| Colorado-style pizza | |
| Alternate Name: | Colorado pizza, Colorado mountain pie |
| Country: | United States |
| Region: | Colorado |
| Creator: | Chip Bair |
| Type: | Pizza |
| Main Ingredient: | Pizza dough, tomato sauce, cheese, honey |
Colorado-style pizza, also called Colorado pizza or Colorado mountain pie, is a style of pizza made with a characteristically thick, braided crust topped with heavy amounts of sauce and cheese. It is traditionally served by the pound, with a side of honey as a condiment.
Colorado-style pizza was invented by Chip Bair after he purchased the Beau Jo's pizza restaurant in Idaho Springs, Colorado, in 1973. Bair wanted to create a new style of pizza and thought that a braided crust would be visually appealing to customers. The pizza was successful, and Beau Jo's became a regional chain.[1]
Colorado-style pizza is made with a thick, braided whole-wheat crust that has been sweetened by adding honey to the dough.[2] [3] It is topped with a sweet tomato sauce and heavy amounts of whole milk Mozzarella cheese and other optional toppings.[4] The braided crust makes the pizza more stable and prevents the thick toppings from becoming messy. It has some similarities to Chicago-style pizza, but is sweeter and has a shorter cooking time.[5]
Colorado pies are small in diameter being typically about eight inches.[6] It is traditionally served by the pound due to the weight of each slice's toppings.[7] Typical restaurants offer pies in sizes between one and five pounds.[8] Honey is commonly used as a side for dipping the pizza crust in as a "built in dessert".