Pizza, a global icon of Italian cuisine, boasts a rich and evolving history. From its humble beginnings as a simple flatbread to its modern interpretations, pizza continues to captivate taste buds worldwide. This article explores the fascinating journey of pizza, tracing its origins, its evolution, and its ongoing reinvention.
Ancient Roots and the Evolution of the Word "Pizza"
The concept of pizza dates back to ancient times. Already at the time of the Etruscan peoples there was a food similar in shape and appearance to the current pizza. The word "pizza" itself has ancient roots. The word pizza is rather ancient, but strangely not the recipe we know nowadays. The term "pizza" derives from the term "pinsa", past participle of the Latin verb "pinsare", which means to crush, flatten. The word is attested before the year one thousand, as "pizza de pane", then cited by sixteenth-century authors as a focaccia that accompanied meats and other foods.
The Birth of Modern Pizza in Naples
While flatbreads existed for centuries, the pizza we know today emerged in Naples. Pizza is undoubtedly considered as one of the symbol of Italian cuisine and it is one of the most famous dishes worldwide, but not many people know that the traditional recipe dates back only to the 19th century. Initially, it was a simple, inexpensive food for the poor, often topped with garlic, lard, and salt, or with caciocavallo cheese and basil.
The tomato, now a quintessential pizza ingredient, arrived in Europe from the Americas in the 16th century. As actually Wikipedia explains us “the tomato - which is one the main ingredients for pizza - was brought to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century, it was believed by many Europeans to be poisonous (…). For a long time, it was viewed with suspicion. By the late 18th century, however, it was common for the poor of the area around Naples to add tomato to their yeast-based flat bread, and the dish gained in popularity.
Pizza became a tourist attraction, and visitors to Naples ventured into the poorer areas of the city to try the local specialty.” The first pizzeria opened in Naples in 1830.
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The Margherita Legend and National Recognition
In 1889, a pivotal moment in pizza history occurred. In the summer of that year the Italian royal family was spending their holidays in the south of Italy. One day the Queen, Margherita of Savoy, heard by some noble ladies about the exquisiteness of this low-class dish and she asked to taste it. The Neapolitan chef Raffaele Esposito created the Pizza Margherita in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy, using tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil to represent the colors of the Italian flag. It was only in 1889 that the word pizza became an Italian word. While the legend surrounding the Pizza Margherita is widely celebrated, recent studies suggest that the story might be a false historical.
Pizza's Rise to National and Global Fame
Following World War II, pizza's popularity spread throughout Italy, thanks to southerners who moved north for work and introduced their culinary traditions and It was only after the second world war that pizza slowly became a nation-wide dish also thanks to the many southerners who moved to the north of Italy in search of a job and who made the pizza acclaimed all over the country. This popularity has been constantly increasing in the past few decades. From Italy, pizza conquered the world, becoming a beloved dish in countless countries, with each region adding its own unique twist.
Berberè: A Modern Pizzeria with a Pop Sensibility
Berberè Pizzeria, founded by brothers Matteo and Salvatore Aloe in Castel Maggiore near Bologna in 2010, exemplifies the modern approach to pizza-making. At first it was just the two of us - Matteo and Salvatore, two brothers from Calabria. In 2010 we opened our first pizzeria in Castel Maggiore, a town close to Bologna. Over the years we were joined by amazing talent. Berberè distinguishes itself through its commitment to quality ingredients, innovative techniques, and a democratic approach to pizza.
The Berberè Philosophy: Quality, Innovation, and Accessibility
Berberè's success stems from a clear philosophy: to create a pizza that is both delicious and accessible, without compromising on quality. 12 locali, 150 dipendenti e una pizza senza scimmiottamenti da parvenu: cosa c’è dietro il successo democratico dei fratelli Aloe, vincitori di un risiko ormai internazionale. Matteo and Salvatore Aloe are the brothers behind Berberè, the pizzeria that set out to rock the boat by serving oven-scorched dough with fresh toppings added afterwards.(…)
Their approach focuses on:
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- High-Quality Ingredients: Berberè emphasizes the use of organic and semi-whole flours, the result of the study and research carried out with Alce Nero. The dough (weighing 280 grams) is made from semi-whole and organic flours, the result of the study and research carried out with Alce Nero. They source the best ingredients, often locally, to create flavorful and sustainable pizzas.
