Greek pizza

[scott r]

I would say that about 40% of the places pre sauce.  I am with peter, and I prefer the pies that are not pre sauced.

[deb415611]

Deb, I think your rim looks very authentic for Greek pizza. My only critique is that it looks like the dough may have risen a little too long in the pan. Other than that I would not change a thing. NICE WORK!

Thanks Scott


Time got away from me... and it did rise a little longer than I had planned. 

 Where we used to get pizza the rim was a little higher but it may have been just that one place.   I do like the looks of Peter's pizza with the cheese out to the edge and I will probably make that change along with making it unconventionally large.

[scott r]

I think you will prefer it.   Most people who have had both consider the bar style to be an improvement over the typical Greek style.

[AZpiemaker]

Try this, comes close to pizza served at Italian restaurants owned by Greeks throughout Midwest.

GREEK PIZZA

Makes 3 12-inch crusts, can cut recipe.
2 1/4  cups water 
3-1/2  cups unbleached all-purpose flour 
3  cups bread flour 
2  teaspoons fine sea salt 
2  teaspoons sugar 
1-1/2  tablespoon yeast (not fast-acting)

Mix flours.
In bowl of electric mixer, combine water, about half the flours, salt and sugar.
Blend well and then add yeast.
Beat at medium speed for 6 minutes.
Add remaining flour, blending until you have a medium to soft dough.
Turn out onto floured surface and knead 15 minutes, or use dough hook on mixer to knead 10 to 15 minutes.
Place dough back in mixing bowl and cover for 10 minutes. Punch down.
Cover and let rise until not quite doubled (30 to 45 minutes.) In well-oiled pans (use olive, not extra-virgin) punch down and stretch to make crusts (thickness a bit thinner than ny style). Brush top of crust with oil.  Add sauce (light on the sauce), cheese and toppings. Bake at 500 degrees for 15 min.
or until golden brown.

Sauce: 1 small can tomato paste, 1 small can tomato sauce, 1 clove garlic-minced or crushed, 1 teaspoon salt, big pinch basil, 1 heaping teaspoon greek oregano, a few red pepper flakes, ½ teas. CINNAMON (more or less to taste). Just mix it up, don’t cook.

[charlied]

This is an awesome topic! I grew up in Darien CT, and when the Greek-owned Post Corner Pizza opened up in the mid-70s it was immediately the most popular in the area. One thing that sticks in my memory is that it was always well-browned on top, to the point of having lots of tasty blackened cheese.The top of the pie was orange and brown, with very little yellow. The pizza was always about 1/2" thick; the crust was about 3/4" square. The bottom was always a uniform buttery golden-brown. They were square cut, and the four big squares in the center of a large were affectionately known as "the sponge". A large would feed four, and each person would get two little triangles of 80% crust, a couple of side pieces that were pretty normal...and then one piece of the spongy, oily, delicious middle. Sinful.

It's been years since I've been back there (in Oregon now), but the memories remain. I'd love to read a more recent and cogent review. I assume it's exactly the same.

In a more commercial vein...am I right in assuming that a Blodgett deck oven (or similar brand) is the typical oven used for 10" bar pies? I have a brewery out here (hey, it's Oregon) and I'm intrigued by the possibility of knocking out some bar pizzas with some East Coast flava. Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

[Bryan S]

Bringing this thread out of the basement. Thanks to all for the info.  I'm going to make up a batch of dough using Peter's recipe adjusted to a 14" pan via the Lehmann calculator. Yeah i could just go to the Friendly Greek in Lancaster but what fun would that be.   Thanks again, Bryan

[Bryan S]

The dough is made. I used Harvest King flour. Did my usual mix till the dough just comes together, about 45 sec, 15 min rest, add the oil and mixed for 5 min. All ingredients were at room temp. Now we wait. 

[Bryan S]

Peter, Thanks for the recipe, you are DA Man, it's spot on, and the crust is perfect.  
I made one at 2 day old dough and the other one today at 6 day old dough. Today's pizza crust was awesome. I liked the longer fermented dough. Here's some pics of todays pie, I'm eating it as i type. 
Edit: I used olive oil in the pan on the first one. Today I used corn oil. I know it's not to style but i much prefer corn oil for my pan pizzas to olive oil. I find that when i use olive oil for pan pizzas it takes away from the crust because of it's pronounced taste. Corn oil adds a a nice sweetness to the crust and doesn't over take the flavor of the crust, IMO. 

[Pete-zza]

Bryan,

I'm glad you liked the recipe and the pizzas made from it. I grew up with the Greek style pizzas and always wondered why they weren't adopted in other parts of the country. That's one of the nice things about the forum. You don't have to travel around the country to try out specific pizza types. I think we have most of the styles covered here on the forum in one place or another.

Peter

[jennieb]

 :chef:I love greek pizza. My mother was raised in the boston area and when we go visit when I was younger we would always get pizza from Christos. Once I got a little older and started  visiting by myself I now bring pizza back with me. Problem is that carrying four pizzas onto a plane as your carry on seems a little silly to most people. I live in Cleveland and there is not a single pizza place in this area (that I have found) that tastes even somewhat close to the pizza in Boston (even if it is not greek pizza). Everythin here is wehat I believe is known as American style, probably great for those poor people who have never had better, but I prefer Boston pizza.

