Pan Fried Sicilian vs Detroit Type Pizza: What’s the Distinction?
In relation to regional pizza kinds, NEPA Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza and Detroit Type Pizza are two of probably the most steadily confused. At first look, they could appear practically an identical, given their rectangular form and the usage of high-sided pans. Nonetheless, upon nearer examination, the variations in composition, dough preparation, baking methods, and substances reveal that these are two very distinct kinds 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 approach 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 Battle II. Different fashionable institutions serving this type embody 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 realm making an attempt to copy it.
Crust & Dough Preparation
The crust is the place these two kinds differ probably 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 mild, ethereal, open-crumb construction. The dough is pan-proofed and generally parbaked to reinforce the ultimate texture.
Conversely, Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza employs a day by day proofed recent dough that’s pressed into the pan. What units this type 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 incorporates air pockets of various sizes, from giant bubbles to tiny holes.
Sauce
Each kinds characteristic a tomato-based sauce, however the utility and consistency differ considerably:
- Detroit Type Pizza historically has a skinny tomato sauce ladled on prime of the cheese and toppings earlier than baking. Nonetheless, trendy 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 frivolously seasoned, barely chunky sauce constructed from crushed tomatoes, giving it a naturally candy and barely acidic taste. The sauce is utilized below the cheese quite than on prime.
Cheese
A signature component of Detroit Type Pizza is Wisconsin brick cheese, identified for its gentle taste and distinctive melting properties. Nonetheless, since this cheese is tough to search 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 one in all Detroit pizza’s hallmarks.
However, NEPA Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza is mostly topped with Wisconsin white cheddar cheese, although some variations embody blends or replacements with different cheeses. A particular strategy of this type is that the cheese is usually 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 embody onions as a typical topping, clients ordering Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza can request uncooked onions, that are utilized below 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 often not offered by the slice however quite as an entire 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 offered by particular person slices, referred to as “cuts.” A full tray usually incorporates 14-18 cuts, relying on the pizzeria.
Remaining Ideas: Comparable 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 utility, cheese composition, and serving strategies make them distinctively totally different pizzas. Detroit pizza leans towards a mild and ethereal crumb with caramelized cheese edges, whereas Pan Fried Sicilian pizza boasts a crispy, deep-fried backside and a novel cut-serving type.
For pizza lovers seeking to discover distinctive regional kinds, attempting each of those scrumptious pizzas is a should. Whereas they could look related at a look, as soon as you are taking a chunk, their variations turn into unmistakably clear!
READ: What’s the Distinction Between Outdated Forge Pizza and Pan Fried Sicilian Pizza?
In regards to the Authors
This text was co-authored by Jim Mirabelli of NEPA Pizza Evaluation 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.
