I started his thread as many readers have "Secrets" from when they worked in Pizza Shops. I knew people who owned a Pizza Shop about 12 years. I was a regular customer. Here are some of the "secrets" I learned from them..may shed some insight to some people.
They sold a "Chicago" style pizza.but it really did not have the real thick crust as the original Chicago. They bought steel pizza pans with the stright up sides. I dont know the dough recipe, they made it in a big Hobart. Then they would let it rise and cut off chunks and weight them. These would be patted into balls and then put on sheet pans in the walk in refer. for the next days pizzas. The next day they would as they put it "open" the pizzas
they would take the balls of dough and flatten them with a fist then run them once thru the sheeter. Then on the floured table using the heel of the hand go round the edge making the pizza bigger and bigger till it fit the pan. They would put the sauce and cheese on then set them in the walk in where a little door was . When a customer ordered a pizza they would pull out the pizza in the pan size wanted and put the toppings on. Then into the Blodget oven about 450F and after a few minutes move the pans around in the oven as they knew the hotter spots. After 15 minutes or so out came the pan and the brought out the pizza and boxed and cut it.. I did grind up cheese for them sometimes to help out and they used
a blend of 1 part mild chedder to 4 parts mozzerella
because the chedder helped the cheese not to burn with pizzas that took a longer time to cook like the combination pizzas. The pans were wiped out and after use were blackened. I bought a pan tonight from Sur La Table "Chicago Metallic" commercial 14 inches with stright up 1 " sides for 15.95 that reminds me of the pans.
