This ain't your momma's pizza, friends.
Most people think of the classic tomato sauce, cheese, and pizza dough combination when they think of pizza, but one New York City pizzeria is shaking up the entire notion— and the internet is divided. Mustard pizza has taken over New York City, the world's pizza capital (you can argue that in the comments section should you feel inclined, but anyone with a handful of marbles upstairs knows this to be true).
Lions & Tigers & Squares, the pizzeria known for pioneering Detroit-style pizza in the heart of the Big Apple's Chelsea neighborhood, received attention nationwide after serving up their own mustard pie. Now the co-founders of Lions & Tigers & Squares and the beloved Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, Francis Garcia and Sal Basille, have crafted their own Trenton-style mustard pizza for the world to see, taste, and argue over. Honestly, it beats arguing over politics and vaccines, so we're here for it.
The creation of this buzzworthy pizza came about when a drunk guy walked into the pizzeria asking for a mushroom pizza (this is so New York), but it was misheard and they thought he was requesting a mustard pie. In the spirit of spontaneity, they put mustard on the pizza with tomato sauce and it became a big hit. Since then, LTS has gained fame and loyal fans in New York City and beyond and has been featured on Thrillist’s Fork Yeah, The Rachael Ray Show, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, among others. At some point we should probably make a list of magical foods that came about from misunderstandings, but for now, we'll focus on mustard pizza.
If you're not in the city or in the mood to schlep, LTS actually shared their mustard pizza recipe with NewsBreak so you can try it at home and argue with your own family members over this clearly existential-meets-faith crisis.
Trenton-Style Mustard Pizza Recipe
Ingredients: Makes one 16-inch pizza, and strangely, isn't serviced in Trenton because LTS is based in Manhattan. But enough poetry already, recipe below.
For the Pizza Dough:
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for bowl
- 3 1/2 cups flour, preferably high-gluten
For the Pizza Sauce:
- One 20-ounce can Italian peeled plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
- 3 pinches salt
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
For the Pizza:
- Pizza Dough, proofed and prepped
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup spicy brown mustard
- Pizza Sauce
- 10 ounces whole-milk mozzarella, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Preparation:
Position the oven rack at the bottom of the oven and set a pizza stone or quarry tiles on top. Preheat oven at the highest temperature (550˚F to 600˚F) for at least 1 hour.
For the dough, in a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, salt, and oil. Mix in the flour by hand until it forms a ball and looks smooth. Remove from bowl, add a little oil to the bowl, then place the dough ball back into the bowl (the oil will keep it from sticking). Cover the bowl with a dish towel or something that will allow the dough to breathe and let it sit until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, for the pizza sauce, pour tomatoes in a bowl and smash with your hand until the consistency of a chunky sauce. Add salt and olive oil.
For the pizza, prepare a pizza peel or any piece of cardboard that’s a 16-inch square. Flour your peel, then begin stretching your dough. Start by pressing dough from the outside and working your way into the middle, trying not to press out all of the air. Once it’s flattened, pick it up and gently toss it back and forth.
Try not to let the center get thin; it’s important the dough is even. Stretch into a 16-inch circle, then put it on the floured peel.
Spread mustard evenly on top of the dough, then spread the pizza sauce. Scatter mozzarella cheese evenly on top, then sprinkle generously with the Pecorino. Carefully slide the pizza on top of your pizza stone or tiles and let cook until cheese has melted and started to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove pizza from the oven and let cool, then slice and serve.
Here's where things can get really wild though— you can switch up the type of mustard you use and the included toppings. Go straight up with sauce and cheese and classic yellow, or go upscale with a dash of dijon and bring your finest French accent to the family argument over this pizza style's legitimacy.
"I do it with grainy French mustard," one internet reviewer writes on Instagram. "I've been doing this for years and I don't know why people have just caught on, but when you ask for very little tomato sauce and then you evenly spread a thin layer of the grainy dijon mustard you buy at the store? Holy crap, that's a whole new type of tangy, salty, textural heaven."