Skip to content

Pizza has been one of the longest traditions, even if the name pizza didn’t initially come around until after the 19th century. Cheese, sauce, and warm bread become one of the best combinations of foods out there.

Great American Pizza Bake is a great time to celebrate these fantastic and tasty pizzas! And also take the time to learn about pizza’s long history throughout civilization.

How to Celebrate Great American Pizza Bake

Great American Pizza Bake is a week-long holiday inspired by these movements, encouraging people at home to experiment with pizza baking and have control over the ingredients used. Take a look at some of these ideas for celebrating:

Make Pizza at Home

Celebrate Great American Pizza Bake is a time to create tasty pizzas by trying your hand at making dough. There are plenty of recipes online that can help you make a quick dough with ease.

Experiment with creating a home-made sauce, and add as many or as little toppings as you’d like. Take this week to have a pizza-making party with your friends and family and maybe even host a contest to see who made the best pizza.

Invite Others to Join

Host a pizza baking event at home, at school or in another space that can be enjoyed with the local community. Share this holiday on social media using that hashtag and let your friends know it’s time to bake!

History of Great American Pizza Bake

Dating as far back as 8000 B.C.E. people in ancient times began mixing flour into doughand baking it into flatbreads. Back then, the Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks founded the idea of using bread as a “plate” for an assortment of toppings, such as stews, thick broth, meats, vegetables, and fruits.

One of the critical elements that turned the baked flatbreads with toppings into pizza was the tomato, which was brought to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century. The yellow cherry tomato was initially believed to be poisonous, which caused many to use the plants as a type of decoration.

However, once the plague hit, people took chances and gambled with the fruit, which to their surprise didn’t kill them. Finally, the last ingredient that made pizza is mozzarella made from buffalos, introduced to the southern region of Campania in the sixth century C.E.

While flatbreads were sold initially on merchant streets, Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba in Naples, Italy is regarded as the world’s first pizzeria in 1738.

Later on down the road, pizza arrived in the U.S. with the first wave of Italian immigrants in the late 19th century. As pizza became popular in the United States, in the early 1980s, Wolfgang Puck, the German-born chef in Los Angeles, gained national attention for his gourmet pizzas, with ingredients such as duck sausage, goat cheese, and pesto.

Also on ...

View all holidays

Chocolate Day

Rich, velvety sweetness, cocoa's delectable cousin tempts with its luscious allure — a universal favorite that transcends borders and brings joy.

National Pizza Day

Imagine sinking your teeth into a hot, crispy, cheesy slice of heaven. Each bite is a flavor explosion, transporting you to pizza paradise.

Super Bowl Sunday

It's Super Bowl Sunday! Grab some friends, your favorite snacks, and get ready to cheer on your team. Whether you're a fan of the halftime show or just in it for the commercials, there's something for everyone to enjoy!

World Marriage Day

Finding your ultimate teammate in life, someone to laugh, love and share adventures with is like discovering the perfect hidden gem.

View all holidays

We think you may also like...

National Sausage Pizza Day

Pepperoni gets the spotlight too often, but sausage is a great pizza topping. Make a sausage pizza at home, order delivery, or try a new kind of sausage.

National Pizza Month

Throughout National Pizza Month, play around with new pizza options like making it yourself, trying a new pizza joint, or trying single-serve bagel pizzas.

National Pizza Day

Imagine sinking your teeth into a hot, crispy, cheesy slice of heaven. Each bite is a flavor explosion, transporting you to pizza paradise.

Calendar

Join the community!

Password requirements

  • At least one capital letter
  • At least one lowercase letter
  • At least one number
  • 8 or more characters

Welcome back!

Log in to get personalized recommendations, follow events and topics you love, and never miss a day again!