Chicago Thin - a labor of love

[spacelooper]

Not sure why it flipped 2 photos upside down?? I tried it twice and it did it both times....weird.

[Garvey]

That's some fine looking pie! 

[tinroofrusted]

Hey Garvey,

I just wanted to let you know that I made your Pizza Factory thin crust pizza last night, complete with the sauce, and it was totally delicious. I just loved it.  The crust was flavorful, and the sauce!  I usually just use crushed tomatoes for sauce, so I wasn't quite ready for the full-fledged flavor assault that you get with this tomato paste based, herb infused sauce.  It was really great. So thanks for working so hard to make an authentic Chicago style recipe. It worked great!  

P.S. I did slice it "party-style".  

Regards,

TinRoof

[Garvey]

TinRoof,

That is a great looking pie!  I'm glad you found the recipe to your liking.  Chicago thin is a fairly sauce-heavy style, and even within the type, I go very heavy on the sauce.

I see you've got a nice two-stone setup, too.  A man after my own heart!  It's really the only way to go in the home pizza factory, er, kitchen.   

BTW, if you're not sausage averse, try making the sausage sometime and put that on there.  In Chicago, sausage is, by far, the most popular topping.  Pepperoni may be king everywhere else, but not in the Chicagoland area.

Cheers,
Garvey

[tinroofrusted]

I definitely want to try your sausage recipe.  Maybe next time I make it. I prefer fresh sausage over pepperoni. (I put a bit of salami on the pizza, which was very tasty; just what I had on hand). 

Here are a couple of questions for you:

1. Do you ever laminate the dough, i.e., fold it over a few times before rolling it out?  Would that be a good way to go on this dough? 
2. Would you bake with or without convection? I didn't use convection because I was worried about the top getting done too soon. But I could have gone with 450 and convection instead of 475 conventional.  The bake time was just about 9 minutes so it was about right without convection I guess. 

I have some friends visiting in a couple of weeks and I think I will try this recipe out on them. 

Regards,

TinRoof

[Garvey]

TinRoof:

1. No, I never have laminated the dough.  If that's your thing, I don't see how it could hurt and I'd be interested to hear how it went, but this style doesn't really call for that.
2. I have never used a convection oven, but I think that those on this forum say to keep it off.  My best advice is "know thine oven."  If you're normally a convection guy, go with that.  If not, don't.  For me and my oven, I use a two-stone setup and shuttle the pizza from bottom to top as needed.  I start low and finish high, but YMMV.  Every oven is different.

Cheers,
Garvey

[Garvey]

Given how many times I've made this recipe and how long it's been my only thin crust recipe I use (outside of the few experiments inspired by this forum), it sounds crazy to admit that I even tinkered with it at all.  But I think I have stumbled upon an innovation that improves upon this already great recipe:
NO KNEAD.

Here's the back story.  Every winter, the old neighborhood gang gets together for a guys weekend at a cabin in the woods.  Pizza Factory is the star of the show.  We all grew up eating it, and the pizzas we make that weekend are always the best.  Well, several months back, I was making 20-something dough balls for the long weekend, which is a taxing feat without a commercial sized mixer.  My little consumer grade KitchenAid would have to do, and it was going to be many batches at full capacity.  I also have a job and family and don't really have an extra day in the middle of the week to just sit around and make dough.  So I thought to myself, "Heck, I'll just not knead it at all and bang out these batches as quickly as possible."  I made five or six batches of four dough balls (300g each) per batch.  I bulk fermented each batch overnight in a ziploc bag and then balled and bagged up all 20-something. 

I really wasn't sure how they'd turn out.  I figured it would all be OK, and the good company and libations would smooth out any minor deficiencies.  Boy, was I wrong.  It was not OK--it was awesome! 

After the requisite 3-day cold ferment, the dough was workable as usual, but it baked up crispier and more wonderful than ever before.  I was hesitant to share these results here on the forum without further testing.  Yeah, 20+ pizzas might be too many for a fluke, but they were all made at the same time.  Since then, I have made it a couple more times, to great results.  I think this will be my new go-to method.  Would love to hear how it works for you.

