The base of a pizza is the crust. Different types of pizza crusts can influence the taste, texture, thickness, toppings, and appearance. They are often a catalyst for pizza innovation because they affect preparation, baking, appearance and presentation.

For pizza chefs, trying new pizza crusts and sticking to classic pizza crusts can help with menu extension. Customers are just as fond of tradition as they are of new products.

How can you make pizza that is both delicious and popular? Let’s look at the perennially loved thin and thick-crust pizzas and find out what makes them so popular.

Thin Crust

The typical characteristics of thin-crust pizza are its crispy, doughy edges and thin, stretched centres. They are the least able to support the weight of all the types of pizza crusts. Most prefer fewer toppings, but this doesn’t mean they can’t be customized.

Neapolitan Pizza

Popular belief holds that the first pizza was created in Naples, Italy, sometime in the 1800s. Neapolitan pizza is known for its rich history.

Neapolitan pizza has to meet very strict requirements to achieve its light and crispy texture. The dough must be hand-kneaded (mechanical preparations are prohibited), not more than 35 cm in diameter and not more than one-third inch thick at its centre. It is baked in an oven with a domed top.

Margherita and Marinara are classic Neapolitan pizza styles, showcasing the impossible-to-replicate, “authentic Italian pizza” flavour and texture of Neapolitan crust baked in a wood-fired oven.

New York Style Pizza

New York-style pizza is a popular choice among all types of pizza crusts. It’s often sold in large, wide slices. This is the signature pizza of the Big Apple, the Northeast U.S.A. and other regions since the early 1900s.

New York-style crust has a slightly crispy exterior but is soft and flexible enough to be cut in half for quick, utensil-free food. New York’s pizza crust is made from high-gluten bread flour and minerals found in New York City water. This secret ingredient gives it its distinctive flavour and texture. Some pizza makers even import it for authenticity.

Louis Pizza

A regional specialty in the Midwest, St. Louis pizza is characterized by its round, thin, unleavened, cracker-like crust that is sturdy enough to handle the cheddar-Swiss-provolone cheese combination. This pizza is known for, plus several other toppings. St. Louis pizza is served without wedges. Traditional tradition dictates that a tavern should not cut pies into “party squares” or rectangles.

California Pizza

California pizza was the first to experience gourmet pizza. This happened when chefs began to experiment with new toppings. Flaky thin crusts can still be found in traditional or single-serve sizes. They are topped with creativity, such as eggs, artichokes and mustard.

Thick Crust

Thick crust pizza is a hearty option. Thick crusts are at least one-half inch thick. They can be prepared either by rolling out dough or shaping it into deep dish baking pans. These tried-and-true thick-crust pizza recipes prove that they can handle heavy sauces and toppings.

Detroit Style Pizza

Here’s some trivia: According to legend, the first Detroit-style pizza was made using a metal spare parts tray similar to those used in automotive assembly lines. This is a nod towards Motor City.

Although the claim is now lost to history, Detroit-style pizza can still be recognized as a response to the Neapolitan thin crust.

The uniqueness of Detroit style pizza is its medium-done, near-fried texture and the use of an oil-coated pan. Add the reverse layering order (“toppings-cheese-sauce” versus the traditional “sauce-cheese-toppings”), and it’s easy to understand why Detroit style pizza has gained popularity in recent years.

Chicago Style Pizza

The classic, thick deep dish from the Windy City! This is a unique pizza crust that can hold many toppings, cheese and sauce. It’s also incredibly thick. The pies are baked in an oil deep-dish pan to create a crisp, buttery, and fried crust. Chicago Style pizza crust often contains cornmeal, semolina or food colouring to give it its distinctive yellow tone and enhance its unique texture and taste.

Greek Pizza

This pan pizza, a native of Greece, is popular in the Eastern United States. It has a thick, chewy crust and a deep-fried bottom. Greek pizza is a different type of pizza crust than other types. It’s puffier and chewier, but not as thick as Chicago-style pizza. Even though it is called Greek pizza, the toppings can be more exotic than traditional feta cheese, olives and red onions. A tomato paste base that is heavy in oregano can complement any topping combination.

Grandma Pizza

The grandma pizza is a throwback back to simpler times. It is a thick crust that falls somewhere between Chicago and Neapolitan. It carries a homemade combination of thin slices of mozzarella cheese and canned, fresh or uncooked tomatoes. You can add other toppings, but they don’t have to be necessary to make a Grandma-style pizza.