- Unique Dough: The dough, fermented for 24h, still originates from the original mother yeast they used when first launching Berberè back in 2010. The dough is fermented for 24 hours using a mother yeast, resulting in a light, digestible crust with a unique texture. The result? Pizza that is light, digestible, with well-aerated nooks and crannies, soft (inside) and crunchy (outside). The cooking at Berberè Pizzeria has a few modern twists.
- Creative Toppings: Berberè's toppings are carefully selected and often feature modern and innovative combinations. The topping on my delicious aubergine pizza included pesto made with walnuts, plus a smoked ricotta, both harmonising perfectly with tender aubergine.
- Democratic Approach: Berberè aims to make high-quality pizza accessible to everyone, avoiding elitism and focusing on creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. Berberè pizza is aristocratic but democratic. Tanto che chi si immagina grandi fortune dietro grandi numeri, scoprirà solo grandi emozioni: Berberè significa assiologia della pizza, senza mitologie personali né scimmiottamenti da parvenu.
From Castel Maggiore to International Expansion
From its humble beginnings in Castel Maggiore, Berberè has expanded to multiple locations across Italy and even internationally. In quasi dieci anni hanno messo insieme 12 locali e 150 dipendenti, ma il loro Berberè non è un franchising: piuttosto è un modello di impresa che della pizza estrapola e moltiplica la carica popolare e democratica, proiettandola sul piano gestionale, nella selezione delle materie prime e nelle relazioni con il personale. Nel 2014 è stata la volta di Firenze, quartiere San Frediano: “Una prova importante, perché non potevamo essere presenti in modo continuativo e il fatto che funzionasse, ci ha dato il coraggio di affrontare nuove aperture. Abbiamo capito l’importanza della formazione e della fidelizzazione del personale, con distaccamenti mirati per la fase di start-up volti a sorvegliare e insegnare”. Ecco quindi, dopo Expo con Alce Nero, il locale di Torino presso la sede del gruppo Abele di Don Ciotti. “In un quartiere dove non si esce e manca perfino l’insegna, qualcosa di estraneo alle regole del commercio. Soprattutto la soddisfazione di pagare l’affitto in modo socialmente utile”. Ma il 2016 è anche l’anno dello sbarco a Londra e a Milano, dentro un’ex bocciofila in zona Isola. “Un locale primonovecentesco, con elementi architettonici molto belli, dentro un contesto in transizione, dove la signora magari scendeva a raccontare i vecchi tornei. Ci piace entrare nelle città e viverle, senza replicare le pizzerie con lo stampino”. L’anno successivo è la volta di Roma, dall’avvio più stentato. Prima che inizino i bis e i tris. Nel 2018 apre il secondo indirizzo milanese sui Navigli, poi il taglio del nastro a Firenze Santa Croce. Dopo Verona, Piazza delle Erbe, c’è di nuovo Milano, zona stazione centrale, che attualmente fa i numeri migliori del gruppo. Per finire con Torino e Milano, zona Colonne. A esercitare il controllo qualità su impasti, pulizia, conservazione sono in 4, con un responsabile, Michele, per tutta l’area milanese. Each location retains the core Berberè philosophy while adapting to the local context.
Adapting to Local Tastes
Berberè understands the importance of adapting to local preferences. L’offerta non cambia, con qualche modesto adeguamento alla domanda locale: a Londra, per esempio, il formaggio deve essere sciolto, quindi sono da preferirsi Taleggio e Gorgonzola, che possono andare in cottura; a Roma trascorrono più tempo al tavolo, dall’antipasto al dolce, quindi chiedono i fritti, da cui le montanarine, in fase di espansione con topping ad hoc per le varie città; mentre a Torino vanno forte i dessert; a Bologna e Firenze il vino. For example, in London, they use cheeses that melt well during cooking, while in Rome, they offer fried appetizers to cater to local dining habits.
The Art of Pizza Making: Ingredients, Dough, and Technique
The creation of a great pizza involves a careful balance of ingredients, dough preparation, and cooking technique. Gli ingredienti principali di questo alimento sono costituiti da farina di grano tenero “00” o “0”, lievito di birra, acqua naturale, sale e olio extravergine di oliva. Le principali fasi del processo produttivo della pizza sono costituite da: impastamento, lievitazione, formatura e cottura in forno.
Dough Preparation: Direct, Semi-Direct, and Indirect Methods
Several methods exist for preparing pizza dough, each influencing the final product's texture and flavor. Il metodo di lavorazione dei prodotti lievitati può essere diretto, semidiretto o indiretto.
