Most American pizza lovers know about Chicago pizza and New York pizza. But when you say Boston-style pizza, even many experienced pizza enthusiasts can get confused.
Visitors don’t know what is a Boston style pizza until they try it. So if you also have doubts about boston style pizza and want to know briefly about this classic pizza, read on.
In this article, we’ll discuss the history and unique features of Boston Pizza as well as compare it with New York-Style Pizza. We’ll also share a Boston-style pizza recipe so you can easily cook this pizza at home.
Table of Contents
What is Boston Style Pizza?
Boston style pizza is a classic Canadian pizza that has a very thin and crispy crust. It has plenty of unique and special features that set this Boston style pizza apart from standard pizza. Boston style pizza has a bit of a rough texture and is prepared with some special flavorings. Unlike the standard Italian pizza, Boston style pizza has garlic, canned tomatoes, and basil sauce.
The manufacturer doesn’t use any artificial ingredients to make this Boston style pizza to deliver the highest quality foods to the customers. Typically Boston style pizza is a family-established and operated pizza brand and it was founded in the early 1950s.
Story Of How A Restaurant Chain Called ‘Boston Pizza’
Boston Pizza was established by a Canadian Greek immigrant named Gus Agioritis in 1964 in Edmonton, Alberta. When applying for a business license, Gus Agioritis submitted three Greek names, Parthenon Pizza, Acropolis Pizza, and Boston Pizza. When receiving the license in the email, Gus Agioritis notices that Boston Pizza was taken as the official name of this brand.
After a few years, a Canadian mounted police officer asked Gus Agioritis to open the first branch and he agreed. After that, Boston Pizza keeps expanding its franchises. In 1983, Priority sold the company to Treliving. Since then Boston Pizza has expanded to over 400 locations.
In Canada, the company provides pizza descriptions without mentioning the city names. It means they advertised it as a thin crust or deep dish pizza. Another type is Greek pizza which is a thicker style of pizza prepared in a pan.
Boston Pizza has some branches outside Canada, Mexico, and the United States. More surprisingly, they don’t have any branches in Boston.
Why is Boston Style Pizza So Special?
First of all, all pizza is good. But when it comes to Boston style pizza, it has plenty of exciting aspects, making it unique and special among consumers.
Unique Crust
Boston style pizza has a distinct crust. The crust is thin and crispy on the outside and chewy in the center. The manufacturer uses a special dough recipe and high heat oven to achieve this delightful balance and perfect texture. Therefore, you’ll find crunchy and satisfying chewiness during eating the pizza.
Robust Sauce
The Boston-style pizza uses bold and zesty sauce which is another exciting hallmark. They prepare the sauce with a mixture of tomatoes, fresh herbs, and flavorful spices to deliver a rich and tangy taste to the pizza. So, while savoring each slice, the sauce’s robust flavor will captivate you.
The Toppings
The Boston style pizza provides a burst of flavor and texture in every bite, thanks to its delectable toppings. The popular topping option for Boston style pizza is classic pepperoni, sausage, fresh vegetables, and seafood. You can also add various toppings combinations according to your preferences.
The Cheese
Cheese is a key ingredient of delicious Boston style pizza. The Boston style pizza has mozzarella and provolone to provide you rich, creamy, and tangy taste. The brand also spread cheese over its pizza’s topping to create a mouthwatering appearance. So its gooey and melted cheese will give you an incredible feeling while eating this Boston style pizza.
Boston-Style Pizza vs New York-Style Pizza: A Tasty Comparison
Boston-style and New York-style pizzas both are popular pizza brands and deliver delicious pizzas. Both pizza brands also use unique recipes and provide different tastes. Below is some key difference between Boston style pizza and New York pizza:
The Crusts
Boston style pizza has a thin, crispy crust and chewiness in the middle. It’s made of a special dough recipe and baked in a high-heat oven to make the pizza crunchy and satisfying.
On the other hand, New York-style pizza has a thin and foldable crust. Though its interior is soft and chewy, the exterior is a bit crispy. The New York-style pizza is made of high-gluten flour and cooked on a stone surface at a high temperature.
Sauce
Boston style pizza has a bold and zesty flavor sauce. It adds a layer of depth to the pizza. Therefore each bite of the Boston style pizza becomes more satisfying. Conversely, New York-style pizza has a slightly sweeter sauce that complements the savory toppings. As a result, New York-style pizza gets a well-rounded flavor profile.
