What is the difference between New York style pizza and regular pizza?

December 15, 2025 •

5 min read

Over 3 billion pizzas are sold in the U.S. every year, but not all pizzas are created equal. The debate between different pizza styles is a passionate one, and understanding what is the difference between New York style pizza and regular pizza can help you choose the perfect pie for your next meal.

Quick Summary

This article explains the key distinctions between New York style pizza and what is broadly considered "regular" pizza, focusing on crust texture, ingredients, size, and eating style. It covers how the large, foldable, thin crust of a New York slice contrasts with other styles and details the specific sauce and cheese preferences that define each type.

Key Points

Crust Texture: New York style pizza features a thin, foldable crust with a crispy, chewy edge, unlike the soft, airy Neapolitan or thick, bread-like American 'regular' pizza.
Dough Ingredients: NY style dough uses high-gluten flour and includes sugar and oil for unique texture and browning, while classic Neapolitan dough contains only flour, water, yeast, and salt.
Sauce and Cheese: NY style pizza uses a slightly sweeter cooked sauce and shredded, low-moisture mozzarella, which differs from the simpler, uncooked sauce and fresh mozzarella on traditional Italian pies.
Size and Serving: An authentic NY slice is large, wide, and designed to be folded for eating on the go, contrasting with smaller, individual Italian pies eaten with a fork and knife.
Baking Method: NY pizzas are cooked in gas or deck ovens at moderate-to-high temperatures, whereas Neapolitan pizzas are baked very quickly in extremely hot, wood-fired ovens.
Eating Experience: The experience of eating a New York slice is quick and convenient, reflecting its origins as street food, while other styles may be more suitable for a sit-down meal.

The Defining Elements of Pizza

Pizza is a globally beloved dish, but its form and flavor vary significantly across regions. What many people call "regular" pizza can often refer to a standard American pan-style or a traditional Neapolitan version, but the term itself is quite broad. In contrast, New York style pizza is a very specific type with characteristics that set it apart from all others, from the ingredients used to the way it is served. The primary differences lie in the crust, sauce, cheese, and overall eating experience.

The Crust: The Foundation of Flavor

The crust is arguably the most important feature distinguishing a New York style pizza from a regular one.

New York Style Crust: This crust is known for being thin, hand-tossed, and foldable. While the edges are thick and crispy, the center is soft and pliable, which allows for the signature fold-and-eat technique. The chewiness comes from using a high-gluten bread flour and a fermentation process that takes at least a day. Some even claim that the city's tap water, rich in minerals, contributes to its unique texture. A classic New York pie will have a golden-brown crust with some small air pockets, but without the heavily charred spots of a Neapolitan pizza.
Regular Pizza Crust: The term "regular" can encompass many styles, each with a different crust. A standard American takeout pizza often features a medium-thick, bread-like crust that is consistent in thickness throughout. Neapolitan pizza, which many consider traditional, has a very thin base with a large, airy, and slightly charred outer edge (the cornicione) from being cooked quickly in an extremely hot, wood-fired oven. Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, on the other hand, is a thick, cake-like crust baked in a pan, with the sauce layered on top of the cheese and toppings.

Sauce, Cheese, and Toppings

The variations don't stop at the crust; the components layered on top also follow different conventions.

New York Style: The sauce is typically a simple cooked tomato sauce, often sweetened with a pinch of sugar and seasoned with dried oregano and garlic. The cheese is always a shredded, low-moisture, full-fat mozzarella, which melts evenly and gives the slice its signature stretchy, gooey quality without making the crust soggy. Toppings are usually applied in moderation to prevent the thin crust from becoming weighed down.
Regular Pizza: The sauce for a traditional Neapolitan pie is typically very simple, made from uncooked San Marzano tomatoes, salt, and basil. Neapolitan pizza also uses fresh mozzarella, which melts into creamy, discrete patches. Other regular styles, like deep-dish, use a chunky, cooked sauce layered on top of the cheese. Toppings can range from the minimalistic approach of a Neapolitan Margherita to the heavy, dense toppings of a deep-dish pizza.

Size and How It's Eaten

The final piece of the puzzle is the presentation and consumption style, which reflects the origins of each type of pizza.