NO KNEAD PIZZA FACTORY DOUGH

For each 14" pie, you'll need a 300 g dough ball.  Here is the recipe for two (because who in their right mind would make only one pizza? ;-))

AP Flour (100%): Cool Water (50%): IDY (.5%): Salt (1%): Oil (8%): Sugar (1%): Total (160.5%): Single Ball:

373.83 g  |  13.19 oz | 0.82 lbs 186.92 g  |  6.59 oz | 0.41 lbs 1.87 g | 0.07 oz | 0 lbs | 0.62 tsp | 0.21 tbsp 3.74 g | 0.13 oz | 0.01 lbs | 0.67 tsp | 0.22 tbsp 29.91 g | 1.05 oz | 0.07 lbs | 6.65 tsp | 2.22 tbsp 3.74 g | 0.13 oz | 0.01 lbs | 0.94 tsp | 0.31 tbsp 600 g | 21.16 oz | 1.32 lbs | TF = .06875 300 g | 10.58 oz | 0.66 lbs | TF = .06875

NOTE: As a no-knead dough, it requires a long, cold ferment. Make dough 72 hrs ahead (absolute minimum is 48 hrs.; still great after 96 hrs), kept in fridge until a couple hrs before baking.   Punch down if needed during the first 12 hrs.  I like to separate out the dough balls after the first 12 hrs. of rising as one mass.

MIXING: When making the dough, dump all the dry ingredients into the mixer bowl, stir to combine, and then add the liquids.  Be sure to use cool water (60^o-ish?). Mix it just until the dough comes together and is uniform throughout.  It's done.  That is, don't knead it.  Cover it and stick it in the fridge for 72 hrs, when it's pizza time.

[pythonic]

Given how many times I've made this recipe and how long it's been my only thin crust recipe I use (outside of the few experiments inspired by this forum), it sounds crazy to admit that I even tinkered with it at all.  But I think I have stumbled upon an innovation that improves upon this already great recipe:
NO KNEAD.

Here's the back story.  Every winter, the old neighborhood gang gets together for a guys weekend at a cabin in the woods.  Pizza Factory is the star of the show.  We all grew up eating it, and the pizzas we make that weekend are always the best.  Well, several months back, I was making 20-something dough balls for the long weekend, which is a taxing feat without a commercial sized mixer.  My little consumer grade KitchenAid would have to do, and it was going to be many batches at full capacity.  I also have a job and family and don't really have an extra day in the middle of the week to just sit around and make dough.  So I thought to myself, "Heck, I'll just not knead it at all and bang out these batches as quickly as possible."  I made five or six batches of four dough balls (300g each) per batch.  I bulk fermented each batch overnight in a ziploc bag and then balled and bagged up all 20-something. 

I really wasn't sure how they'd turn out.  I figured it would all be OK, and the good company and libations would smooth out any minor deficiencies.  Boy, was I wrong.  It was not OK--it was awesome! 

After the requisite 3-day cold ferment, the dough was workable as usual, but it baked up crispier and more wonderful than ever before.  I was hesitant to share these results here on the forum without further testing.  Yeah, 20+ pizzas might be too many for a fluke, but they were all made at the same time.  Since then, I have made it a couple more times, to great results.  I think this will be my new go-to method.  Would love to hear how it works for you.

NO KNEAD PIZZA FACTORY DOUGH

For each 14" pie, you'll need a 300 g dough ball.  Here is the recipe for two (because who in their right mind would make only one pizza? ;-))

AP Flour (100%): Cool Water (50%): IDY (.5%): Salt (1%): Oil (8%): Sugar (1%): Total (160.5%): Single Ball:

373.83 g  |  13.19 oz | 0.82 lbs 186.92 g  |  6.59 oz | 0.41 lbs 1.87 g | 0.07 oz | 0 lbs | 0.62 tsp | 0.21 tbsp 3.74 g | 0.13 oz | 0.01 lbs | 0.67 tsp | 0.22 tbsp 29.91 g | 1.05 oz | 0.07 lbs | 6.65 tsp | 2.22 tbsp 3.74 g | 0.13 oz | 0.01 lbs | 0.94 tsp | 0.31 tbsp 600 g | 21.16 oz | 1.32 lbs | TF = .06875 300 g | 10.58 oz | 0.66 lbs | TF = .06875

NOTE: As a no-knead dough, it requires a long, cold ferment. Make dough 72 hrs ahead (absolute minimum is 48 hrs.; still great after 96 hrs), kept in fridge until a couple hrs before baking.   Punch down if needed during the first 12 hrs.  I like to separate out the dough balls after the first 12 hrs. of rising as one mass.

MIXING: When making the dough, dump all the dry ingredients into the mixer bowl, stir to combine, and then add the liquids.  Be sure to use cool water (60^o-ish?). Mix it just until the dough comes together and is uniform throughout.  It's done.  That is, don't knead it.  Cover it and stick it in the fridge for 72 hrs, when it's pizza time.

