There are many ways to cook pizza, and you can use almost any appliance or cookware. For this reason, there are debates on which pizza is better, such as the Pan Pizza Vs. Deep Dish.
You cannot just judge a pizza in the way that it is cooked or by tracking down where it came from. There are some factors and details that you need to keep in mind when judging them.
While some people say that the deep-dish pizza is a great meal and can fill your stomach in one sitting, some say that a pizza pan is a much better option for a pizza.
There are significant similarities between these two types of pizza as they are hard to distinguish from each other. They do look similar at first glance, so we do not blame you.
However, there are also some major differences between these two types of pizza. You will find that if you look into the details, there are some differences that most people would not notice.
So let us look at the proper way of cooking each type of pizza and how they differ by looking into the ingredients, cooking methods, tools, and other factors.
What Is A Deep-dish Pizza?
If you are an avid fan of pizza, you will automatically think of Chicago once you heard the words deep-dish pizza. This type of pizza is very popular because of its unique features and structure.
Unlike the authentic Neapolitan pizza, the deep-dish pizza goes out of the conventional and traditional cooking and arranging pizza. First, it uses a thick crust for the base.
It is also a thicker kind of pizza as it uses many ingredients stacked on top of each other. This is a very unconventional way of making pizza, but it is also one of the best ways.
This type of pizza originated from Chicago, and it is basically like any other pizza. It uses dough, cheese, sauce, and toppings that are very common to a pizza, such as meat and vegetables.
The significant difference between the deep-dish and the common pizza is the number of used ingredients. With deep-dish pizza, you use so much more ingredients.
You cannot take this type of pizza out of the restaurant. Once you order the deep-dish pizza, you need to take a seat and finish the whole pizza in one sitting as it is very large and packed.
Unlike the New York pizza, you cannot just fold this type of pizza and go for a walk while eating the slice. It is a large pizza that you need to eat while you are sitting in the room.
What Is A Pan Pizza?
A pizza pan is a type of pizza that is quite similar to a deep-dish pizza. It is often confused with the deep-dish pizza because it has the same structure and has some similarities.
However, this type of pizza is relatively easier to make than other pizza types that involve a thick crust and a load of toppings. The pan pizza is a great type of pizza that can satisfy you.
The pan pizza is a very versatile type of pizza where you can put your creativity in. You will need a lot of creativity when making this type of pizza as it can vary in style.
This pizza can either be a thick-crust pizza or a thin-crusted one. It is up to you how you control the load of pizza crust or toppings you want to put into this pizza type.
Since this type of pizza can be thick and fluffy, you will find other people labeling it as a deep-dish pizza. You can cook it in the same cookware as a deep-dish, but there is a difference.
A Bit Of History
The deep-dish is a classic type of pizza that originated in Chicago. In 1943 and two chefs were the first to make it; they designed the pizza’s shape, ingredients, and structure.
The same chef who introduced the idea of having a load of toppings in a deep-dish pizza invented other pizza types. He also founded other pizzerias that are now popular worldwide.
The restaurant that first introduced the pizza has now become the most popular restaurant that cooks deep-dish pizza. It is still the best deep-dish pizza anywhere.
The Pan Pizza also has an interesting history as it was founded in Tuscany and is the patent for the deep-dish pizza. When first made, it was called an al Testo.
It was first cooked in a regular pan and was slid into a wood-fired oven to cook quickly.
This type of pizza had a low level of hydration. It was first perceived to be a dry type of pizza and enough to satisfy most people’s hunger with its delicious toppings and crust.
Back in the day, the pan pizza was hard to digest because of the dryness. We have these kinds of pizza more pleasingly with ingredients that are easier to eat.
What Are The Parts Of The Pizzas?
There are some differences between these two types of pizza, but the similarities are also noticeable. So in this part, we will look at the pizza parts to see the differences and similarities.
The Crust
Just like all pizzas, the crust is the one that meets the cookware. The pizza base holds all the delicious ingredients and keeps the whole pie from falling apart when lifted.
The pan pizza has a pretty common type of crust. However, it is softer than traditional pizza. The crust of this pizza is often made with a low-quality type of flour but has gotten better.
