Another pizza weekend

Randy · September 19, 2003, 02:40:06 PM

I making a Chicago style pizza dough for tomorrow night.
What it is everyone else making?

Randy's version five Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizza Dough

1 package SAF yeast
1 Tablespoon Raw sugar
1 Cup warm water(120°F to 130° F)
2 Tablespoon shortening
3 Tablespoons cornmeal
3 Cups Flour( 14 oz.)
1 ½ Teaspoon salt

It will make two, 9" pizzas. Use olive oil in the pan. 475 for ? minutes.

DKM · September 19, 2003, 03:14:43 PM

I'm also doing Chicago Style. My wife has been asking for a couple of weeks. Will try to post some pictures. Using the same recipe I used last time.

DKM

Randy · September 19, 2003, 04:54:19 PM

Must be a woman thing. Same here. Man I really wanted to try the thin crust again.

Randy

DKM · September 19, 2003, 05:14:40 PM

I know what you mean.

I got the Chicago pretty well down. But I'm still working on my Thin and New York. I want to try my New York on the grill.

DKM

itsinthesauce · September 19, 2003, 07:08:57 PM

45 minutes till the dough is done. Doing thin crust Chicago style, with the roasted peppers to try it out.

Randy · September 19, 2003, 07:36:37 PM

Thin crust Chicago style?
How about a description and recipe?
Randy

Steve · September 19, 2003, 08:40:55 PM

Made four thin crusts last night!

Two in pans, two directly on the stone.

Again, I had a heckuva time getting the pizzas in the cutter pans to brown. Tried everything... putting the pan directly on the pizza stone... putting the pan on the highest rack in the oven.... I ended up just cooking it longer and it eventually browned, but the toppings were burnt. $:-\$

The thin crusts cooked on the stone browned nicely, but tasted more like a NY-style pizza than a cracker-style thin crust.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong these days... using the same flour as before, same recipe...

The thin crust pizza recipe (and photos) on the main website were made at my old house... had a gas oven there. My new house has double electric ovens. I wonder if that might have something to do with the differences?

The next thing I'm going to try is cooking at a lower temperature. Right now I'm cooking them in a 550 degree F. oven. At this temperature the toppings burn before the bottom browns. Maybe at a lower temperature, say 450 degrees F., the bottom and top will brown at the same rate?

Anyway, regardless of the crispiness of the crust, the pizzas turned out yummy! Got lots of leftovers!!

Randy · September 19, 2003, 09:49:53 PM

Are you putting your pan in the very lowest rack?
You haven't mentioned if you prebaked.
Randy

itsinthesauce · September 20, 2003, 08:30:40 AM

90% or better, of the pizzas sold and made in Chicago are thin crust. On the South Side it's probably 99%.

DKM · September 20, 2003, 09:19:37 AM

Steve I know gas and electric can be quite different.

I use an electric oven and have used your thin crust recipe before and got it to brown. I typically use 500 degree oven preheated for at least 30 minutes. The dough is put in a perforated pan and pre-baked for about 7 minutes on the stone on the bottom rack. I take it out and top it and cook it for about 15 minutes.

DKM

DKM · September 20, 2003, 02:41:53 PM

My day making pizza.

Dough and Pan

DKM · September 20, 2003, 02:46:00 PM

Getting it topped

DKM · September 20, 2003, 02:46:53 PM

Out of the oven

itsinthesauce · September 20, 2003, 07:51:29 PM

Man, that looks great....sure it tasted the same.

DKM · September 20, 2003, 09:07:14 PM

OH YEAH!

One 15" pepperoni and sauage pizza, cut in 8 slices. I ate two and my 108lb wife ate two.

One thing I like about the deep dish is "It's just as good the second day"

DKM

Randy · September 21, 2003, 08:35:55 AM

Which one of your recipe did you use?
Randy

DKM · September 21, 2003, 09:44:39 AM

1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup crisco
1 teaspoon salt

Steve · September 21, 2003, 11:09:30 AM

Overnight rise?

DKM · September 21, 2003, 04:59:52 PM

Yep.

Made the dough around 9:00 pm Friday, pizza came out of the oven about 12:30 Saturday.

DKM

Steve · September 24, 2003, 09:57:35 PM

DKM... used your recipe tonight, dough is in the refrigerator for pizza tomorrow night. Will let everyone know the results!

Some observations:

Dough seemed a bit sticky, dough ball would not hold its shape... seemed like it needed more flour. I used 3 1/2 cups per your recipe so I used the dough as-is. We'll see how it turns out tomorrow.

1/2 cup shortening... seems like a lot of oil! Again, we'll see how it cooks up tomorrow.

Any recommendations on the sauce? I was planning to put on the cheese, then top with some 6-in-1 crushed tomatoes seasoned with some oregano, fresh basil, and garlic, then topped off with parmesean cheese.

Recommendation for oven temp? Cooking time?

Thanks!