How to recognise contemporary pizza: meaning and characteristics

Finding a person in Italy who doesn’t love pizza is really a difficult task. Here, 8 million pizzas are eaten a day, almost 3 billion in a year!

A true symbol and delight of gastronomic Made in Italy, pizza has ancient and uncertain origins, even as regards its etymology, but the classic one, round, soft and with a high crust – the most famous and loved – has its origins roots in Naples. But it must be said that there is not only true and traditional Neapolitan pizza: many types of pizza have spread throughout the boot, and there is also some confusion about them. To give some examples, in Italy we find: Roman-style pizza in shovel, pizza by the slice, Tuscan pan pizza, fried pizza, trendy gourmet pizza, sophisticated contemporary pizza.

And at an economic and productive level in Italy, what moves the important pizza sector? The survey by CNA Agroalimentare, released in 2022, tells us so, which photographs the state in 2021 of the commercial establishments that produce and/or distribute pizza. Last year there were 121,529 businesses in the Bel Paese. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, they decreased by 4.2% in the two-year period 2019-2021. On the other hand, only take-away pizzerias increased in number, favored by the lockdown and working from home: they mark a nice + 38% in the 2019-2021 period. From the point of view of employment, almost 105,000 pizza makers work in the sector, which doubles on weekends.

Wow, what numbers! But they don’t surprise us because Italy is the country of pizza. In 2017 UNESCO declared Neapolitan pizza a World Heritage Site and in 2010 the European Union recognized it as a Guaranteed Traditional Specialty.

Pizza then, for those who live in Italy, is not only synonymous with goodness, but also with conviviality, family and friendship.

And you, do you love pizza, do you eat it at least once a week and do you think that all pizzas are the same? Then maybe you’ve never heard of contemporary pizza. No problem, we’re here. Continue reading our article and find out what it is, how to recognize it and its characteristics.

What makes it possible to say that a pizza is good and of high quality are the ingredients and the fundamental contribution of those who produce it, the pizza maker. A fundamental professional figure, specialized and expert in the knowledge and techniques of white art and bread-making. In fact, the pizza maker and the pizza maker study the flours, the doughs and the relative hydration and leavening, the cooking methods and carefully research the quality raw materials, the taste and the breadiness of the pizza.

Research and innovation, in fact, are two characteristics at the base of contemporary pizza, which was born in the 2000s in Northern Italy by pizza makers who felt the need to change and revisit a national institution, precisely pizza. And, like any evolution, it has not been free from criticism.

If until a few years ago it was known as gourmet pizza, today the protagonists of this change, the pizza chefs, prefer to call it “contemporary pizza” because the first term is a bit inflated and trendy. Perhaps also with the aim of differentiating it from increasingly high competition.

We have seen that what distinguishes contemporary pizza is the search for fresh, seasonal and excellent raw materials such as the Slow Food presidia. And the study of yeasts, flours, doughs and types of cooking, together with a good dose of innovation and a good pinch of curiosity of the artisan and expert pizza makers.

According to Il Gambero Rosso, contemporary pizza is characterized by: “mother yeast, small pans, a higher and softer, honeycombed disk, with a topping to be reviewed and fine-tuned at each change of menu, just like in a restaurant”.

Now let’s see in more detail the characteristics of contemporary pizza so you will be able to recognize it when you get the chance. Let’s go!

The gourmet and modern pizza pays close attention to the dough, which is light and digestible. Furthermore, they must be in harmony and balance with the ingredients that make up the topping of the pizza itself. And that’s not all, even the textures of contemporary pizza can be different, according to the needs of the palate: a soft and fluffy bread, or crunchy and “crunchy”scrocchiarello”, with a low or high and honeycombed crust. All this is the result of the experience and skill of signature pizza chefs and pizza makers.

It was precisely the experimental use of sourdought, with slow and natural leavening, that kicked off the evolution of contemporary pizza. The sourdough, in fact, gives the dough digestibility and lightness. So be wary of those who say they offer a contemporary and gourmet pizza if the dough is not light and difficult to digest.

We have already anticipated it, but repetita iuvant says a famous Latin expression: the ingredients and raw materials used to garnish the base of contemporary pizza are refined, fresh, seasonal and free of preservatives. They are mostly products of excellence, IGP, DOP, belonging to gastronomic principals.

Even the flours for the dough, whether made from cereals, rice, wholemeal or semi-wholemeal, are always the result of careful selection.

Who said that the shape of the pizza has to be a round disc? In fact, contemporary pizza has also brought about an evolution in forms. It can be cut into square or rectangular slices when it resembles a stuffed focaccia, or take the form of a mozzarella with the topping on top to garnish and flavor it. Well yes, there are also those who produce a white pizza so leavened and soft that it has the appearance of the well-known local dairy product. 

Even with regard to cooking, contemporary pizza has made changes and innovations. And so the ovens can be different: not only the best known electric and wood-burning ones, but also steam and rotary ones. In fact, each oven corresponds to different cooking results and consistency of the final result.

There is no self-respecting contemporary gourmet pizza that does not have a well-finished presentation, which delights the eyes even before the palate. So here is that the ingredients are not all present at the time of loading, but are placed with great skill when the pizza comes out of the oven. Not only for aesthetic results, but also to keep the flavours, organoleptic properties and textures of the materials unaltered.

How much does a contemporary pizza cost? Due to these characteristics, this pizza is less economical than the classic ones. The cost of a contemporary margherita pizza can even cost €20 or more.

Did you know the characteristics of gourmet pizza or are they good news for you? If you are looking for a pizza chef expert in contemporary pizza, find the right person in your area on Jopla.