FROM OUR OVEN... TO YOURS

Pizza runs deep in our veins. It all began in the 80’s with Joe Mazzaferro and THE BIG SLICE, Toronto’s original iconic pizza destination at Yonge and Gerrard. Joe’s son Rocco carried on the tradition when he co-founded two more pizza landmarks in Toronto, QUEEN MARGHERITA PIZZA in 2010 and FBI PIZZA in 2011.

Now we’re pleased to bring you…

The Definition of Pizza
piz·​za | \ ˈpēt-sə\
: we are the definition of pizza

Pizza as we know it today (dough topped with tomatoes and cheese) was invented in Naples. Before the 1700s, flatbreads existed but were never topped with tomatoes, which is now a defining characteristic of pizza.

Tomatoes were brought to Europe in the 16th century by explorers returning from Peru. However, many Europeans believed tomatoes were poisonous until poor peasants in Naples began to top their flatbread with them in the late 18th century. The dish soon became popular. Many visitors to Naples would even seek out the poorer neighborhoods to try this local specialty.

The official requirements of an authentic Neapolitan pizza begin with the crust. The dough must be made with highly refined Italian type 0 or 00 wheat flour, Neapolitan or fresh brewer’s yeast (not dry yeast), water, and salt. It must be kneaded by hand or with a low-speed mixer and formed by hand, without the help of a rolling pin.

The dough is topped with raw, pureed San Marzano tomatoes from Italy. It can use only two types of mozzarella cheese. One is fior di latte made from cow’s milk and the other is mozzarella di Bufala, made from water buffalo milk, typically raised in the Campania and Lazio marshlands in Italy. Finally, Neapolitan pizza is topped off with fresh basil and extra-virgin olive oil. The ingredients must be all-natural and fresh.

Baker Raffaele Esposito, who worked at the Naples pizzeria “Pietro… e basta così,” is generally credited with creating Margherita pizza. In 1889, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples. Esposito baked them a pizza named in honour of the queen whose colours mirrored those of the Italian flag: red (tomatoes), white (mozzarella), and green (basil leaves). This is what is now known as the classic Neapolitan pizza today.