Pizza

Pizza is a savory dish native to Italy. It is often round in shape with a wheat-based dough at the bottom. Pizza sauce is ladled and spread throughout the dough. Then, it is topped with a variety of ingredients like tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms, and more. Cured and cold-cut meats like prosciutto, ham, and more are also some of the common additions. As soon as the dough is filled, it’ll be then baked at a high temperature. Traditionally, it is baked in a wood-fired brick oven, but you can also use any type of oven – even stove to cook pizza. 

The earliest mention of pizza dates back to 997 AD. A Latin text states that a tenant is to give duodecim pizze, which translates to 12 pizzas, to the bishop of Gaeta every Christmas Day and Easter Sunday. Soon enough, modern pizza was crafted in the city of Naples in Italy. Historians claim that street vendors were the ones who started selling topped flatbreads in Naples. However, baker Raffaele Esposito got the credit for the invention. It was when the Italian King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited the city in 1889. They asked Esposito to make them a pizza, which he did with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil. The pizza was named after the queen and it is still known as Pizza Margherita as of today. Consequently, the Italian immigrants brought pizza to different parts of the world like Spain, France, England, and the United States. 

Indeed, pizza is one of the most sought-after foods in the world. It’s tasty, chewy, and crispy. The different textures of pizza combined with soft cheese and tomato-based sauce really completes it all. And although the flavor profile varies on the ingredients used, it is generally savory with umami notes.

Pizza Trivia

• A small pizza is called pizzetta.
• In 1905, Gennaro Lombardi opened the first pizzeria in the United States. The restaurant was located at Spring Street in New York City. Lombardi is still operating until now and it still uses its original oven. However, they’ve relocated their original site and they now (2020) have two stores in the city.
• Americans eat around 350 slices of pizza every second. That’s about 100 acres every day!
• In 2001, a 6-inch pizza was delivered in Space. The Russian Space Agency was paid more than a million dollars for that.
• The National Pizza Month is celebrated every October.

Pizza Buying Guide

Pizzas are sold either fresh or frozen. It can also be purchased by the whole pie or by the slice – some are even pocket pizzas! You can also buy pizza crusts too. And, it might be confusing to decide which flavor you would go for. While there are tons of pizza styles or flavors in the world, we cannot discuss it all on one page. Thus, we’ve compiled some of the most popular ones. Here are as follows:

• Cheese Pizza – This pizza is the most basic of them all. It consists of several different types of cheeses and dairy products like mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, parmesan, Emmental, ricotta, and more.
• Margherita Pizza – This pizza is the mother of all pizzas. As mentioned above, it was named after the Queen who was served pizza in Naples, Italy. Thus, this Neopalitian-style thin crust pizza uses fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
• Pepperoni Pizza – This pizza is the most popular pizza in America. The image of pepperoni even took the credit of being the pizza emoji. Perhaps, it was due to the fact that this salty and slightly spicy pizza complements the waves of gooey cheese and the crunch of the crust. It’s just so irresistible!
• BBQ Chicken Pizza – This pizza has been reported to be the invention of CPK’s original pizza chef Ed LaDou back in 1985. The recipe calls for chicken, cilantro, red onions, fontina cheese, and BBQ sauce. Thus, it provides both sweet and savory flavor notes and it works perfectly on some leftover chicken.
• Hawaiian Pizza – Contrary to the belief that this pizza is native to Hawaii, some historians claim that it was actually invented in Canada. The recipe calls for cheese, ham, and pineapples that are sitting on rich tomato sauce. Thus, it also provides both sweet and savory flavor notes that make this a truly popular one.
• Meat-Lover’s Pizza – This pizza is the hero of them all as it holds the most number of toppings on one single pie. This super savory pizza consists of slices of mushrooms, meatballs, sausages, pepperoni, and more that are all sitting on a rich tomato sauce. Thus, it is the pizza of choice when feeding hungry people.

Then, when you’ve found the perfect flavor, but you decided to buy the frozen ones instead, here are some helpful things to keep in mind:

1. You can find frozen pizza and pizza crusts in the frozen aisle of the store.
2. The more dough it has, the more calories you’ll get. Thus, choose thin crust over deep-dish style.
3. If possible, buy the ones that have whole grains in the crust as it’s a lot healthier compared to the ones stuffed with cheese.
4. When choosing the right flavor or toppings, remember that less is more. Overloaded pizzas might be tastier, but its texture can be compromised with soggy toppings. Not to mention that pizzas filled with meat tend to have higher calories and sodium. 
5. And speaking of sodium, be sure to check out the sodium content as most of them go heavy on this – even the plain cheese ones. If possible, opt for reduced-sodium or low-sodium, and just add salt as you normally flavor your dishes. Meanwhile, you can also choose pizzas with lesser toppings and just add fresh ones before you bake it.
6. As much as possible, avoid ingredients with hydrogenated oils.
7. Be sure to always check out the ingredients list and pick the ones with lesser preservatives and hard to pronounce chemicals (see below). 

Pizza Production & Farming in Texas

In Texas, pizzas are usually done at home or in pizza parlors. But, the state is also home to countless numbers of manufacturers and even pasta plants that produce handcrafted to machine-made pizzas. Midtown Pizza Co., Caulipower, Tony’s, DiGiorno, Totino’s, and Red Baron are only some of the producers of frozen pizzas. Meanwhile, Kountry Fresh, Home Slice Pizza, Dough Pizzeria Napoletana, Cane Rosso, and II Forno are just some of the local producers of handcrafted pizzas in Texas. Moreover, their production varies depending on their tradition. Some producers use a recipe that has been handed down from ancient generations, while others follow secret techniques on handcrafting the best ones. Still, you can find all of them here at our website, or you can catch them at select farmers’ markets.

