Steamed Pizza (Pizza Gourmet)
Steamed pizza is one of the most unusual and under-the-radar styles of pizza out there, a method that flips the traditional idea of a crispy, blistered crust on its head in favor of something softer, almost pillowy. While most pizzas are baked in blazing-hot ovens, fried in oil, or even grilled over an open flame, steamed pizza is cooked using steam, resulting in a completely different texture and eating experience. Instead of the charred, crunchy bite you’d expect from a Neapolitan or New York slice, steamed pizza is all about softness, with a light, fluffy dough that feels almost cloud-like, yet still structured enough to hold up to toppings.
The origins of steamed pizza are difficult to pinpoint, as steaming isn’t a common technique in traditional Italian pizza-making. However, it’s not entirely unheard of, particularly in places where steaming is already a popular cooking method. In China and parts of Southeast Asia, for example, steamed buns like baozi and mantou share similarities with steamed pizza dough in terms of texture. Some variations of steamed pizza are also seen in certain regional Chinese street foods, where dough is steamed before being topped with ingredients, creating a unique fusion of pizza and dumpling-like softness.
The most well-known version of steamed pizza in the United States comes from Connecticut, where a small pizzeria called American Steamed Cheeseburgers in Meriden became famous for steaming not just their cheeseburgers but also their pizzas. Using a special steaming oven, the dough is gently cooked with steam instead of direct heat, allowing it to rise and cook evenly without forming a crispy crust. Instead of bubbling, browned mozzarella, the cheese melts into an ultra-creamy, almost fondue-like consistency that blends into the sauce in a way that’s completely different from the gooey pull of a traditional baked pizza.
The process of steaming changes not just the texture but also the overall balance of flavors. Without the caramelization that comes from high-temperature baking, the flavors of the ingredients remain purer, with a slightly more delicate taste. The tomato sauce, for example, stays bright and tangy rather than developing the deeper, jammy flavors that baking produces. The cheese, instead of forming a browned crust, turns into a smooth, velvety layer that melts into the dough rather than sitting on top of it. Toppings, depending on how they are applied, either steam along with the pizza or are added after cooking to maintain their freshness and crunch.
While steamed pizza remains a novelty, it has started to gain attention from food experimenters looking for new ways to reimagine pizza. Some home cooks and chefs have adapted the method using bamboo steamers, stovetop steam ovens, or even pressure cookers, experimenting with different dough hydration levels and steaming times to perfect the texture. Certain styles of Chicago deep-dish and Detroit-style pizza also incorporate an element of steaming, though unintentionally—because of their deep pans and thick layers of sauce and cheese, the dough often partially steams as it bakes, creating a fluffier interior beneath the crispy edges.
Though it may not have the widespread appeal of a crispy, fire-kissed Neapolitan or a classic New York slice, steamed pizza is an intriguing example of how pizza-making can evolve beyond the traditional oven. It offers a softer, almost comforting take on pizza, one where the emphasis is on lightness, tenderness, and melt-in-your-mouth textures rather than crunch. Whether it remains a niche curiosity or catches on as a legitimate pizza trend, one thing is certain—steamed pizza is proof that there’s always room for innovation in the pizza world.