The answer to what is New Haven style pizza is short: a thin, coal-fired pie from New Haven, Connecticut, known locally as apizza. It has a charred, chewy crust and only a light use of melting cheese, and it is traditionally sold whole rather than by the slice.
The cheese is the easiest difference to spot. Classic versions use grated pecorino Romano, and mozzarella is an optional topping that you usually have to ask for. Knowing that helps you order a true New Haven pie.
What Is New Haven Style Pizza and Where It Comes From
New Haven style pizza traces back to Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, which opened on Wooster Street in New Haven in June 1925.
Frank and his wife, Filomena, opened the pizzeria, according to the restaurant’s own history page. The original menu was simple: a pie with tomatoes, pecorino cheese, garlic, oregano and olive oil. The page also says anchovies were the only other topping available when the shop first opened.
The local name for the pie is apizza, pronounced “ah-beetz.” Pepe’s says the word comes from the Neapolitan Italian immigrant dialect spoken in New Haven. Wikipedia describes the style as a variety of Neapolitan pizza, and it usually traces the origin of the style to 1925.
How the Crust and Oven Set It Apart
The crust is what most people remember: thin, charred in spots and chewy, baked in a coal-fired oven.
Traditional ovens are coal-fired. Wikipedia puts the heat above 650 °F (343 °C). Food Republic’s guide to apizza reports pies cooking at around 600 to 650 °F for roughly five to 12 minutes. The two sources differ a little, so treat that range as a guide rather than a fixed setting; for oven heat across styles, see how hot a pizza oven gets.
Food Republic notes that coal was an economical heat source in the 1920s and 1930s, which helps explain why the style built its reputation around coal ovens. The heat is what gives the crust its char while the inside stays chewy.
Because the crust carries most of the flavor, the classic pie keeps its toppings few. That restraint is one reason the style reads as simple rather than loaded.
Several details shape the crust, and they are the core of what is New Haven style pizza:
- The shape is thin and often oblong, according to Wikipedia.
- The dough uses sturdier bread flour so that slices do not collapse under the toppings, a choice explained further in pizza dough with bread flour.
- The dough often rests overnight in the refrigerator, then returns to room temperature before shaping, the same idea as cold ferment pizza dough.
- The finished crust is charred in places and has a chewy texture.
Toppings, Cheese and Tomato Pie
The classic New Haven pie uses crushed tomatoes, oregano, olive oil and grated pecorino Romano, with mozzarella as an option.
Food Republic describes the classic topping as crushed Italian tomatoes with olive oil. Wikipedia lists pecorino Romano as the classic cheese and says mozzarella is generally treated as optional.
Mozzarella has its own local nickname, “mootz.” Food Republic says Sally’s and Pepe’s offer it, but you have to ask for it when you order.
The plain version is often called a tomato pie. Wikipedia describes it as tomato sauce, oregano and grated pecorino. Pepe’s has kept its Tomato Pie on the menu since 1925. Other toppings you may see on the menu include:
- Classic: crushed tomato, oregano and pecorino Romano
- Sausage
- White clams with bacon, a local specialty
- Vegetables
The white clam version is a local specialty rather than a common national topping, so do not expect it outside New Haven. If you see it on a menu, it is a good way to taste the local style.
How New Haven Style Compares to Neapolitan Pizza
New Haven style pizza is a thin variety of Neapolitan pizza that bakes at a lower oven temperature and for a longer time.
The table below uses the figures from the sources. Food Republic gives the Neapolitan numbers for comparison.
| Feature | New Haven style | Neapolitan style |
|---|---|---|
| Oven temperature | Around 600 to 650 °F; above 650 °F per Wikipedia | Over 1,000 °F |
| Bake time | About five to 12 minutes | As short as one minute |
The gap in heat and bake time is the clearest answer to what is New Haven style pizza compared with Neapolitan, and the clearest way to tell the two apart on a plate. A New Haven pie stays in the oven longer, which builds the char and keeps the crust chewy.
