4 questions regarding Chicago Style

[PizzaEater]

I'm not big on Chicago Style pizza myself, however my daughter is, therefor I want to make a C-style for her.  I have 4 questions, at least for now.

1. For a family of 4, generally, what size pie should I shoot for?
2. What Thickness Factor, again in general, would be a target?
3. If I'm going to buy a pan, what should I look for?
4. If you have a favorite pan, where can I get one?

I have found quite a few web site that sell deep dish pans, however some are iron, steel, aluminum and the list goes on.  I'm just looking for a little direction.

Thanks
Dave

[foodblogger]

1. For a family of 4, generally, what size pie should I shoot for?

I would make a 12 inch deep dish and have a salad or some minestrone soup.

2. What Thickness Factor, again in general, would be a target?

This was a problem I encountered when I was trying to scale my deep dish dough to multiple sized pans.  With Pete-zza's help I came up with this formula:
Dough weight = [(pi X R X R) + (2 X pi X R) X 1.25] X .127
You can see how I scaled it in this post:
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,2620.msg22895.html#msg22895

3. If I'm going to buy a pan, what should I look for?

The best pan would be one that has been in use at a deep dish place and is well seasoned.  It should have straight up and down sides - NOT ANGLED.  You can find pans like this on ebay.  If you are looking to buy new someone else might be able to suggest a brand that meets the requirements.  I have bought all my pans either directly from pizza places (Gino's East when it was on Superior Street) or from ebay.

Best of luck.  If you read through the posts in the Chicago Style section of this forum you should be making amazing pizza in no time.

[nostalgia]

NOT ANGLED.

Out of curiousity, why not?  Is it a tradition thing?  I made my Chicago-style pie in a cast iron pan with slightly sloped sides, and had excellent results.

-Joe

[foodblogger]

Out of curiousity, why not?  Is it a tradition thing?  I made my Chicago-style pie in a cast iron pan with slightly sloped sides, and had excellent results.

I wouldn't dispute that you can get excellent results in a cast iron skillet.  You can also get drunk as hell by drinking Everclear but it just isn't the same as single malt Scotch.

[nostalgia]

I wouldn't dispute that you can get excellent results in a cast iron skillet.  You can also get drunk as hell by drinking Everclear but it just isn't the same as single malt Scotch.

I would disagree with that analogy.  I wouldn't enjoy Everclear.  I would enjoy the heck out of a good single malt   In my humble opinion, I'm going to enjoy making and eating a Chicago pie, regardless of what kind of pan it comes out of.

So is it just that a 'real' Chicago pie isn't made in a slope-sided pan, or does it change the pie somehow?

Thanks,

-Joe

[foodblogger]

So is it just that a 'real' Chicago pie isn't made in a slope-sided pan, or does it change the pie somehow?

I think the answer is yes on both accounts. 

[nostalgia]

I think the answer is yes on both accounts. 

Ok, so the former is tradition.  How about the latter?  Does a pie with perfect 90 degree crust taste different?

I'm not mocking - I'm seriously curious.  If it's only tradition, I don't care what kind of pan I make the pie in.  If it's going to change the pie somehow, I'm all about trying new things.

-Joe

[Pete-zza]

I believe that foodblogger may be correct that a straight-sided pan may be more authentic for a classic Chicago deep-dish pie, but as I noted in another post today someone is buying the sloping-sided deep-dish pans also. See, for example, http://www.pizzatools.com/productdisplay.aspx?catid=53.

Peter

[foodblogger]

Does a pie with perfect 90 degree crust taste different?

Probably not, but it looks different.  A pie made in a cast iron skillet has a different crust than one made in a thin steel or aluminum pan from my experience.

I'm not mocking - I'm seriously curious.

No worries.  I've got thick skin and some might even say a thick head.

If it's only tradition, I don't care what kind of pan I make the pie in.  If it's going to change the pie somehow, I'm all about trying new things.

It may or may not mean anything to you to have a pie baked in an authentic pan.  It means something to me but I can be a little silly some times.  Its a tradition thing and in my opinion, if you are going to the trouble of ordering a pan, rather than making do with what you have in your house or can buy at Wal Mart, buy the right thing.

[DKM]

A slopped pan and straight edged pan bake differently and can effect cooking time.

DKM