New York Style: Known for its large size, typically 18 to 24 inches in diameter, and is cut into eight large, wide, foldable slices. The tradition of selling pizza by the slice arose from the need for a quick, affordable meal for New York City's busy working class. The foldable nature allows for easy, mess-free eating while on the move.
Regular Pizza: Traditional Italian pizzas, especially Neapolitan, are much smaller, around 12 inches in diameter, and intended as a single-serving meal to be eaten with a knife and fork. Other forms of regular pizza, like pan or deep-dish, are typically served whole and intended for communal, sit-down dining.

Comparison: New York Style vs. Regular Pizza


Feature	New York Style Pizza	Regular Pizza (e.g., Neapolitan)
Crust Thickness	Thin and flexible in the middle, with a crispy, chewy edge.	Thin and soft in the middle, with a puffy, charred edge (cornicione).
Crust Ingredients	High-gluten bread flour, sugar, and olive oil for chewiness and browning.	Italian Tipo "00" flour, water, yeast, and salt. No sugar or oil.
Sauce	Slightly sweeter cooked tomato sauce, seasoned with oregano and garlic.	Simple uncooked tomato puree (often San Marzano), salt, and basil.
Cheese	Shredded, low-moisture, full-fat mozzarella.	Fresh mozzarella, which melts into creamy patches.
Size	Large, 18"–24" pies, cut into wide slices.	Smaller, individual 10"–12" pies.
Baking Method	Baked in a gas or deck oven at moderately high temperatures (~600°F).	Baked rapidly in an extremely hot wood-fired oven (~850°F).
Eating Style	Folded in half to eat on the go.	Eaten with a knife and fork.

The Evolution of Pizza Styles

Pizza's journey from Italy to America highlights the cultural and culinary adaptations that led to different regional variations. Italian immigrants brought pizza to New York City in the early 1900s, where it evolved from its Neapolitan roots. The New York style was created to be a faster, more convenient, and more affordable meal for the city's fast-paced environment. The larger pies were sold by the slice, making pizza a street food staple. This differed from the traditional Italian approach, where a single, small pie was a full, sit-down meal. Over time, other regions, like Chicago and Detroit, developed their own distinct styles based on local preferences and ingredients, proving that while all are pizza, they are far from identical. Understanding this history enhances the appreciation for the diversity of pizza culture today. For a comprehensive look at the Neapolitan style that inspired it all, you can consult authoritative resources on Italian cuisine.

Conclusion

Ultimately, deciding whether New York style pizza or a so-called "regular" pizza is better comes down to personal preference. A New York slice offers a large, foldable, chewy-and-crispy experience with a slightly sweeter sauce and plenty of melted mozzarella. In contrast, "regular" can refer to anything from the light, delicate, and charred crust of a Neapolitan pie to the thick, hearty layers of a Chicago deep-dish. The primary distinction rests on the crust's texture, ingredients, and the size of the pie. Armed with this knowledge, you can approach your next pizza order with a clear understanding of the delicious variety the pizza world offers. There is no wrong choice, only different, delicious experiences to be savored.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most significant difference is that New York style crust is thin and foldable in the center with a crispy, chewy edge, while a regular pizza crust can vary widely, from the soft, airy Neapolitan to a thick, bread-like American crust.

New York style pizza is foldable because of its specific ingredients and preparation. It is made with high-gluten flour and hand-tossed to create a crust that is thin enough to be pliable in the middle yet sturdy enough to hold toppings without a knife and fork.

A classic New York style pizza uses shredded, low-moisture, full-fat mozzarella cheese. This type of cheese melts evenly and becomes stretchy and gooey, in contrast to the creamy patches formed by fresh mozzarella used on many regular pizzas.

Yes, the sauce is different. New York style pizza typically uses a cooked tomato sauce that is slightly sweeter and seasoned with dried herbs like oregano and garlic. Regular Italian pizza often uses a simpler, uncooked tomato base.

While it's a popular theory, some attribute the unique texture and flavor of New York pizza dough to the minerals found in New York City's tap water. Though the extent of its influence is debated, high-gluten flour and fermentation are also key factors.

New York style pizzas are typically baked in commercial gas or deck ovens at high but not extremely high temperatures (around 600°F). This results in a consistently golden-brown crust, unlike the charring often seen on wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas.

Yes, many pizzerias across the U.S. and worldwide now offer authentic New York style pies. Look for key characteristics like the thin, foldable crust, shredded low-moisture mozzarella, and large, wide slices to identify a true representation.