This style suits people who like a thin, charred crust and a light layer of cheese. It may not suit anyone who wants a heavy, melted mozzarella pie, since that is the opposite of the classic approach.
Making New Haven Style Pizza at Home
You can make New Haven style pizza at home with bread flour, a long cold rest for the dough and the hottest oven you have.
The sources confirm the main steps but do not give exact flour-to-water ratios, hydration levels or bake times for home ovens. Use a tested dough recipe for amounts. The steps below describe the method that the sources support.
- Use bread flour to give the base more structure, so the slices hold up.
- Rest the dough in the refrigerator, often overnight, then bring it back to room temperature before shaping.
- Shape the dough into a thin crust that is often oblong.
- Top with crushed tomatoes, olive oil, oregano and grated pecorino Romano. Add mozzarella only if you want it.
- Bake in the hottest oven you can reach, and watch for char on the crust.
If your home oven runs cooler than a coal oven, expect a longer bake and a paler crust. Adjust the time by eye rather than by a fixed number from a source that does not cover your oven.
Expect the first few pies to differ from the classic, since the char depends on your oven’s heat and how you handle the dough. Change one variable at a time and note what you did, so you can repeat the result that works.
Where to Order New Haven Style Pizza
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, where the style began, and Sally’s Apizza are the two places the sources name most often in New Haven.
Sally’s Apizza was opened by Pepe’s nephew, Salvatore “Sally” Consiglio. Food Republic calls it the gold standard of the style, which makes it a natural second stop after Pepe’s.
Because the style is sold whole, plan for a full pie for the table rather than one slice per person. When you order, ask for mootz if you want mozzarella, and check that you are getting a whole pie rather than a slice. The style has also spread beyond Connecticut, and New York has its own thin slice tradition, covered in what is New York style pizza. Food Republic names Gracey’s Pizza in St. Albans, England, and Lala’s Brooklyn Apizza in New York as examples.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called apizza?
Apizza is the local name for the pie in New Haven, pronounced “ah-beetz.” Pepe’s says the word comes from the Neapolitan Italian immigrant dialect spoken in the city, so the name reflects the community that made the style.
Is New Haven style pizza the same as Neapolitan pizza?
No, but the two are related. Wikipedia describes New Haven style as a variety of Neapolitan pizza. The New Haven pie bakes in a coal-fired oven at a lower heat than the Neapolitan oven figure Food Republic cites, and it takes longer to cook.
Why is New Haven style pizza sold whole?
Traditional New Haven style pizza is sold whole rather than by the slice, according to Wikipedia. The sources used for this article do not explain the reason in detail.
Do you need mozzarella on New Haven style pizza?
No. Pecorino Romano is the classic cheese, and mozzarella is optional. Food Republic says it is nicknamed “mootz” and that you have to ask for it at places like Pepe’s and Sally’s.
What is a tomato pie in New Haven?
A tomato pie is the plain version of the style, with tomato sauce, oregano and grated pecorino, according to Wikipedia. Pepe’s has listed its Tomato Pie on the menu since 1925.
What is a white clam pie?
A white clam pie is a local specialty made with white clams and bacon, according to Food Republic. It is one of several topping options at New Haven pizzerias, alongside sausage and vegetables.
What toppings are on a classic New Haven pizza?
A classic pie has crushed Italian tomatoes, olive oil, oregano and grated pecorino Romano, according to Food Republic and Wikipedia. Mozzarella is optional, and you have to ask for it at the shops that offer it.
Where did New Haven style pizza start?
The style is usually traced to Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, which opened on Wooster Street in New Haven in June 1925. The restaurant’s own history page gives the same date.
If you want the classic New Haven style, look for a whole pie from a coal-fired oven with pecorino as the default cheese. Ask for mozzarella only if you want it. If you are unsure, try the plain tomato pie first, because it shows the crust and sauce without any extra toppings to hide them.