History

Boston bar pizza developed in South Shore towns (Brockton, Stoughton, Quincy) in the mid-1940s as bar food cooked in 10-inch round pans, sliced into 4 wedges. The signature crisp bottom comes from butter or oil greased in the pan before baking. Cape Cod Cafe in Brockton (open since the late 1930s) is credited with originating the format; Town Spa Pizza in Stoughton has served the style since 1955. Santarpio's in East Boston serves a Sicilian-influenced version.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 30 minTotal 4 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • For the dough: 350g all-purpose flour
  • 200ml warm water
  • 7g instant yeast
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • For the sauce: 400g tinned San Marzano tomatoes (crushed by hand)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 garlic clove finely grated
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 200g good-quality American or yellow cheddar cheese, grated
  • 200g sharp white provolone, grated
  • 4 tbsp neutral oil or melted butter, for greasing the pans (this is the non-negotiable Bar Pizza step)
  • Optional toppings: linguica or pepperoni slices, mushrooms, sliced onion
  • Dried oregano, for finishing

Method

  1. Make dough: mix flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar, and olive oil. Knead 6 minutes to a smooth ball. Prove 90 minutes covered.
  2. Make sauce: combine all ingredients in a bowl, taste and adjust seasoning. Do not cook; raw sauce is the bar-pizza standard.
  3. Divide dough into 2 balls. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
  4. Heat oven to its maximum (240C+ with a pizza steel or thick baking stone on the middle rack).
  5. Grease two 25cm round cake pans or pizza pans heavily with oil or melted butter (about 2 tbsp per pan). The bottom surface must be wet.
  6. Stretch each dough ball into a 25cm round to fit the pans. Press the dough out to the edges; the oil should bubble up around the rim.
  7. Spread sauce thin, leaving a 1cm border. Sprinkle a generous layer of cheese all the way to the edge; the bar-pizza style requires cheese to overflow at the rim, where it caramelises into the prized lacy crust.
  8. Add optional toppings.
  9. Place pans directly on the hot pizza steel. Bake 10 to 14 minutes until the cheese is deep golden brown and the rim is crisp and caramelised.
  10. Lift carefully from the pan with a thin spatula (the cheese ring may stick). Scatter dried oregano. Slice into 4 quarters with a sharp knife or pizza wheel.

Tip from the editors. The cheese must extend to the edge of the dough and onto the pan rim; this is where the caramelised cheese frico forms. Skimping on the cheese ring or pulling it back to leave a clean border gives you Sicilian pizza, not Boston bar pizza.

Where to eat boston bar pizza

Boston Bar Pizza in Boston

Santarpio's Pizza ★ 4.4

Pizzeria$north-endDaily 11:30-22:00

Santarpio's on Chelsea Street fires Boston-style thin pies in East Boston since 1933. Located in North End. At 111 Chelsea St. Booking recommended.

Try: Cheese pie

Tip: Take the Blue Line to Maverick. Cash only. The lamb skewer-and-pie combo is $25 for one.

111 Chelsea St, Boston, MA 02128

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