Given that Milan is a major Italian city, it might come as a surprise to learn that before 2013, the pizza scene in the Lombardy capital was a bit meh. Not disastrous, just nothing to write home about. Yet, Milan is unlike anywhere else in the country.
As Italy’s wealthiest city, Milan is the beating heart of “il bel paese.” The Milanese have a penchant for trends and luxury, so for years, pizza really didn’t blow much wind in their sails. Don’t get us wrong, some reliable evergreen establishments such as Piccola Ischia held down the fort, but these were eventually obscured by uninspired chains which meant slim pickings when it came to enjoying a decent pizza.
In 2013, a game changer came along: Dry Milano opened with a splash. Pretty much overnight, the pizza was not only hailed as the best in the city, but Dry Milano became the place to see and be seen. The industrial-chic decor, dim lighting and thoughtfully crafted cocktails only added to its allure, giving the Milanese a reason to get excited about pizza.
The following year, Neapolitan pizza legend Gino Sorbillo opened Lievito Madre al Duomo, where he set a limit to 400 pies per day. The no-reservations policy meant that guests would (and still do) line up outside, with one eye always fixed anxiously on the digital pie-counting device.
Before long, both established Neapolitans and neophyte pizzaioli descended upon the Lombardy capital in droves to start firing up pies. Nowadays, Milan’s pizza scene has never been more tempting. Here’s a look at ten pies that have upped the city’s pizza ante.
The margherita at Dry Milano
The margherita at Dry Milano — Photo courtesy of Luigi Insolvibile
Part of what made Dry Milano such a trailblazer was the delicate crust that’s at once soft and sturdy, crafted from a magical coupling of type 0 and type 1 flour followed by a 48-hour leavening. Six years and counting later, both the original location and the second outpost, which opened in 2016, are always abuzz.
Today, that dreamy dough is kneaded by the deft hands of Lorenzo Sirabella, who honed his talent under Neapolitan maestro Enzo Coccia. Dry Milano’s margherita is a veritable slice of Milan’s pizza history. The pie that revolutionized the city’s pizza culture features fior di latte, tomatoes, basil, and Pugliese olive oil – its epic simplicity is an example of the less-is-more philosophy.
For a little extra oomph, order a side of stewed onions with anchovies and dab on as much or a little as you wish.
La ventricina at Crosta – Forni con cucina
Simone Lombardi’s la ventricina pizza at Crosta — Photo courtesy of Crosta – Forni con cucina
In early 2019, Simone Lombardi (Dry Milano’s original pizzaiolo) partnered with baker Giovanni Mineo to open Crosta – Forni con cucina, where they craft sensational loaves, pizzas and sweets from fine Italian grains, mother yeasts and seasonal ingredients. Dinner is all about Lombardi’s playful pies with “la ventricina,” a nod to his heritage, being one of the most notable.
“My mother is Mexican,” explains Lombardi. “The ventricina pizza is a meeting of flavors that bring me back to my origins.”
The pie cleverly plays on the contrasts between zesty coriander and pineapple, which has been cut into cubes and baked to enhance its sweetness. The ventricina sausage adds a spicy note typical of Mexican cuisine while the dough itself is a mix of soft wheat, Piedmontese rye and Sicilian durum wheat.
The pomo d’oro at Lievità
The pomo d’oro at Lievità — Photo courtesy of Lievità
Lievità is currently three outposts strong after the original opened in 2015. Pizzaiolo Giorgio Caruso, a Caserta native, is an apprentice of the “new Neapolitan school.” Among his Neapolitan-inspired pies are at least four different iterations of a margherita that brilliantly mesh different combos of dairy and tomato.
The pomo d’oro is topped with sweet, juicy, yet slightly tart yellow tomatoes harvested from the volcanic soil of Mount Vesuvius, Agerola fior di latte, dollops of creamy ricotta and basil. That’s all complemented by a crust as light as a cloud, made from a dough that has been leavened for up to 72 hours. It’s the type of pie that dreams are made of.
Zucca e porcini at Berberè
Zucca e porcini pizza at Berberé — Photo courtesy of Berberé
When it comes to pizza, Calabrian brothers Matteo and Salvatore Aloe set a new benchmark. If the name Berberè, a punchy Ethiopian spice blend, is telling of their philosophy, it should come as no surprise that their pies pack flair. Instead of adhering to existing pizza standards, the brothers created their own set of rules.
In doing so, they have set the bar soaringly high when it comes to dough – guests have a choice of three: classic, a whole meal option (such as kamut, farro or enkir), and one made from a starch hydrolysis whereby the leavening occurs without any added yeast, resulting in a flavorful sourdough. All the crusts are light, crunchy, pillowy and just downright satisfying.
The delightful zucca e porcini pie couples sweet pumpkin with those earthy meaty mushrooms along with fior di latte, Taleggio shavings, and some woodsy rosemary. The share-style pies are pre-sliced into eight pieces, so Italians, who usually use cutlery to dig into whole pies, have no qualms about conquering them with their hands.
This pie is a fall/winter offering, so if you drop in during the off-season, opt for the mortadella Zivieri with crushed potatoes and Asiago cheese.
The margherotta at Da Zero
Da Zero’s margherotta — Photo courtesy of Jaclyn DeGiorgio
Cilento, like Naples, is located in Campania – in the province of Salerno to be precise. And also like Naples, Cilento is known for its pizza. Pizza Cilentana has been crafted from local grains since as far back as antiquity, and Da Zero makes some of the finest.
The dough is characterized by a high water percentage that makes it light, airy and remarkably digestible. The margherotta is a playful twist on the typical margherita, made with San Marzano tomatoes and Agerola fior di latte, two ingredients emblematic of Campania.
