“London-style pizza.” People think there is such a thing. Somewhere over the past three years, the pizza hype in Britain’s capital city has gotten out of control. Our economy is struggling and chefs have turned to the food that literally nobody dislikes. Loads of new places have opened: we’ve had Vincenzo’s, Carmy’s, Breadstall, Gracy’s, Lenny’s, Dough Hands, etc. Can’t you tell they’re all incredibly different? All of them really (although they would quibble) have been putting out the exact same style of pizza. The problem is: what do you call it?

It’s hard to describe. Critics say it’s “burnt.” There’s some truth to that. The base will be pretty thin and usually positively crunchy (I’ve been reminded of burnt toast – no bad thing – on occasion, but chefs prefer to call it “charred”). Apparently this is due to a combination of a relatively high-hydration dough, as well as the use of strong flours and also olive oil being put in the dough itself. The second element is an electric oven, as opposed to a wood-fired one, which results in a slower but crispier bake. This style of pizza was first unveiled by Crisp Pizza, run by Carl McCluskey at the Chancellors pub in Hammersmith, west London.

I’ve been reminded of burnt toast on occasion – no bad thing – but chefs prefer to call it ‘charred’

I’ve been reminded of burnt toast on occasion – no bad thing – but chefs........

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