Pizza in the United States

Pizza arrived in the United States in the early 20th century along with waves of Italian immigrants who settled primarily in the larger cities of the Northeast, such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore.

After American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II, pizza and pizzerias rapidly grew in popularity.

[6][7] Distinct regional types developed in the 20th century, including Buffalo,[8] California, Chicago, Detroit, Greek, New Haven, New York, and St. Louis styles.

Common toppings for pizza in the United States include pepperoni, sausage, salami, ground beef, ham, bacon, olives, mushrooms, onions, peppers, anchovies, chicken, tomatoes, spinach, and pineapple.

American pizza (particularly thin-crust) is made with a very high-gluten flour (often 13–14% protein content) of the type also used to make bagels; this allows the dough to be stretched thinly and thrown vigorously without tearing.