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.
History
Beau Jo's Pizza in Idaho Springs
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][5] The braided crust makes the pizza more stable and prevents the thick toppings from becoming messy.[6] It has some similarities to Chicago-style pizza, but is sweeter and has a shorter cooking time.[7]
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.[1][4] 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[4] as a "built in dessert".[3]
