Pan Fried Sicilian vs Detroit Type Pizza: What’s the Distinction?
On the subject of regional pizza types, NEPA Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza and Detroit Type Pizza are two of essentially the most ceaselessly confused. At first look, they might appear almost similar, given their rectangular form and the usage of high-sided pans. Nonetheless, upon nearer examination, the variations in composition, dough preparation, baking methods, and components reveal that these are two very distinct types of pizza.
Background & Origins
Detroit Type Pizza was born in Detroit, Michigan, within the mid-Twentieth century. Initially baked in deep, rectangular metal pans repurposed from automotive elements trays, this pizza grew to become identified for its caramelized edges, thick crust, and upside-down layering method the place the sauce is utilized final. Detroit pizza has gained nationwide recognition and is now present in pizzerias throughout the nation.
In distinction, NEPA Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza is a regional specialty of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, with a historical past tied to Victory Pig Pizza and BBQ, the place it’s believed to have originated post-World Conflict II. Different well-liked institutions serving this model embrace Pizza L’Oven and Pizza Good. Not like Detroit Type Pizza, Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza has remained largely unique to this small area, with solely a handful of pizzerias exterior the world making an attempt to copy it.
Crust & Dough Preparation
The crust is the place these two types differ essentially the most. Detroit Type Pizza makes use of both a same-day dense dough or a protracted cold-fermented artisan dough (48-72 hours), with the latter yielding a gentle, ethereal, open-crumb construction. The dough is pan-proofed and typically parbaked to boost the ultimate texture.
Conversely, Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza employs a every day proofed contemporary dough that’s pressed into the pan. What units this model aside is its cooking course of—rectangular pans are coated in a beneficiant quantity of peanut oil (or one other high-heat oil), creating a particular “deep-fried” backside crust. This ends in a crispy, golden base with a construction that accommodates air pockets of various sizes, from massive bubbles to tiny holes.
Sauce
Each types function a tomato-based sauce, however the software and consistency range considerably:
- Detroit Type Pizza historically has a skinny tomato sauce ladled on high of the cheese and toppings earlier than baking. Nonetheless, fashionable artisan variations go for a thicker, sturdy sauce utilized post-bake to keep up a crispier crust.
- NEPA Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza makes use of a evenly seasoned, barely chunky sauce produced from crushed tomatoes, giving it a naturally candy and barely acidic taste. The sauce is utilized beneath the cheese quite than on high.
Cheese
A signature aspect of Detroit Type Pizza is Wisconsin brick cheese, identified for its delicate taste and distinctive melting properties. Nonetheless, since this cheese is tough to seek out exterior the Midwest, some pizzerias substitute a mix of low-moisture mozzarella, white cheddar, and provolone. Crucially, the cheese is unfold to the pan’s edges, making a caramelized, crispy cheese crust that’s certainly one of Detroit pizza’s hallmarks.
Alternatively, NEPA Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza is mostly topped with Wisconsin white cheddar cheese, although some variations embrace blends or replacements with different cheeses. A particular strategy of this model is that the cheese is commonly sliced quite than shredded earlier than being layered on the pizza.
Onions: A Distinctive Possibility in Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza
One notable distinction is the inclusion of onions in Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza. Not like Detroit Type Pizza, which doesn’t embrace onions as a regular topping, clients ordering Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza can request uncooked onions, that are utilized beneath the cheese however above the sauce earlier than baking.
Sizing & Serving Variations
The serving strategies of those two pizzas additionally set them aside:
- Detroit Type Pizza is usually not bought by the slice however quite as a complete pizza. It is available in both 8″x10″ (4-6 slices) or 10″x14″ (8-10 slices).
- NEPA Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza is extra generally bought by particular person slices, referred to as “cuts.” A full tray usually accommodates 14-18 cuts, relying on the pizzeria.
Last Ideas: Related But Distinct
Whereas each NEPA Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza and Detroit Type Pizza share a rectangular form and high-sided baking pans, the variations in dough fermentation, baking methods, sauce software, cheese composition, and serving strategies make them distinctively totally different pizzas. Detroit pizza leans towards a gentle and ethereal crumb with caramelized cheese edges, whereas Pan Fried Sicilian pizza boasts a crispy, deep-fried backside and a novel cut-serving model.
For pizza lovers seeking to discover distinctive regional types, attempting each of those scrumptious pizzas is a should. Whereas they could look related at a look, as soon as you’re taking a chunk, their variations develop into unmistakably clear!
READ: What’s the Distinction Between Previous Forge Pizza and Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza?
In regards to the Authors
This text was co-authored by Jim Mirabelli of NEPA Pizza Evaluate and Jim Henry of JimmyHank Pizza. Jim Mirabelli has been reviewing and making Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza in Northeastern Pennsylvania for greater than 12 years. Jim Henry, often known as “The Frico King” is thought for his signature elevated artisanal Detroit Type pizza which he competes with nationally annually at Pizza Expo.