The crust is often chewier than most types of pizza. Like most pizzas, the pan pizza resembles most pizzas’ crust; only it is made bigger and thicker on the edges.
The crust edge does not necessarily rise with the pan, but it does rise higher than the regular type of pizza crust.
The outer crust of the pan pizza is more rounded, but only because it is thick. It rises from the heat instead of being pulled up by the shape of the pan you use to cook.
As for the deep-dish pizza, it has a crust with a lot of contrast. The crust is crispy, but it is not necessarily hard; it is also crumbly, but it is also solid enough to hold up the toppings.
The crust of the deep-dish pizza is a little bit thicker than the traditional pizza crust. However, if you look into the bottom part of the pizza, you will find a similar thin crust on the deep-dish pizza.
The deep-dish pizza also has a more buttery crust. Although thick, the crust is smooth on the palate and can be eaten easily like the thinner ones that we usually see with other pizzas.
The Sauce
The pan pizza uses a lot of sauce, and you will notice this even from a mile away. The pan pizza sauce is spread to the edges of the crust right under the cheese in it.
The sauce used in the pan pizza is a little bit watered down. This was after most people noticed that the pizza, in general, is a bit drier than most of the pizzas that we are used to eating.
The slightly watered-down texture of the sauce is also responsible for the softness of the crust. It leaves it a bit crunchy on the edges, but the sauce softens the crust in general.
The deep-dish pizza also uses a lot of sauce which that covers the toppings. With this arrangement, the toppings will be safe from burning when cooked for a long time.
The consistency of the sauce used for deep-dish is a little thicker than most. It almost resembles a jam or crushed tomatoes because of the thickness used to protect the toppings.
Because of the thick sauce, the cheese on the deep-dish pizza is gooey when cooked. It keeps it to that texture while also preventing too much browning on the cheeses.
The Cheese
Speaking of cheese, there is also a difference between the deep-dish and the pan pizza when it comes to the types of cheeses used in making these types of pizzas.
The deep-dish pizza uses a lot of cheese to make up for the bunch of toppings and sauce. It is also sliced instead of the usual grated cheese that we have in most pizzas.
It stays gooey, and along with the sauce, it perfectly binds the meat and the other flavors from the crust and the toppings. It is the perfect balance of flavors between fats and proteins.
The cheese on the pan pizza is a bit brown after cooking. Unlike the cheese on the deep-dish pizza, it has more browning, and the texture is more like melted than gooey.
You can arrange it in two main ways which are according to your preference. The cheese on the pan pizza can be put over the toppings or put before the toppings.
The Toppings
The toppings on the deep-dish redefine the definition of toppings. The toppings go on top, basically, they are arranged in the middle of the pie and topped by the sauce.
The toppings are stacked on top of each other and are usually dense. When you choose to order a veggie deep-dish, you will have something like a salad, and the same goes with meat.
With meat toppings, you usually get two layers of toppings separated by layers of cheese. They get layered in the order of the type of meat that cooks the fastest.
The pan pizza has the same toppings as most pizzas. They are made with vegetables or meat and arranged just like a traditional thin-crust pizza with cheese either over or under them.
Order Of Ingredients
For the pan pizza, you just make it like the traditional pizza. You first put the dough on the pan, layer it with sauce and then put the toppings before putting the cheese.
You can also put the cheese first before evenly spreading your toppings. The deep-dish pizza is very different from the traditional pizza, and you will need to arrange the ingredients properly.
The first thing you need to do is place the dough on a deep-dish skillet or pan as if you are coating the pan’s insides with the dough. Let the dough wrap around the sides of the pan.
You will then put the cheese on the dough and then layer the meat or vegetable toppings and put the sauce last.
Conclusion
These types of pizza are similar, but there are significant differences between them as well. They have the same concept of having thick crusts and layers of toppings.
I prefer the deep-dish pizza as it contains more toppings. It is loaded, but the taste is perfect with the crispy crust and cheese that are also loaded.
The pan pizza is great if you want a decent meal, but if you want to go all out, then the deep-dish pizza will surely give you more than enough for a single-sitting meal.
If you like the post then do not forget to share it on social media!
Leave a Reply