New Haven White Clam Apizza
The legendary apizza from Wooster Street in New Haven. Ultra-thin, coal-fired crust with beautiful char, topped with fresh littleneck clams, loads of garlic, olive oil, oregano, and Pecorino Romano. No tomato sauce - just pure, simple perfection.
Equipment Needed
Instructions
Make the dough: Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand 5-10 minutes until foamy. Combine flour and salt, add yeast mixture and olive oil. Knead 10 minutes until very smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise 1-2 hours.
Prepare the clams: Scrub clams thoroughly under cold water. Discard any that don't close when tapped. Steam clams in a pot with 1/2 cup water until they open, about 5-7 minutes. Remove meat and chop roughly. Reserve 1/4 cup clam juice.
Make garlic oil: Combine olive oil and minced garlic in a small bowl. Add the reserved clam juice and mix well. This will be your sauce base.
Preheat oven: Place a pizza steel or stone on the top rack and preheat to the highest temperature your oven allows (500-550°F) for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour. The key to New Haven apizza is extreme heat.
Shape the pizza: Divide dough in half. Stretch each portion very thin into an oblong shape (New Haven pizzas are typically oval, not round). The dough should be almost translucent in places.
Assemble: Transfer stretched dough to a cornmeal-dusted peel. Brush generously with garlic-clam oil. Scatter chopped clams evenly over the surface. Sprinkle with Pecorino Romano, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
Bake: Slide pizza onto the hot steel and bake 6-8 minutes until the crust is deeply charred in spots - this char is essential to authentic New Haven apizza. Don't be afraid of dark spots.
Finish: Remove from oven and immediately drizzle with more olive oil. Scatter fresh parsley over the top.
Serve: Let rest just 1 minute (New Haven pizza is served almost immediately), then slice and serve with lemon wedges on the side. A squeeze of lemon is traditional.
💡 Pro Tips & Variations
- Pepe's and Sally's: This pizza was made famous by Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana (1925) and Sally's Apizza on Wooster Street in New Haven.
- Canned clams shortcut: In a pinch, use two 6.5 oz cans of chopped clams, drained. Not as good as fresh, but still delicious.
- Pizza steel vs stone: A pizza steel conducts heat better and will get you closer to the coal-oven char of authentic New Haven apizza.
- The char is essential: Don't be afraid of black spots on the crust. That leopard-spotted char is what makes New Haven apizza special.
- No mozzarella: Traditional white clam apizza has NO mozzarella - just Pecorino Romano. The mozzarella version is called a "mootz."
- Bacon option: Some places add crispy bacon. It's not traditional but it's delicious.