[KJ]

Hello! I hunted until I found this thread again.  I wrote here a couple of years ago --- but am in the position now where I'm beginning my business plan for a place for teenagers.  (Does every other community have the same problem where there's absolutely NOTHING for teenagers to do?)  Well, having three of them I decided that I was sick to death of the locals giving them grief because they like to skateboard.  You have punks everywhere --- but skateboarding kids, on the whole, are good kids.

I digress.

I'm opening a restaurant/teen club/skateboard park in the suburbs of Richmond, which will feature my very favorite South Shore BAR PIZZA.  No liquor license.  Definitely a Play Station Cafe, Wi-Fi, Arcade and Pool Tables.... big ol' skateboard park, dance floor and sound system.

The food---- bar pizza, a few salads, (Which HAS to include a Greek Salad.  A REAL Greek Salad... not the stuff they serve here and call Greek Salad....), burgers and fries. (And in case you're wondering... the beverages will be Red Bull, Monster, Bottled Water, Gatorade, a complete Coffee bar, smoothies and exotic non-alcoholic drinks).

I did it again. Sorry, but I'm pretty excited.

Back to the pizza.


I've been experimenting and agree that a simple, smooth sauce seasoned with Oregano best replicates what I remember.

I also use 100% cheddar cheese (The folks at Cape Cod Cafe were very accommodating and told me that they only use 100% white cheddar).  (As a side note, it's pretty hard to find white cheddar in Virginia.  Everything's orange.  Even American Cheese... yuck).  I've resorted to using Cracker Barrel until I can start purchasing in bulk.

I've used a simple bread dough recipe and it's ok -- but not quite like I remember.  Letting the dough rise in the pan works best and I've been successful with the time/temp.... although here in my home oven it's 475 for 13 minutes. (500 degrees creates a lava flow of cheese like I've never seen!) Once I get the pizza ovens I'm sure they'll be more experimenting.....

I wanted to double check these measures for a 10" pizza.....

1/4C sauce
3/4C Cheese

Everything pulled right out to the edge.  Yummy.

Sound right?


Scott -- you mentioned the American pizza dough?  I'll take a look.

Thanks for keeping this thread alive.   If I can nail down the dough I think we've got a winner.

Have a great day!
KJ 

[scott r]

kj, try canadaves dough or lehmann with sugar and oil.  These are both great for bar style.  I make them for my wife all the time with the lehmann and she likes it better than christo's (her favorite).  Yes, the key is the pan rise, and well seasoned pans with a bit of oil in there before the crust.

[scott r]

I forgot to mention, make sure you get the mild cracker barrel

[elicheez]

Scott,

I've been meaning to ask about that. What sharpness of cheddar to places typically use? I've found that the Shaws store-brand "sharp" has about the right flavor (at the right price), but it's really more of a "medium" than "sharp". 

thanks!
e

[scott r]

mild seems to be the most used

[Bryan S]

Made up another dough ball for Peter's greek pie recipe on Wed, used the Harvest King again. I have picked up many blocks of Cabbot white cheddar at BJ's over the last couple of days that were miss priced. Most have a $5.49 lb price on them but if you go to the bottom of the mild cheddar row there's a whole bunch that have a $3.99 lb price on them. Somebody must have marked a whole box wrong then someone stacked the right price ones on top.  They all have a 08 expiration date on them. Hey, they raised my Sorrento Mozz up by $4.00 a 5lb block in the last couple of months    so I getting some cheese revenge. 

[zalicious]

I read this thread with great interest, as years ago I used to enjoy pizza from the 'Salem House of Pizza' on Bostons North Shore. Wednesday, I made the dough following Pete-zza's recipe from post #20. I cooked the pie today paying careful attention to the instructions from scott r ( post #17 ) & Pete-zza. Boy, was it good! I actually impressed my hubby . It's been at least 18 yrs since I've had one from there, so I don't know how close I got; but this recipe is a keeper! Thanks so very much.

[Bryan S]

I read this thread with great interest, as years ago I used to enjoy pizza from the 'Salem House of Pizza' on Bostons North Shore. Wednesday, I made the dough following Pete-zza's recipe from post #20. I cooked the pie today paying careful attention to the instructions from scott r ( post #17 ) & Pete-zza. Boy, was it good! I actually impressed my hubby . It's been at least 18 yrs since I've had one from there, so I don't know how close I got; but this recipe is a keeper! Thanks so very much.

It really is a great recipe. Glad to hear you liked it. For those of us who've had the pleasure of eating Greek style pizza, this recipe is a Keeper!!!!!!! Like I said in one of my above posts, I could go to the "Friendly Greek" In Lancaster and buy one of these but it tastes so much better making your own. 

[Barbarainnc]

I found a recipe for ladenia, Greek Pizza.  Do a search for it for the recipe, there is a video on how to make it on "You Tube".  It is said to come from the island of Kimolos. There are a few blogs written about ladenia. 

[Fingerstyle]

http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,691.0.html

I am SO glad this thread resurfaced.   I had about given up on trying to replicate an Alfio's pie (DC in the 70's, now in Chevy Chase MD). As it was unique among area pies, it had not occurred to me to classify it as Greek. I knew it had provolone (proportion unknown). I always thought the crust was good, but for me it was the sauce, cheese and pepperoni combo - WOW. While no longer nearly as great as it used to be,  Alfio's remains distinctive. I still haven't had another even close to it.

I've got my 3rd batch of (Villa Roma) whole wheat in the works now, but I'm trying your recipe Greek Pizza next. I'm hoping that the white cheddar is the key.  Thanks again Peter for blazing the recipe trail!


Vic