Pics or it didnt happen

Nate

[Chicago Bob]

 

Pics or it didnt happen

Nate

[redox]

I just put some dough for your Pizza Factory dough (no knead version) in the 'fridge. I'm looking forward to Friday. 

[sotaboy]

Let's stop this " pics or it didn't happen" BS. All Garvey did was post a different way to make the dough to achieve the same result of his original formula. And I thank him for the option.
Many esteemed posters here modify recipes, report their findings, without posting pics. You don't need 17 pictures of the same pizza to describe your findings.

[CDNpielover]

Garvey's formula is the best midwest-style thin crust on this site.  He can therefore say whatever he wants about it, and doesn't have to post photos if he doesn't want to.  (I think most people grow tired of the hoop-jumping required to post photos here.)  Others can say whatever they want about this, but until they post anything better, their comments really don't make any difference at all!   

[redox]

Just in case there are other people as clueless as I, it's now a lot easier to post pix. I'm sorry I didn't know this earlier.

The following is from Steve:

The way that you upload images to the forum has CHANGED.

You no longer need to do any image manipulation in order to upload images. No resizing. No resampling. Just upload. The forum will automatically resize huge images to 1024 pixels wide and resample them to 75% image quality compressed JPGs. Thumbnails still display at 640 pixels wide.

You should be able to upload images directly from your iPhone/iPad too.

[vcb]

I've come up with a Chicago thin crust dough formulation that I'm pretty happy with.
I think it started as a variation of Garvey's generic Chicago thin crust dough recipe.

I use it for thin crust, hand stretched pizzas, and calzones, with great results.
http://www.realdeepdish.com/CHICAGO-THIN-CRUST-DOUGH.pdf

For those concerned about making the pizza peel/stone process less of a hassle,
I highly recommend picking up a pizza screen (or two) to bake your pizzas on.
When you use a screen, you won't need cornmeal or semolina to dust the peel,
so that stuff won't smoke up your oven when it falls off the stone.

I preheat my oven for an hour to about 500 degrees with a baking stone on the lower or middle rack.
I put a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil across the top rack (This is how I try to simulate a pizza oven at home).

Roll or stretch your dough out and then gently press the edges onto the pizza screen to hold the dough in place (or crimp your edges like Barnaby's in Northbrook does).
add sauce, cheese, toppings, then place the pizza screen directly on the preheated stone.

Lower your oven to 460-475 (or not - get to know your oven) and bake for about 15-20 minutes.
For the last five minutes, you could remove the the pizza from the pizza screen and bake directly on the stone to get a crispier crust.

FWIW: When I post 'pics or it didn't happen', I am teasing, and I know most of you in here are doing the same .
Generally, I think it's good to encourage others in this forum to try to take more photos when they can. 

I don't always post my pizza photos, (but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis)
err... I mean: but for those who are interested, you can see my pizza photo archive on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edheller/sets/72157628543774967/
It's mainly unprocessed raw photos, as I use Flickr as a backup service & to make photos available for sale.

[Garvey]

  @ "pics it or didn't happen."

And thanks for the kind words, everybody.  I think sotaboy really nailed it when he said that it is "a different way to make the dough to achieve the same result of [the] original formula."  It is a nice time saver to not knead, and given the 72-hr ferment, probably unnecessary anyway.  But I actually think the results are better.  Not sure why that is, so I'm interested to see what redox says on Friday.

Cheers,
Garvey

[Garvey]

For those concerned about making the pizza peel/stone process less of a hassle,
I highly recommend picking up a pizza screen (or two) to bake your pizzas on.
When you use a screen, you won't need cornmeal or semolina to dust the peel,
so that stuff won't smoke up your oven when it falls off the stone.

FWIW, I use foil, which achieves the same thing. 

[pizza is love]

Thank you Garvey!!!!
I've been making pizza at home along time and we love your recipe.
Last night was the 5th time I made it for the family and the results were as expected PERFECT
I make a lot of deep dish and stuffed since we can't find any here and normally just order thin out of convenience but not anymore.

[Chicago Bob]

Thank you Garvey!!!!
I've been making pizza at home along time and we love your recipe.
Last night was the 5th time I made it for the family and the results were as expected PERFECT
I make a lot of deep dish and stuffed since we can't find any here and normally just order thin out of convenience but not anymore.

Who's Garvey?   

[Garvey]

Who's Garvey?   

Bob, your sense of humor is lost on me sometimes.

(BTW, I am pictured in the first post of this thread, so I did happen. ;-))

[Garvey]

Thanks for the kind words, pizza is love.  Looks like it turned out great!  I recognize that third picture for sure: that exact scene has been played out in my kitchen hundreds of times.

Cheers,
Garvey