In this series, we’re exploring various types of pizza –from crackery thin Milwaukee style pies to Chicago-style deep dish – and sussing out the secret sauce behind each one. View the full list of features in the Knead to Know series here.

As humans, we love to categorize things. It’s our brains’ way to simplify a complex world and it  helps us to function in our everyday lives, especially when exposed to new experiences. But some pizzas don’t fit neatly into a particular category.

In some cases, these are artisan pies created by chefs and pizza masters to exhibit a very particular set of textural or flavor qualities. Often that results in a pizza hybrid of sorts, a unique pie that exhibits qualities of more than one style. 

These pizzas are all unique unto themselves. But there’s one commonality they all share: they are all delicious.

This week, we spent some time in the kitchen at Wy’East Pizza, where bread aficionado and self-proclaimed pizza geek James Durawa takes us through the processes that make Wy’East’s pizza crust so unique.  [Video: Courtney Bondar]

Wy'east Pizza  
5601 W. Vliet St., (414) 943-3278
wyeastpizza.com
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When asked, owners James Durawa and Ann Brock might simply describe their pizza as "West Coast style" (after all, their business kicked off in Oregon); but when you take a good hard look, their artisan pies pull inspiration from multiple styles, including New York and Neapolitan. The result? A soft, foldable crust with a nice chew in the middle and crispy edges on the exterior.

More unique pies

Each of these pizza spots offers a crust and toppings unlike any others in the city. 

Brute Pizza
316 N. Milwaukee St., (414) 231-3996
brutemke.com
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Brute’s pizza was created by two chefs who wanted to push the boundaries of what pizza could be. They started off with the intention of creating a hybrid pizza that offered the chew of a Neapolitan crust, the breadiness of New York style and the crispness of a thin crust. The resulting pies are unlike any other.  

Each pie sports a distinctively flavored sourdough crust which is soft and light with a moderate chew and a beautiful crispness on the exterior. There's also a little brushing of secret umami magic on the edges of each crust.

Capri di Nuovo
8340 W. Beloit Rd., West Allis, (414) 543-5510
capridinuovo.com
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This Italian restaurant offers a number of crust options from Milwaukee style and hand-tossed to pan pizza and what they call Chicago style. But their spin on the Windy City’s deep dish is unique unto itself with a double crust (like a Chicago stuffed pizza) and a thin, crisp Milwaukee style crust.

Flourchild Pizza
722 N. Milwaukee St., (414) 488-2029
flourchild.pizza 
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Flourchild pizza begins with a cold fermented crust that combines the best of New York and New Haven styles, with a whiff of Detroit style thrown in for good measure. Signature toppings include some classic options along with creative seasonal pies and pizzas inspired by comfort food dishes (like crunch wraps and crab rangoon).