In true pizza Cilentana style, the pie is topped with shredded goat cacioricotta (a cheese produced in Cilento) and finished with ‘nduja di Spilinga, a spicy spreadable pork salami typical of Calabria that adds a dandy red-hot kick.
Franco Pepe’s margherita sbagliata at Identità Golose Milano
Franco Pepe’s margarita sbagliata at Identità Golose Milano — Photo courtesy of Jaclyn DeGiorgio
Everyone eats pizza in Italy, but only the most ardent food-focused travelers are privy to the ultimate pizza mecca: Pepe In Grani in Caiazzo. Here, pizzaiolo Franco Pepe began a revolution, reviving indigenous local grains as well as working closely with small producers to source optimal ingredients.
In doing so, Pepe helped revive a sleepy town that had no choice but to open its doors to pizza pilgrims who traveled from far and wide to sample his esteemed pies. Pepe’s margherita sbagliata (“incorrect margherita”) offers a twist on the classic: PDO buffalo mozzarella, purée of Riccio heirloom tomatoes, a basil reduction and olive oil atop the delightful thick-rimmed pie.
When culinary juggernaut Identità Golose opened Identità Golose Milano, an international gastronomic hub, in October 2018, founder Paolo Marchi called upon Franco Pepe to offer pizza at lunch, and the margherita sbagliata is among them. Pepe himself personally instructed resident pizzaiolo Gabriele Tangari and his team on how to prepare the pies.
“For us at Identità it was imperative to have Franco Pepe’s margherita sbagliata on our menu.” explains Marchi. “The Milanese have never loved pizza. It was too easy to make and it had very humble origins. The Milanese love excellence and innovation, and also wealth, so around the time Pepe revolutionized the most classic of pizzas, pizza had started to make its way into the hearts of the Milanese. But where to taste Pepe’s pizza? 750 kilometers away in Caiazzo, so we have provided it in Milan at Via Romagnosi 3.”
Pie #2 at Marghe
Marghe’s #2 pie — Photo courtesy of Jaclyn DeGiorgio
Marghe, the brainchild of a team of young entrepreneurs, opened its doors three years ago. On the menu at both locations, the Neapolitan-style pizzas are all numbered, not named: one to four are evergreen while seasonal and vegan specials are regularly rotated in, totaling seven or eight choices on any given day.
Pizza #2 is a margherita with buffalo mozzarella and vibrant Piennolo tomatoes, all atop a soft, yet sturdy crust that underwent a 48-hour leavening process.
Completa ai ciccioli fried pizza at Zia Esterina
Completa ai ciccioli fried pizza at Zia Esterina — Photo courtesy of Jaclyn DeGiorgio
Esteemed Neapolitan pizzaiolo Gino Sorbillo has set up shop a few times over in Milan, and his “pizza fritta” packs plenty of pizzazz. Although it’s been said to have already found its way into the hands and hearts of Neapolitans in the early 19th century, fried pizza catapulted into the spotlight after World War II as the economically trying times rendered traditional pizza too expensive.
So, instead, Neapolitan pizzaioli and their wives took to the streets to fry up some dough. These puffy pockets – either round and plain or folded into half-moons filled with less costly ingredients such as fatty pork cracklings (ciccioli) and ricotta – appeared more plentiful than they actually were due to their inflated size.
The fried pizza tradition continues today, though the fillings are significantly more substantial. While there are a few options to choose from at Zia Esterina, the completa ai ciccioli is stuffed with pork cracklings and ricotta along with some tomatoes and provolone, a medley of flavors that dance in your mouth after each gooey crispy bite.
Note: In the interest of spreading the pizzaiolo love, Sorbillo gets just one slot on the list, but his aforementioned Lievito Madre al Duomo is also worth a visit.
Pizza alla pala from Panificio Davide Longoni at Mercato del Suffragio
Pizza alla pala on display at Panificio Davide Longoni at Mercato del Suffragio — Photo courtesy of Jaclyn DeGiorgio
Arguably Milan’s most revered bread whisperer, Davide Longoni opened an outpost of his beloved eponymous forno at Mercato del Suffragio, an abandoned 1950’s covered market that underwent a major revamp and reopened in 2015.
These days, Longoni has entrusted the pizza to the hands of Emanuele Romanelli and Andrea Sambito, whose pillowy pizza alla pala (Roman-style flatbread pizza) is sold by the slice, so you can get as much or as little as you want – an optimal way to sample a few.
Longoni played a significant role in reviving the market and helped curate the vendors, so the pizzas are usually topped with ingredients sold by the market’s artisans. From basic margherita and marinara to eggplant parmigiana to anchovies, peppers and stracciatella, they have a pizza for everyone. In the evening, the duo prepares round pies made from an inventive whole-wheat-based dough.
Steamed pizza at Amor
Max Alajmo’s pizza al vapore — Photo courtesy of Lido Vannucchi
Max Alajmo, chef of the three-Michelin-starred Le Calandre near Padua, invented “pizza al vapore,” or steamed pizza, an unbelievably soft doughy delectation that became a staple at his Venice restaurant.
It took him two years to develop the recipe, and he even received a patent for his innovative method. The dough contains a smidgen of yeast and once it has leavened naturally, it’s cooked inside a steam oven. Due to the presence of water, the dough grows and expands resulting in an airy, light crust.
In April 2019, the Alajmo brothers inaugurated Amor in Milan, a new fast casual dining concept where the steamed pizza stands front and center. The six versions on offer include a classic margherita, as well as an amatriciana, named for the classic Roman red sauce, with mozzarella and pecorino.