Brazilian pizza

Developed from São Paulo's large Italian immigrant community from the early 20th century, evolving into a distinct national tradition known for a thinner, often drier crust than Italian or American norms and a wide range of toppings well beyond the Italian canon, including catupiry (a mild, creamy Brazilian cheese) and corn, and a notable general avoidance of tomato sauce touching the crust directly on some varieties.

• Thinner, often drier crust than Italian or American styles, with minimal oil in the dough
• Wide-ranging, often distinctly Brazilian toppings such as catupiry cheese, corn, hearts of palm, and quail eggs
• Frequently served with a sweet dessert pizza course (chocolate, banana) as part of the same meal

Hydration

55-62 percent of flour weight (typically 58 percent of flour weight)

Salt

2-2.5 percent of flour weight (typically 2.2 percent of flour weight)

Bulk fermentation

2-4 hours (typically 3 hours)

Mixing: Machine mixed

Kneading: Moderate kneading

Shaping: Hand-stretched to a thin, large round

Expected crumb: Thin, minimal

Tolerance: Generally lower-oil than Italian or American doughs, giving a drier finished crust

Calculate this dough with the dough calculator →

• All-purpose flourCommonly usedLimited evidence

  The standard base flour ('farinha de trigo tipo 1') used by most Brazilian pizzerias.

• Bread flourAcceptable substituteLimited evidence

  A stronger alternative giving more chew.

1. Stretch the dough thin
2. Apply a light sauce or oil base
3. Apply cheese and toppings
4. Bake
5. Sometimes finish with catupiry or other soft cheese post-bake

Traditional method: Deck oven, moderate-high heat

• Hand stretchingCommonly usedLimited evidence

  Produces the thin, round base typical of most Brazilian pizzeria pizza.

• Finishing touchesCommonly usedLimited evidence

  Preserves delicate post-bake additions, such as a catupiry drizzle, that are common on Brazilian pizzas.

A thin, drier crust supporting a wide, often distinctly Brazilian range of toppings, sometimes finished with a soft, mild cheese

Cut into wedges, often ordered as multiple different pizzas per table to sample varied toppings

Cut into wedges · Shared across multiple pizzas per table is a common convention

Derived from this style’s own structural ingredient data — see the construction order & topping load guide for why order varies by style.

1. Sauce: Cooked tomato sauce, No sauce (bianca style)
2. Melting cheese: Low-moisture mozzarella
3. Primary topping: Cooked chicken, Onion

Adapts reasonably well to a domestic oven with a steel or stone

• Assuming Brazilian pizza follows Italian topping conventions — it has developed a genuinely distinct national topping culture