years ago. And ancient Greeks had a flat bread called plakous which was flavored with garlic, herbs, and onions.
Other parts of the world had their own versions of flat bread. For example, South Asia has Naan, a leavened bread; and Roti, which is unleavened.
Other parts of the world had their own versions of flat bread. For example, South Asia has Naan, a leavened bread; and Roti, which is unleavened.
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| Naan |
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| Roit |
The actually word "pizza" appeared in Gaeta, in Southern Italy in 997 AD. The reference was that a tenant renting property was to give the bishop duodecim pizze (twelve pizzas) every Christmas Day.
Over hundreds of years the complexion of pizza has changed. It moved from a simple baked crust with oils and herbs to including tomatoes and cheese. To include tomatoes was actually quite innovative because when tomatoes were brought to Europe from the Americas, Europeans believe they were poisonous. By the late 1700's it became popular, especially for the poor to add tomatoes. It is believed that this is the true beginning of pizza as we know it today. As pizza in Naples, Italy gained popularity, tourists began to seek out the tasty pies in poor areas of the city.
Pizza began to be sold at open-air stands or out of pizza bakeries. This tradition has not been lost over the years. You can still go to Naples and enjoy a slice wrapped in paper as you walk along.
There are purists in the world. They will tell you there are only two true pizzas. These are the Marinara and the Margherita. The Marinara is the oldest and is topped with tomato, oregano, garlic and olive oil. It is so named for the seaman's wife (la marinara) who made this pizza for husband upon his return from fishing trip.
Over hundreds of years the complexion of pizza has changed. It moved from a simple baked crust with oils and herbs to including tomatoes and cheese. To include tomatoes was actually quite innovative because when tomatoes were brought to Europe from the Americas, Europeans believe they were poisonous. By the late 1700's it became popular, especially for the poor to add tomatoes. It is believed that this is the true beginning of pizza as we know it today. As pizza in Naples, Italy gained popularity, tourists began to seek out the tasty pies in poor areas of the city.
Pizza began to be sold at open-air stands or out of pizza bakeries. This tradition has not been lost over the years. You can still go to Naples and enjoy a slice wrapped in paper as you walk along.
There are purists in the world. They will tell you there are only two true pizzas. These are the Marinara and the Margherita. The Marinara is the oldest and is topped with tomato, oregano, garlic and olive oil. It is so named for the seaman's wife (la marinara) who made this pizza for husband upon his return from fishing trip.
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| Marinara Pizza |
The Margherita is topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. Queen Margherita of Savoy, in 1889, was presented with three different pizzas. The Queen's favorite was the pizza that had the colors of the Italian flag, green, red, and white. Today, there are pizzerias in Italy that only prepare these two types of pizzas.
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| Margherita Pizza |
It's no surprise that pizza showed up in the United States when immigrants from Italy arrived in the late 19th century. Pizza peddlers walked up and down the streets of New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia selling their wares. Due to the popularity of pizza, soon small cafes opened offering pizzas to the Italian-American communities.
The first recognized American pizzeria was opened by Gennaro Lombardi in New York in 1905. The price of a pizza was five cents. However, many people could not afford the price of a whole pie, and so the slice was born. Customers would say how much they could afford and a slice was made to fit that amount.
Even though pizza was popular among the immigrants, it wasn't until the 1940's that the rest of the world discovered it's importance. During WWII, GI's became weary of their army rations and looked for better possibilities. While overseas they discovered Italian pizzerias. They brought back home with them the taste for pizza. From this came all sorts of pizzas and pizza styles. Today each of us can name several pizza delivery stores, and are acquainted with everything from thin-crust to deep-dish pizza.
Just in case you were wondering just how popular pizza is in today's society, here's a chart giving some details:
| Pizza Eating Statistics | Data |
| Pounds of pepperoni consumed every year from pizza | 252 million pounds |
| Annual pizza sale revenue | $32 billion |
| 350 slices | |
| Total number of pizzerias in the U.S. | 70,000 |
| Percent of independent pizzerias that make up all pizzerias | 65% |
| Average number of slices of pieces of pizza eaten by | 46 slices |
| Total number of pizza’s sold in the U.S. each year | 3 billion |
| Total number of pizza’s sold worldwide each year | 5 billion |
| Percent of all pizzerias that offer delivery | 83% |
| Percent of Americans who prefer thin | 61% |
| Total number of pizzerias in the state of New York alone | 9,000 |
| Percent of Americans who eat at least one piece of pizza per month | 93 % |
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The 2 Prickly Pears hope you are not thinking that making your own pizza is difficult. We are here to let you know that you, too, can make a yummy crust and a flavorful pizza in your very own kitchen.
Keep in mind, that the true beauty of pizza is that you can make it your way. You can put on the toppings you like. We respect the old ways, but encourage you to step out and create the pizza pie that best represents you.
We offer you a recipe for Pizza with a fresh, homemade crust, Italian sausage, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, and black olives.
Keep in mind, that the true beauty of pizza is that you can make it your way. You can put on the toppings you like. We respect the old ways, but encourage you to step out and create the pizza pie that best represents you.
We offer you a recipe for Pizza with a fresh, homemade crust, Italian sausage, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, and black olives.
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| Homemade Pizza |
What you need:
The crust:
3 1/2 cups flour *
1 teaspoon sugar
1 envelope dry yeast
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
Toppings:***
Italian Sausage
Pepperoni
Chopped black olives
Mozzarella cheese
Pizza Sauce
What you need to do:
To make crust, add all dry ingredients together. Mix the water and 2 Tablespoons olive oil into the dry ingredients until a dough forms. If you have a stand mixer with a bread hook, it can do the kneading for you. If kneading by hand, knead the dough for 10 minutes until it is smooth. Coat a medium size glass bowl with the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Place the pizza dough in the bowl, turning it over to coat with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in warm area for approximately 1 hour. It will double in size. Punch the dough down and divide into two balls. Let the dough rest about 10 minutes. Roll out one ball into a 14 inch round and top it first with pizza sauce, then cheese and then the rest of your toppings.
Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
* If you use bread flour, your crust will be crispier. If you use all purpose flour, your crust will be chewier.
*** These are classic toppings. Go ahead and be bold and choose toppings that you like. The pizza dough is your canvas. Paint it as you see fit. And just enjoy!!
Now, go out and make something good.
This looks so amazingly delicious and yummy, and worth a try. Also, ordering pizza in Cape May is easier as there is Pizza Heaven.
ReplyDeleteBest Pizza in Cape May