- Direct Method: All ingredients are mixed in a single step. Nel metodo diretto sono miscelati, in ununica fase, tutti gli ingredienti fino alla formazione di un impasto omogeneo
- Semi-Direct Method: A portion of dough from a previous batch (pasta di riporto or "madre") is used as a starter. nel metodo semidiretto, la miscelazione degli ingredienti, sempre in ununica fase, avviene adoperando come lievito la pasta di riporto o “madre” (un pezzo dellimpasto avanzato dalla lavorazione precedente) al posto del lievito industriale.
- Indirect Method: A pre-fermented dough (biga or poolish) is prepared and then added to the other ingredients. Il metodo indiretto, infine, prevede la preparazione di un pre-impasto con farina acqua e lievito industriale, che viene lasciato fermentare prima di essere aggiunto agli altri elementi. A seconda della percentuale di umidità può essere chiamato “biga” (bassa idratazione) o “poolish” (alta idratazione).
The Importance of Leavening
Leavening is a crucial step in pizza dough preparation, allowing the dough to rise and develop its characteristic airy texture. La fase di lievitazione prevede lo stoccaggio dellimpasto in condizioni di umidità e temperature controllate al fine di favorire un processo metabolico noto come fermentazione alcolica, che comporta la trasformazione di zuccheri semplici in alcool e anidride carbonica (CO2), operata dai lieviti del genere Saccharomyces cerevisiae o lievito di birra, moltiplicati durante la fase dimpastamento grazie allinglobamento di aria nellimpasto. The process involves storing the dough in controlled humidity and temperature conditions to promote alcoholic fermentation. La lievitazione avviene in due momenti: subito dopo limpastamento e prima della formatura. The rising process occurs in two phases:
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- Puntata: The first rise, lasting from 30 minutes to 3 hours, aims to make the dough more extensible. La prima fase è denominata “puntata” ed è eseguita in tempi variabili da 30 minuti a 3 ore: ha come obiettivo quello di ottenere un impasto più estensibile.
- Appretto: The second rise produces additional carbon dioxide to compensate for gas lost during shaping. La seconda fase è detta “appretto”, ha lo scopo di produrre un ulteriore quantitativo di anidride carbonica che deve compensare quella persa durante le manipolazioni condotte durante loperazione di formatura.
Shaping and Baking
After leavening, the dough is shaped and baked. Terminato lappretto, si procede con la fase di stesura del panetto, che consiste nellaprire manualmente il disco di pasta su semola rimacinata. Dr. The dough is typically stretched by hand on a semolina flour surface. The baking process varies depending on the style of pizza, with some using wood-fired ovens and others using electric ovens. La cottura non è quella napoletana ad altissima temperatura: si svolge più lentamente, per una maggiore uniformità e uno sviluppo anche al centro, con forni elettrici o a legna secondo i locali.
Neapolitan Pizza: A Culinary Tradition
Neapolitan pizza, as defined by law, is made from a specific kind of wheat flour and yeast, round, no more than 14 inches in diameter and cooked in a wood-fired oven at temperatures above 905 degrees Fahrenheit. Naples is the traditional home of pizza and a place where people take their food seriously. So seriously that they masterminded an Italian law, passed three years ago, specifying what is real Neapolitan pizza-and it bears little resemblance to what we chow down in the United States in record numbers, an estimated 350 slices per second, amounting to a $37-billion blockbuster industry. Neapolitan pizza is a culinary tradition with strict guidelines.
The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN)
The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the authentic Neapolitan pizza-making tradition. "I love all kinds of pizza," continues the open-minded Di Porzio, who is general manager of Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN)-verace means real-the non-profit organization of pizza-makers, called pizzaioli, that helped write the law. The VPN sets standards for ingredients, techniques, and equipment to ensure that pizzas meet the criteria for true Neapolitan pizza.
Key Characteristics of Neapolitan Pizza
- Specific Flour and Yeast: Neapolitan pizza must be made with specific types of wheat flour and yeast.
- Wood-Fired Oven: The pizza must be cooked in a wood-fired oven at high temperatures.
- Specific Dimensions: The pizza must be round and no more than 14 inches in diameter.
Pizza Around the World: Variations and Adaptations
Pizza has evolved and adapted as it has spread around the world, resulting in countless regional variations. Although the flatbread-with-topping idea is generally attributed to the Greeks, for centuries pizza has for been associated with Naples and its long struggle with poverty. Each region has added its own unique ingredients, techniques, and flavors to create distinct pizza styles.