next »

[vcb]

I've been using the search tool on here, but have been unable to find relevant postings
on making a deep dish "butter crust" like they make at Lou Malnati's.

Does anyone have links to the postings or can you list the appropriate modifications to a dough recipe?

Thanks.

[vcb]

I've been using the search tool on here, but have been unable to find relevant postings
on making a deep dish "butter crust" like they make at Lou Malnati's.

Does anyone have links to the postings or can you list the appropriate modifications to a dough recipe?

Thanks.

For those reading along, I found one link so far:  http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,5590.0.html

Please post additional links if you find some.
Thanks.

Ed

[goosen1]

That is the recipe that I use for the butter crust dough. Still to this day I use that recipe.

Goose

[loowaters]

Ed, a couple things about that recipe that you linked to.  First, the reduced hydration takes in to account the amount of water contained within the butter.  Second, you could use the same formula that you used for that first pie you did based on this recipe, http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,4070.0.html , and just swap out the oils for butter flavored shortening (Crisco).  I believe Alton Brown made the statement that butter flavored shortening has more butter flavor than butter itself  .  The shortening would have no water.

I don't know if Malnati's actually makes a different dough for their "butter crust" but I have seen the dough get brushed with melted butter before any cheese is laid in and it's also probable that they'd grease the bottom with butter as well before placing the dough in the pan.  I'm not sure but it's possible that's all they do for the "butter crust".

Loo

[vcb]

Ed, a couple things about that recipe that you linked to.  First, the reduced hydration takes in to account the amount of water contained within the butter.  Second, you could use the same formula that you used for that first pie you did based on this recipe, http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,4070.0.html , and just swap out the oils for butter flavored shortening (Crisco).  I believe Alton Brown made the statement that butter flavored shortening has more butter flavor than butter itself  .  The shortening would have no water.

I don't know if Malnati's actually makes a different dough for their "butter crust" but I have seen the dough get brushed with melted butter before any cheese is laid in and it's also probable that they'd grease the bottom with butter as well before placing the dough in the pan.  I'm not sure but it's possible that's all they do for the "butter crust".

Loo

Thanks, Loo.

A few thoughts and concerns about using butter - 
When people try to make pie crusts and biscuit dough, they often use a method of "cutting in" small diced cubes of very cold butter into the flour to create a more tender flaky crust.  Using melted butter would have a different effect, making a crispier, but more crumbly/mealy textured crust, right?
I'm not sure what texture would work best for deep dish pizza. Would a flaky crust be too fragile?
Maybe the solution is to use a combination of corn oil with cold cubes of butter.
Am I overthinking this, Loo?

on a side note - I've been using the butter flavor crisco with a bit of corn oil to grease the bottom of my pans. I've been getting nice crispy crusts.

[Pete-zza]

vcb,

Some time ago, I experimented with a three-layer lamination of skins with frozen pieces of butter between the layers, specifically for a deep-dish crust. I reported on my results at Reply 22 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,1585.msg14755/topicseen.html#msg14755.

Peter

[BTB]

If you want a "butter crust" pizza like they offer as an option at Lou Malnati's, you simply brush on melted butter on the dough skin after it is pressed out and sitting in the pan.  I've seen them do this on at least 2 TV programs in which their pizza preparation was featured and this was confirmed to me by a longtime Malnati employee at their Lincolnwood restaurant at which I most often frequent.  And anyone can confirm this, too, by simply asking your waitress upon ordering your pizza.

After many times of ordering their deep dish with the butter crust option (think it's 50 cents to $1 extra), I've come to prefer ordering it without the buttercrust.  Just a personal preference, I guess.  But in my homemade deep dish pizzas, I've come to prefer and regularly add some melted and cooled butter mixed right into the dough ingredients.  Doing so adds a nice rich and flavorful effect to the crust in my estimation and all those taste testers of mine agree.  I had in the long ago past experimented with cold pieces or cubes, but the results were definitely not as good as using the melted butter.  With the cold non-melted pieces of butter, there is a definite tendency to "overwork" the dough as it generally requires at least a little more "mixing," which is fatal to good deep dish crust preparation.

But as I always advocate, try it one way or the other and see what you and yours like the best.      --BTB

[loowaters]

Ah-ha!  Just as I had suspected.  Thanks BTB.

Loo

[buncleboo]

hi my name is john bristol and my solution is to use the Crisco butter shortening or do what i do,brush your pan and dough with butter and i had good results everytime.

[NepaBill]

Just use one of these

http://www.cheesepowder.com/420/asp-jsfiles/producttemplate2.asp?Field1=SubcategoryNumber&Field2=ProductName&Field3=*&Field4=*&Display1=Flavors&Display2=Butter&ProdCat=Flavors&ProdSubCat=Butter&SearchType=10

[BTB]

That link just lead me to this statement:  "No matches, sorry!"

[vcb]

That link just lead me to this statement:  "No matches, sorry!"

Try copying his entire link instead of what is highlighted.

It goes to a web page selling butter flavorings for baking purposes. some of them are "natural".

[BTB]

Am unable to do so.  I've never seen a link like that.  Must me my system, eh?   

[Pete-zza]

BTB,

If you click on http://www.cheesepowder.com/sections/products/products.html and then click on "Butter" under "Flavors", you will get to the right place.

Peter

[BTB]

OK, did that.  Don't know what the product is or how to use it.  Is it just powdered butter?  Was there a suggestion on how to use it.  Seems I can get something similar from most grocery stores.  Suggest instead  brushing on melted butter rather than sending away for this product.

[FLAVORMAN]

BTB,

If you try to experiment with some of the products mentioned in mentioned thread, be very careful. Spray Dried Butter will have carriers to keep the fat encapsulated. You will probably have to use more than straight butter and might find off flavor character from the carriers. The liquid flavors will be very intense and are used for commercial products. If you decide to purchase a liquid natural or w.o.n.f flavor make sure you get some useage levels for baking purposes. I think I would go with the other concepts that have been mentioned since you asked your question..I sure miss Lincolnwood and Buffalo Grove Lou's but sure am happy with the deep dish we make at home thanks to this website..p.s your semolina hit the nail on the head...cheers