After having a wonderful visit at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven, Conn., I couldn’t wait to try to make New Haven-style pizza at home.
Pepe’s is considered the first of the New Haven-style pizza. It was followed in 1934 by Modern Apizza (originally named State Street Pizza) and in 1938 by Sally’s. While first considered a regional delicacy, New Haven-style pizza has been gaining in popularity and in accolades.
This New Haven-style pizza was popularized by Frank Pepe. It is similar to New York-style pizza, but with some important differences. New Haven-style pizza is cooked in a coal-fired oven. It is generally cooked longer, and its crust has a slight char to it.
The two videos below will show you how I made my New Haven-style pizza at home. The first one shows how I made the dough (I used Vito Iacopelli’s recipe, though I would cut the yeast in half if you try it), and the second is how I made two pizzas. (In time, a third video will be added. I made three small pizzas using the same dough: A pepperoni-bacon, an original tomato pie, and a pastrami pizza.)
Making the New Haven-style dough
Making the New Haven-style pizza at home
Note: This is part of a six-part series: Pursuing Pepe: The Frank Pepe Experience
- Part 1: Pursuing Pepe: The Decision
- Part 2: Pursuing Pepe: Reaching Out
- Part 3: Pursuing Pepe: The Arrival
- Part 4: Pursuing Pepe: The Tour
- Part 5: Pursuing Pepe: The Review
- Part 6: Pursuing Pepe: Making New Haven-Style Pizza at Home
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Bobby Warren has been making pizzas since he was in high school. He first started cooking pizzas at Lovece’s Pizza Palace in 1980. Since then, he has been on a quest to learn and teach others how to make the best pizza at home. When he is not making pizzas, he is working as an SEO specialist for publishers and digital marketing agencies around the United States.
Count me in for a delicious adventure in making Pepe’s pizza from scratch!
I wished I did a better job.