Pizza in New York City is as diverse as its residents, and it’s hard to argue any of the myriad styles found in the city are more iconic than the classic New York-style pie. With its large and sturdy base topped with tomato sauce, plenty of shredded mozzarella, and often purchased by the slice, it hits the spot any time of the year. 

The history of pizza in NYC is rich and extensive: Founding cornerstones include Lombardi’s, found north of Little Italy, Totonno's in Coney Island, John's of Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, and Patsy's in East Harlem. Traditionally, New York pizzerias cooked their pies in coal ovens. Eventually, gas ovens became dominant, which paved the way for the proliferation of the slice shops for which New York is famous today.

Traditional Italian styles of pizza (like Neapolitan pizza) often rely on the aggressive heat and flame found in a coal or wood-fired oven and are baked at 850 to 950 °F (450 to 510 °C). New York pizza-makers adapted these recipes to cook more consistent pizzas at lower temperatures, ranging from 500 to 650 °F (260 to 340 °C). Note: Our ovens are much smaller than a restaurant’s, so we’ll need slightly hotter temperatures. And while this style requires a bit longer to bake (about 5 minutes), it’s totally worth it. 

Our recipe is a nod to today’s classic New York cheese pizza, using bread flour enriched with olive oil and sugar, cold-proofed overnight, and baked low and slow. The crust is thicker than a Neapolitan but thinner than a pan pizza, with a crust that’s about 2 millimeters (.2 centimeters) thick and up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) wide. While we can't get that big in an Ooni, you can definitely achieve a 14 to 16-inch (36 to 40-centimeter) New York-style pie. 

The sauce requires no cooking and is thick and rich and only requires crushed tomatoes, fine sea salt and dried oregano. Less moisture in the sauce helps retain a sturdy crust, and the simple yet robust flavor balances the generous serving of low-moisture mozzarella. 

Add to that some pepperoni (a classic New York topping) and you’ll have the delicious, crusty, slightly chewy and cheesy taste of the Big Apple from the comfort of your home.