Is Pizza A Sandwich?- The Moment of Truth!

This question has been around in the pizza world for quite some time. Pizza fans argue whether you can consider pizza a sandwich; I want to settle this argument in this post.

So is pizza a sandwich? Technically, yes. Pizza is a sandwich mainly because they have similar ingredients such as bread, cheese, meat, and vegetables.

However, the answer is not as simple as that. You need to look at the pizza and the sandwich definition to understand if one can call pizza a sandwich.

One must consider a pizza’s ingredients, structure, and composition to understand if it can be called a sandwich.

Even though pizza has the same ingredients as a sandwich, initially, I did not consider pizza a sandwich.

But once you understand the definition of a sandwich, then you realize how pizza can be called an open-faced sandwich.

Let’s breakdown – down why pizza is considered a sandwich and how it is more of a pie than a sandwich.

What Makes A Sandwich, A Sandwich?

In its essence, a sandwich is a food that typically consists of meat, cheese, sauce, and vegetables that sit between two slices of bread.

Sometimes a sandwich can have one slice of bread, sometimes two. With that alone, a slice of pizza can be considered a sandwich since the ingredients sit on top of a crust.

In a broader and more general sense, a sandwich is any food where bread serves as a container or wrapper of the ingredients.

So aside from pizza, you can also consider wraps as a type of sandwich. But exactly what type of sandwich is a pizza?

Is Pizza A Sandwich?

As stated above, a sandwich has two slices of bread that have a filling in between. In this case, a sandwich has one bread slice and some filling it is called an open sandwich.

So when you loosely define a sandwich, as I did above, then you can call pizza a sandwich or, be exact, an open-faced sandwich.

This definition is key to deciding if pizza is a sandwich or not. With this definition, one can easily call pizza an open sandwich.

Pizza has a crust which is considered as the bread slice along with cheese, meat, and vegetables which is very similar to the sandwich filling.

So, even though you might not be able to call pizza a regular sandwich, it is an open sandwich.

Is Pizza An Open-faced Sandwich?

Yes, a pizza can be considered a type of open-faced sandwich. Pizza is made from bread dough, a major sandwich component.

The crust on a pizza is closer to bread than pastry. And as defined, a sandwich is a food that uses bread as a base, container, or wrapper for other types of food.

An open-faced sandwich is also defined as a type of sandwich without bread on top – which essentially defines a pizza.

So yes, a pizza classifies as a hot open-faced sandwich.

Is Pizza A Pie?

This is another question that usually pops up when one asks whether a pizza is a sandwich or not, and what is whether pizza is a pie?

Both pizza and a pie are usually served in a circular shape and are cut in triangular sizes. However, pizza is NOT a pie.

Pie uses pastry as a base and a cover, while pizza uses bread dough. Pizza also has thinner crusts than most pies.

Pizzas are cooked at a very high temperature for a small amount of time, while pies are cooked at a much lower temperature and take longer to cook.

What about deep-dish pizzas?

Chicago deep-dish pizzas are the more common types of pizza that are considered pies. However, this can be debunked as well.

Pizza has toppings exposed to flames, even with Chicago deep-dish, while pies have a protective layer with the pastry cover on top to keep the fillings from burning.

What about stuffed crust pizza?

So stuffed crust pizza is arranged like a pie where the fillings are put between two layers of crust.

However, the definition of pie is that it uses pastry dough. Stuffed crust pizza does not use pastry dough; instead, just like other pizza types, the crust is made from pizza dough.

So even though stuffed crust pizza is assembled more like a pie, it is not a pie since it does not use pastry as a crust.

You can look deeper into this topic with my other post on why pizza is called pie.

What Is A Folded Pizza?

A folded pizza is called a calzone. Calzone is a pizza folded in half to form a pizza pocket with all the toppings between the crusts.

A calzone can resemble the typical sandwich with two bread slices, while a regular pizza is more of an open-faced sandwich.

Usually, a folded pizza comes in a half-moon shape, but when sliced, there is no denying that it looks like a sandwich with all the fillings between two slices of bread, or in this case, crust.

How To Make A Pizza Sandwich?

Making a pizza sandwich is pretty simple as all you need are two slices of bread, and your fillings like cheese, meat, and vegetables.

You are making a Pizza using sandwich bread slices here, hence the name pizza sandwich.

I usually use a panini press or a sandwich maker when I make pizza sandwiches. Another alternative is to toast the bread slices first before putting the fillings.

Here is a simple guide:

Lay the bread slices on a plate and then brush each slice with olive oil or softened butter.

Put pizza sauce on one slice of bread. Please do not put the pizza sauce on the second slice, as it can make the pizza sandwich soggy.

Put toppings of your choice on top of the pizza sauce. I always put cheese, a couple of slices of pepperoni or ham, and sliced jalapenos.

Place the pizza sandwich in a preheated panini maker and press down lightly. Do not press too hard, as it can push out the melted cheese.

Serve the pizza sandwich hot or warm with your favorite pizza dipping sauce.

This is a quick and easy way to prepare a snack full of delicious flavors and crispy texture from the toasted bread slices.

So, Is Pizza A Sandwich Or Not?

Pizza IS an ‘open’ sandwich mainly because both pizza and sandwich use similar ingredients. Essentially, a sandwich is a food with a bread base, cover, or wrapping for other types of food.

Since pizza crust is made from bread dough, it covers the first essential ingredient on a sandwich.

Cheese, sauce, meat, and vegetables are common ingredients in a sandwich. The same goes for pizzas, as these are the standard pizza toppings used.

So by this definition alone, pizza is indeed a type of sandwich. More specifically, a pizza qualifies as a type of hot open-faced sandwich.

Do you think pizza is a sandwich? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

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