In the previous post, I set forth the recipe I followed to make a "lite" version of DKM's now famous deep-dish pizza. Subsequent to that post, I decided to make a 12-inch version, using the new 12-inch deep-dish pan (the dark PSTK version) I had bought from pizzatools.com. I scaled DKM's recipe down to the 12-inch size and made another "lite" deep-dish pizza from the scaled formulation for the dough. I did everything pretty much the same as the earlier and smaller version in terms of ingredients and dough processing. When the pizza came out of the oven, I was, frankly, disappointed by the results. The pizza looked nice (see the photos below), but the dough was--inexplicably--softer than I had wanted. I sampled a slice (the one shown in the slice photo below) and it tasted fine but, in my opinion, wasn't quite as good as the previous one. I took photos with the thought of posting them, as I do even when they don't represent my very best efforts, but declined to do so this time since I didn't think they would advance the purposes of this forum--to show people how to make good pizzas, not mediocre ones, even if they look beautiful to the eye.
As it so happened, at the time I was scheduled to go out of town, so rather than trying to eat the whole pizza before I left, I decided instead to cut it into slices and to freeze them for possible future use. Tonight, as I was rummaging through my freezer for something to eat, I saw the frozen deep-dish slices staring me in the face. At first, I didn't know whether to stare back or what. But hunger has a way of forcing a decision and I decided to sample them again. I removed two slices from the freezer and defrosted each in my microwave for about 2-3 minutes. I then put each in my toaster oven at around 450 degrees F for about 7 minutes, expecting, once again, to be disappointed. I am not trying to build up a crescendo of suspense here, but let me tell you, they were wonderful!!. They were flavorful, the crust was of nice texture, the flavor of the 6-in-1s came through, and, overall, the pizza was thoroughly enjoyable. And, the best part ?: I have a bunch more slices still in the freezer. And they are fairly low-fat to boot.
Because of my satisfaction with the pizza, I decided to post the photos of the pizza, in whole and slice form. I still think I can do better, and I will continue to experiment with DKM's recipe, but for now I am a happy camper.
Peter
