History
Milwaukee-style pizza traces to the city's Italian-American population in the 1950s and 1960s, when Brady Street pizzerias began baking cracker-thin pies cut into squares, a style locally known as tavern-cut. Maria's Pizza on West Forest Home Avenue, opened in 1957, is considered the canonical Milwaukee-style pizzeria; Zaffiro's on East Farwell since 1954 and Pizza Man, opened in 1969, are part of the same tradition.
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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 400g all-purpose flour
- 260ml water at 75F
- 8g salt
- 5g instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 200g tomato sauce, seasoned
- 300g low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
- 150g Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
- Dried oregano and red pepper flakes
Method
- Mix flour, water, salt, yeast and oil in a bowl until a shaggy dough forms. Knead 8 minutes until smooth.
- Rest at room temperature 90 minutes until doubled.
- Divide into 2 portions. Roll each into a very thin 12-inch round on parchment, much thinner than typical New York-style.
- Spread half the tomato sauce over each round, leaving a thin border.
- Sprinkle with half the cheese and crumbled sausage. Add a pinch of dried oregano.
- Slide onto a hot pizza stone or baking sheet at 500F.
- Bake 7 to 9 minutes until the crust is crisp and cheese is bubbling and lightly browned.
- Cut into squares with a pizza wheel, not triangles. Serve immediately.
Tip from the editors. Roll the dough as thin as possible; Milwaukee tavern-cut pizza is meant to crack. Cut into squares only; never wedges. Maria's, Zaffiro's and Pizza Man all serve it this way.
Where to eat milwaukee-style pizza
Milwaukee-style pizza in Milwaukee
Transfer Pizzeria Cafe ★ 4.3
Transfer Pizzeria on West Mitchell Street in Walker's Point runs wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas in a converted transit garage with Italian wines on tap.
OrderPizza Bianca with truffle oil and a glass of Chianti.
TipLunch walk-ins easy; weekend dinner books on OpenTable two weeks out.
More places near Transfer Pizzeria Cafe
Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.
- EsterEv Tasting menu, about 900 m away
- Bryant's Cocktail Lounge Cocktail bar, about 950 m away
- Cafe Centraal Belgian, about 1.2 km away
- La Merenda International, about 1.2 km away
- Blue Jacket New American, about 1.2 km away
- Blue Jacket Brunch Brunch, about 1.2 km away
More cities are in research. Want milwaukee-style pizza covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.