The Great American Pizza Bake is celebrated throughout the second week of February every year. This year, it takes place from February 9 to 15. Did you know this delicious dish can be made simply and quickly in the comfort of your own home? That’s what this week is all about. The Great American Pizza Bake is a chance for everyone to unleash their inner pizza baker!
History of Great American Pizza Bake
Pizza has existed since ancient times in some way, shape, or form. Different cultures made different versions of basic flatbreads with a variety of toppings. The word pizza was originally recorded in Gaeta in 997 A.D. and then spread throughout Central and Southern Italy. Pizza was mostly consumed in Italy and by Italian emigrants. After World War II, when Allied forces stationed in Italy began to appreciate pizza and other Italian delicacies, this changed.
A galette flatbread was referred to as a pizza in 16th-century Naples. Alexandre Dumas detailed the variety of pizza toppings in 1843. According to legend, on June 11, 1889, Neapolitan pizza maker Raffaele Esposito developed the “Pizza Margherita,” a pizza topped with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, to honor the queen consort of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, and to represent the national colors of Italy as seen on the Italian flag. Pizza has transformed into a bread and tomato delicacy that is frequently topped with cheese. Until the late 19th or early 20th century, however, the meal was sweet rather than savory.
Pizza was popular among substantial Italian populations in New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Trenton, and St. Louis when Italian immigrants first arrived in the United States in the late 19th century. Shakey’s Pizza, founded in 1954 in Sacramento, California; Pizza Hut, founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas; and Little Caesars, founded in 1959 in Garden City, Michigan, were among the first pizza franchises. Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Little Caesars, and Papa John’s were later restaurant chains in the dine-in pizza sector. Pizza is now widely available nationally, thanks to take-and-bake pizzerias and supermarket chilled or frozen pizzas. On any given day, 13% of the US population consumes pizza.
The Great American Pizza Bake is a week that encourages everyone to try and bake pizzas at home. With a straightforward recipe and a small ingredient list, making pizzas at home is a fun and easy way to consume yummy food.
Great American Pizza Bake timeline
Persian soldiers bake flatbread with cheese and dates on the back of their shields.
The word ‘pizza’ is first documented in Gaeta.
Pizza first appears in parts of the United States.
The Chicago deep-dish pizza is invented.
Great American Pizza Bake FAQs
Is pizza healthy to eat?
While eating pizza every day is probably not the best idea, it does contain a good amount of protein in it.
Which country eats the most pizza?
The answer might surprise you. Norway eats the most pizza out of any other country in the world.
Which is the best pizza in the world?
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele in Naples is considered to have one of the best pizzas in the world.
Great American Pizza Bake Activities
Bake a pizza
This one is a no-brainer. Get your ingredients and recipe together and bake your own pizza. You can make whatever type you want with whatever toppings you want, the pizza world is your oyster!
Eat a pizza
Even if you can’t cook yourself, get one of your friends or family to bake a homemade pizza. You could get the ingredients and turn it into a fun group activity too. Eat a homemade pizza this Great American Pizza Bake week.
Share a pizza
Spread the pizza love! Bake pizzas for your loved ones and share the joy with them. You could even just send them their favorite local pizza or the ingredients to bake their own pizzas if they live far away.
5 Interesting Facts About Pizza That You Should Know
Americans love it
Americans eat approximately 350 slices of pizza every second.
There’s a whole month for it
October has been National Pizza Month since 1987.
It’s a weekend dish
Saturday is the most popular day to order pizza.
It can be pricey
The most expensive pizza in the world costs $12,000.
There’s a sport for it
Dough-spinning is an official sport at the World Pizza Championships.
Why We Love Great American Pizza Bake
Reminder to D.I.Y.
Nearly anything and everything can be replicated at home, even the most loved dish in the world. This week is a reminder to attempt to make this delicious dish and get into the art of cooking.
Reason to indulge
As yummy as it is, pizza is by no means a healthy meal option. Many of us restrict ourselves from eating it too much and too often to avoid negative health effects. The Great American Pizza Bake is a time to cheat on these diets and just feed the heart what it truly desires. It’s important to feed the soul every once in a while.
Explosion of deliciousness
If someone tells us there’s a week dedicated to making and eating pizza, we’re not questioning it. It is one of the most loved dishes globally and learning to make that at home is nothing short of wonderful.
Great American Pizza Bake dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | February 13 | Sunday |
| 2023 | February 12 | Sunday |
| 2024 | February 11 | Sunday |
| 2025 | February 9 | Sunday |
| 2026 | February 8 | Sunday |
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