Why is pizza cut into squares?
Some pizza is cut into squares, a good example of this is the Chicago thin crust pizza which is popular in Midwestern United States. The pizza usually has toppings pushed right to the edge and so there is little or no crust. A portion will therefore have toppings on the whole square. This cut can sometimes be referred to as ‘party-style’.
Why do Chicago pizza crusts have thin crusts?
For Chicago style thin crust in particular, it works because the crust has a uniform thickness: it is as thick in the center of the pizza as it is at the edges. If you were to cut a NY style pizza into squares, the middle pieces would likely be a goopy mess.
Is it possible to cut a pizza thin?
[t's a rare thing to see thinner crusted pizzas NOT square cut, regardless of the state. Thin crust doesn't hold up well for the traditional triangle cut and will break in half, spill ingredients to either side or just plain 'soggify' and disintegrate.]
Why does my pizza slice look like 2/3 one side?
Amy, sometimes the line is blurred in the pie cut, and you get a slice that's like 2/3 one side and 1/3 the other. And that is serious biz when there's a vegetarian/non-vegetarian, or on a similar note, a spinach/non-spinacherian sharing a pizza. Well then that's just a bad cutter, because that could happen to either a square cut or a pie cut.
Why does square-cut pizza exist?
Square Pizza Does Exist This gives you an inch or so thick pizza base, which essentially fries in a good coating of oil in the tray and becomes very crisp. It's a good pizza to make and serve to a crowd as it is easy to make with no dough stretching and baking in a tray. It slices up easily in squares to share.
Why is Chicago thin crust cut into squares?
This is because dough is rolled, not tossed, and cooked much longer to ensure that crunch. And while most pizzerias outside the Midwest cut their slices into triangles, Chicago-style is "tavern cut" into various-sized squares for sharing and meant to be enjoyed alongside cheap beer.
Why is square pizza better than triangle?
Some benefits of this cut are the following: 1) Every piece has crust, and nothing is better than crust. 3) Even slices, means no fighting. Every piece has all the goodness of the pizza.
Who invented square cut pizza?
This pizza-as-tapas approach is ideal for large-group, drink-in-one-hand, food-in-the-other noshing. Legend has it that the Emperor Nero created the square cut when he realized there were exactly XI people at his pizza party.
Where did square cut pizza originate?
As history and legend have it, square-cut pizza was born in the bars of Chicago's South Side. To keep the good working people of the city drinking, the pubs developed a pizza that was less bready, a little more salty, and could be cut up into squares and offered to patrons for free.
What does Brooklyn Style mean?
Brooklyn-style pizzas tend to be cut into 6 slices. This is in contrast to other thick-dough pizzas, such as the New York which are cut into 8 or 16 triangular pieces. Moreover, Brooklyn-style pizzas are cut into squares, not triangles. This is because of the thin crust which can break more easily.
What's a Sicilian style pizza?
The original, authentic version from Sicily comes from Palermo and is called sfincione, which loosely translates as "thick sponge." Sicilian pizza has a fluffy, spongy bread base topped with a meatless sauce made from tomatoes, onions, herbs, and anchovies, which is covered with breadcrumbs and an optional grating of ...
Why is pizza a circle?
But why must is be round? For starters, round pies can be easily cut and divided into equal pieces. Second, a circular shape can be more evenly cooked and heated throughout. Pizza dough is also stretched by spinning the lump of dough in the air, which takes advantage of centrifugal force and rounds the dough out.
Allows for greater control of portioning
Cutting a pizza into squares inevitably results in smaller pieces that tend to vary in size. These different sized pieces allow for a greater number of portion possibilities without requiring the diner to do any additional cutting of slices.
Easier to share among an arbitrary group of people
Pizza is a food meant to be shared. It brings people together. It shouldn’t be pitting an odd-numbered group of friends against each other as they fight over the last slice. The typical school of thought with pizza slicing places an undue constraint on how many people it makes sense to eat a pizza with.
Eat different varieties more easily
Especially for larger groups, parties, etc., having smaller pieces means you can dabble in many topping varieties more easily. Depending on the pizza options available, you could potentially have one of every variety. Sampling is effortless.
Easier to handle
Cutting a pizza into squares usually means nice, small, manageable pieces that could easily fit in the palm of your hand. You can lift a small square-cut piece with two fingers and handle it quite easily, consuming it with just a couple bites. Even without the crust “handle” on the middle pieces, their smaller size makes that basically a nonissue.
The little triangles
Cutting a round pizza into squares introduces a phenomenon known as “the corners”. Each square cut pizza has 4 little triangular pieces in the “corners” (yes, a circle can somehow have corners).
About Author
Stephen Beemsterboer Website Stephen Beemsterboer is originally from the West Lawn neighborhood on the southside of Chicago, where his family still lives. For him, Encyclopizzeria is a way for him to stay connected with home while currently (and temporarily) living elsewhere.
maggiethecat
Old time Chicago Italians--like my Nonna-in-law, preferred to make pizza at home in rectangular pans. The square cutting style transferred over to the professional places. Maybe.
woodburner
Rectangular pans and square slices have been around the upstate ny area for many years. My guess is that generally speaking, you could fill more surface area with rectangular pans than round, in a square pizza oven.
yellow truffle
Old time Chicago Italians--like my Nonna-in-law, preferred to make pizza at home in rectangular pans. The square cutting style transferred over to the professional places. Maybe.
snowangel
As I mentioned in my reply on your blog, ronnie, squares are sometimes seen in the Twin Cities.
Marlene
Squares are also seen in Canada, at least here in Oakville. Especially on our party size pizzas.
jhlurie
Mentioned in Ronnie's blog, the most frequent appearance of square pizza in the NY/NJ/CT area is on Sicilian pizza--which is almost universally available. Other square cut pizza is pretty rare, but in the few other cases I've seen is almost REALLY thin crust (as opposed to Sicilian style, which is VERY thick).
Suzanne F
In Beloit, Wisconsin from 1966 to 1970, our Sunday night pizzas were round -- but cut into squares maybe an inch and a half on each side.