Pesticides, additives, and chemicals:

Indeed, frozen pizzas can be your best friend when unexpected visitors come or you need a quick dinner. However, almost all of them contain additives and chemicals for a lower cost yet fast-producing and shelf-stable products. Hence, here are some additives that we found on top brands:

• Vitamins and Minerals – Since pizza doughs are made from flour, it can contain enriched ingredients. Enriching food means that the nutrients that were lost during processing, such as refinement, are added back into the product to restore its original vitamin and mineral levels. For pizzas, some vitamins and minerals include the following: vitamin b1 (thiamine mononitrate), vitamin b2 (riboflavin), vitamin b3 (niacin), iron (ferrous sulfate / ferrous lactate), and folic acid. 
• Yeast Extracts – These are added as a flavor enhancer and possesses the same side effects just like MSG. You may want to avoid products with these ingredients especially if you have blood pressure problems or sodium-related concerns. 
• Soy Lecithin – Often made from soy, this additive acts as an emulsifier, lubricant, flavor protector, and antioxidant. It is considered to be generally safe and beneficial to the human body; however, for some people, it causes them nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. 
• Citric Acid – This additive is a natural preservative in foods. It is a weak and organic acid that is found on citrus fruits. Thus, citric acid adds that sour or acidic taste to the product. Although it is generally classified as safe to consume, it may cause muscle cramps, weight gain, stomach pain, and convulsions. 
• Lactic Acid – This additive is found mainly in sour milk products like yogurts, cottage cheese, etc. Thus, it is the one responsible for the sour flavor and the fermentative effects. Secondarily, it also acts as a mild preservative in foods. 
• Dextrose and Maltodextrin – It is a type of sugar that acts as an artificial sweetener, food neutralizer, and a preservative. Too much consumption of this ingredient can lead to body fluid build-up and high blood sugar.
• Sodium – Although sodium is a natural food that balances our body fluids, it can cause harm when consumed past its RDA which is 2,300 mg per day.
• Extractives – These additives are made with essential oils or condensed flavor essence of different spices. It can be mixed with solvents such as alcohol, or water. They act as a flavor enhancer and it also contributes to a longer shelf-life. 
• Thickening Agents – Added in the right amount, these thickening agents improve the viscosity of any food without changing its taste. Some natural thickeners include corn starch, potato starch, yellow cornmeal, wheat flour, and other flours.
• Xanthan Gum – This additive is a polysaccharide that acts as a thickener and stabilizer in foods. As an emulsifier, it also keeps the ingredients from separating. Common side effects include bloatedness and flatulence when consumed past its RDA, which is 15g.
• Modified Food Starch – This additive is usually made with wheat, potato, corn, or tapioca. It acts as a binding agent, thickener, stabilizer, and preservative. This additive offers empty calories – they provide no nutritional value, yet it adds a considerable amount of carbohydrates which can promote weight gain. This ingredient should also be avoided by someone who is gluten intolerant.
• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein – Abbreviated as HVP, this additive creates a broth taste without meat, bones, and vegetables. Common HVP includes hydrolyzed corn, hydrolyzed yeast protein (a.k.a. yeast extracts), hydrolyzed soy, hydrolyzed wheat protein, and hydrolyzed wheat gluten. Although HVP is a processed additive, it is a good source of protein. 
• Ammonium Bisulfite – This chemical is usually associated with the caramel color ingredient. Although the FDA declared that it is safe to consume, it can cause skin rashes and asthma-like allergy.
• Sodium Phosphate – This additive is commonly found in processed and fast foods. It acts as a thickener, stabilizer, and texturizer. Common side effects include headache, vomiting, bloatedness, abdominal pain, reduced urine, and even seizure.

Packaging:

Frozen pizza, pizza pockets, and pizza crusts mostly come in plastic packages or cartons.

Enjoying Pizzas

Pizza is a stand-alone meal. It is traditionally eaten as lunch or dinner, but some also love to eat pizza during breakfast. In Italy, pizzas are served unsliced. In formal or fine dining restaurants, it should be eaten using a knife and fork while in casual settings, pizzas are sliced into wedges and eaten using a hand. Moreover, frozen pizzas are best enjoyed when they’re baked in the oven over high heat rather than in the microwave. It’s a lot more crispy instead of soggy.

Storage:

Pizzas are best kept in a sealable container. Leftover pizzas should be kept in the refrigerator, where it could last for up to 5 days. Unopened frozen pizzas, on the other hand, can last for up to a year in the freezer. It can also go 6 months past the “best by” date that is shown on the package. 

Make your own Pizza Dough:

Pizza dough is best made to be done at home. You can also make and shape this ahead of time, and store them in the freezer for later use. Below is a quick recipe for pizza dough. This one is great when you don’t have the time to wait for the dough to rise as it calls for yeast, which can speed up the proofing process. Despite that, it still yields a chewy crust. If you want to level up this treat, bake it on a brick oven. Enjoy!

Yield: 2 pcs 12-inch pizza crust / 16 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 pcs ¼ oz-package active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water, ideally at 145ºF
• 2 tsp sugar
• 4 ⅓ cups bread flour
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tsp salt

Method:

1. Autolyse the dough by dissolving the yeast in warm water and add sugar. Then, rest for 10 minutes.
2. Add flour, salt, and oil to the mixture. Knead until they homogenize and let it rest for 5 minutes, covered.
3. Lightly dust a working surface with flour and toss the dough there. Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough while shaping it into round pizza crusts. If you’re making the pizza now, proceed to the next step. Otherwise, transfer it to the freezer for later use.
4. Preheat the oven to 450ºF or 230ºC. 
5. Transfer the crust into a lightly greased pizza pan dusted with cornmeal. 
6. Spread your desired sauce and garnish with your desired toppings.
7. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the pizza is golden brown.
8. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.