How Dessert Pizza is Changing the Game

The two dessert pizzas offered by proper pizza

Ahh, pizza. Gourmet, so cheesy, so crisp. One of the world’s most beloved foods, pizza can be found almost anywhere you go. While different places have different kinds of pizza, and everyone can’t agree on whether pineapple belongs on top, the core ingredients of pizza are always the same: baked dough, tomato sauce, and cheese. That is, until they’re not. Some pizza pioneers—like us—thought up the idea of dessert pizza, using sweet toppings, sauces, and even sweetened biscuity doughs to change the game. So, who was the first to come up with this idea and why do they taste so good?

The Origins of Dessert Pizza

New Yorkers might tell you that they invented pizza, but we all know it was the Italians, right? Well, maybe not. The modern idea of pizza certainly comes from Italy, and more specifically Naples. However, historical accounts from the Ancient Greeks and Romans describe a similar recipe, using leavened dough rolled out into a flat shape and baked, then topped with various ingredients.

Of course, there were no tomatoes in Europe until the 16th century, when they were brought back from the New World. That’s important for our dessert pizza story, because without the classic Neapolitan tomato sauce, ancient pizzas would have been topped with things we wouldn’t normally use today. Some of these toppings were sweet, using ingredients like honey, raisins, and pine nuts. These ancient dessert pizza recipes have been handed down through the generations and are still being used in parts of Italy today.

The Modern Dessert Pizza

No matter the historical origins, the modern twist on dessert pizza likely comes from many different chefs sharing the same brainwave. It’s not too much of a mental stretch to look at a pizza dough and wonder if you could load it up with sweet treats instead of tomato and cheese. Modern dessert pizzas often use a sweet base sauce. This could be chocolate, caramel, honey, or cream-based.

The crust can simply be a normal pizza dough, though without Italian herbs and other savoury flavourings. Alternatively, it can be made more like cookie dough, with sugar and eggs. Some chefs even base their dough recipes on chocolate brownie batter. Now that’s gourmet.

As for toppings, you can really let your imagination run wild. Fruits are still common, such as various berries or stone fruits. Confectionary is another classic, with candied almonds, Oreos, and chocolate giving dessert pizzas a super sweet kick. These ingredients can be balanced by nuts and sweet cheeses like mascarpone to ensure the pizza isn’t too much for even the most enthusiastic sweet tooth.

The Proper Take on Dessert Pizza

At Proper Pizza, we consider ourselves fairly proficient in the art of pizza making. So, what kind of pizza restaurant would we be if we didn’t have dessert pizzas to make your mouth water? We’ve got two pizzas on the menu to satisfy your sweet tooth.

The Circle of Life is for when you need something a little fresh. The base sauce is Nutella. On top, it’s got the perfect spread of fresh fruit, with strawberries, kiwifruits and bananas, and it’s finished with shaved almonds.

Or, if you’re feeling like something a little more homely, our Apple Crumble pizza is a classic. It comes with an apple crumble filling topped with fresh apple, crushed biscuits and cinnamon – the classic flavour combination that we all know and love. It’s a great comfort food for winter but also fits the bill any time you get that crumble craving.

Try it for yourself

Dessert pizza is here to stay, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t want to try it for yourself. Our Proper dessert pizzas are the perfect foray into this taste sensation, but don’t stop there – we’ve got a wide range of delicious flavours and we cater for your dietary needs. Check out our website for our gourmet pizza menu, or feel free to contact us for catering, large orders, or any other questions you might have.

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