Cracker Crust & Precooking Dough

[Les]

I did a search here at PMF looking for everything said about the cracker crust hoping to find what defines it, what it is used for, and a successful recipe.  If it is here, I didn't quite get it.

Coincidentally, in looking around the web I've seen some chefs recommend cooking dough for a few minutes (I suppose how long depends on the oven temp), before layering on cheese, sauce and toppings, and then putting in back in the oven for the final bake.

I'd appreciate anyone's experience both about the so-called cracker crust, and precooking dough.

[Foccaciaman]

Actually Les there are some good cracker crust recipes here, unfortunately I don't remeber where or who it was. Steve, Randy, or DKM. But it is there.  

[Pierre]

Les, there are several head topics dealing with the Thin Cracker Crust. I did a search also and have also noticed that they are not found with the search funktion.

I looked myself though and here are a few:

Pizza Inn Thin Crust Recipe:

http://www.pizzamaking.com/yabbse/index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=89


DKM's Thin Crust:

http://www.pizzamaking.com/yabbse/index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=311


Best ever thin "cracker" crust pizza!

http://www.pizzamaking.com/yabbse/index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=105

I am sure there are a few more threads that have some newer recipes, some made with a food processor. I am sure that Steve or DKM can mention them.

Good luck and happy reading....

Pierre

[Les]

Les, there are several head topics dealing with the Thin Cracker Crust.  . . . Good luck and happy reading....

Pierre

Thanks Pierre, I wouldn't have thought to make crust that way.  Can't wait to try it.  I'm learning so much from you guys!  

[Pierre]

Les, here are a few more threads about cracker crusts.....

Food processor for cracker crust

http://www.pizzamaking.com/yabbse/index.php?board=6;action=display;threadid=258


Pizza brain

http://www.pizzamaking.com/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=371

[DKM]

The food processor one is really good.

DKM

[Pete-zza]

I recently tried for the very first time to make a thin, cracker-crust pizza.  I used one of DKM's recipes from this site (I don't exactly remember which recipe), scaled to about 14-15 ounces of dough.  I noticed at the time from the recipe and comments of other posters as well that there were many possible ways of making the dough and baking the pizza.  I chose to refrigerate the dough for about 24 hours and to bake the pizza on a pizza stone that I had preheated to about 500 degrees F for about an hour.  It was one of the rare times that I actually used a rolling pin to roll out pizza dough.  Rather than throwing away some of the excess rolled-out dough, I simply rolled up the dough at the outer edges to make a somewhat thicker rim.  Since I can't recall when I last had a cracker-crust pizza, if ever, I have absolutely no idea of how well I did in trying to emulate that style of pizza.  The pizza tasted fine and reheated well also.  I did enjoy it and plan to try making another one again.  Next time, I will do a little more homework in studying the recipes available on this site.   In any event, the photo below shows the pizza as it turned out.

Peter

[giotto]

Les:

Welcome aboard.  I would strongly recommend heating the dough for a minute prior to putting on any toppings.  The reasons are many, here's a couple:

1) It forms tiny bubbles that separate the top from the bottom layer of the dough, giving a wonderful airy crust to the entire slice of pizza.  If you think of a cracker, it is not just thin or cardboard like; but it has a slightly airy texture.  This is a sure way to achieve your goal.

2) If you start on a pan (holed or screen is best), and put it on the bottom rack first, you will never have to mess with the 600 ways to avoid using a vacuum to cleanup the mess on your stone, tiles or oven.  In fact, you will not even have to worry about how to treat your peel first to place your pizza in the oven.  No matter what source you use to put or hold your pizza in the oven, it is so easy to work with once the dough is heated in the oven.

1 minute should be plenty to allow the pizza to move around the pan and form bubbles.  By the way, I noticed that one of the members of the USA Pizza team pre-heated his crust in Italy as well; so no need to feel anything less than a pro doing it this way.  

Example of what slices with airy structure will look like along the side:
(http://home.comcast.net/~keck-foundation1/slicebottom.JPG)

Click here to see an example of my dough after 1 minute in the oven:
http://www.pizzamaking.com/yabbse/index.php?board=5;action=display;threadid=524;start=msg4835#msg4835

[DKM]

You know I haven't made a cracker thin crust in ages.

May do that one after my deep dish this weekend.

DKM