Toppings
Boston-style pizza is popular for its wide range of toppings. It comes with pepperoni, sausage, seafood, or a unique vegetable topping. In contrast, New York-style pizza doesn’t have much topping variation and mostly has classic cheese or pepperoni.
Cheese Choices
Boston-style pizza is typically prepared with a mix of mozzarella and provolone cheeses to deliver a rich, creamy, and slightly tangy taste.
New York-style pizza, on the other hand, mainly uses whole milk mozzarella to provide a creamy and mild flavor to the pizza. They distribute cheese evenly in a thinner layer, allowing the toppings and crust to shine through.
Local Flavors
Both Boston-style and New York-style pizzas are deeply connected to their respective local cultures. Both pizzerias add their unique touch to the pies to reflect the flavors and preferences of their communities. So, during exploring different pizzerias, you’ll find subtle variations in dough, sauce, and toppings.
How To Make Boston-Style Pizza
After knowing what Boston style pizza is and what are its special features, you might be interested to try it. If you want to cook this delicious recipe at home, below is a brief and easy-to-apply process:
Require Ingredients:
- A handful of fresh basil
- Lightly sliced raw mushrooms-145 grams
- Hot Italian cherry peppers-65 grams
- One yellow onion
- Olive oil-2 ¼ cups
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Pepperoni- 10 slices
- Kosher salt
- Shredded mozzarella-175 grams
- Whole peeled tomatoes-1 425 gram
- All-purpose flour
- Semolina
- 2 pizza dough-350 grams each
Equipment
- Measuring cups
- 10-inch nonstick skillet
- Blender or food processor
- Medium saucepan
- Baking rack
- Baking sheet
- Oven
The Procedure
Heat The Oven First
Preheat your oven to 500°F and place the non-stick skillet inside it.
Cook The Toppings
Take a saucepan and pour ¼ cup of fragrant olive oil into it. Then place onion and mushrooms into the oil and heat over medium heat until the bubbles come out. Once the bubbles come out, reduce the heat and cook the mixture for another 10 minutes.
At this time, take a baking sheet and line a paper towel on it. After cooking the vegetables, drain them on the sheet and add pepper and salt to season them.
Prepare The Sauce
Toss the tomatoes, basil, cherry peppers, and two cups of olive oil into your food processor or blender. Keep whirling the ingredients until the blend becomes velvety and smooth. Then add seasoning to the sauce to give it a unique taste.
Process The Dough
Spread some flour over the dough ball. Then, press your fingers into the dough and shape the ball into a one feet circle. After that gently spread semolina flour on the pan and place the dough ball on top.
Dress Up The Pizza
Apply ¼ cup sauce on the whole crust. Then add mushrooms, pepperoni, and onions to the crust depending on your preferences. Dust ¾ cup mozzarella on the pizza.
Bake The Pizza
Remove the pan from your oven and place the pizza in the oven. Slide the pizza into the oven and bake it for around 7 minutes. Take the pizza out of the oven once the pizza crust gets a strong and crispy texture.
At this time, the cheese should also become a gooey mass of bubbling. Then cool the skillet on a baking rack and add basil leaves. Finally, enjoy your Boston style pizza.
FAQs on What Is A Boston Style Pizza?
What Country is Boston Style Pizza From?
Boston Pizza is a Canadian company established in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1964. Currently, Boston Pizza has plenty of franchises in the USA and Mexico.
How Much Does Boston Style Pizza Cost?
The price of Boston style pizza varies depending on the type of pizza and the stores. However standard Boston style pizza cost $11 to $12.
Where To Buy Boston Style Pizza?
To buy Boston style pizza, simply search “Boston style pizza near me” or visit their website. You can also order Boston style pizza at (215) 699-3977.
Final Words
Hope you understand what Boston style pizza is and why it’s called Boston Pizza. Throughout the guide, we also explain why Boston style pizza becomes so popular and what are the unique aspects of this classic type of pizza.
In addition, whether you want to order Boston style pizza online or prefer to cook at home, this guide has delivered every essential piece of information. So what are you waiting for? Let’s give this classic Boston style pizza a try.
