DKM, Steve and All,
Thanks for sharing the recipes and your experiments -- really helpful. I've been craving a cracker crust lately (childhood memories of Shakey's) and decided to give the cracker crust recipe a go with some modifications.
I went with a higher hydration dough (43%) for workability and added ½ teaspoon more fine sea salt to boost the seasoning. All mixing and kneading was by hand. I used a standard rolling pin without incident. To handle any moisture problems during the bake, I used my DIY A36 Steel Plate at 550°F for about 7 minutes and was pleased with the result (check out the photos). I also reduced the fermenting time by 10 hours and still coaxed plenty of flavor from the flour.
Cracker Crust Pizza Dough
Fermenting time: 14 hours at room temperature in a covered container
3.63 cups (454 grams) King Arthur Bread Flour — 100%
2 teaspoons white sugar (8 grams) — 1.8%
1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt — 1.6%
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (18.3 g) — 4%
.78 cups or 6.9 ounces (195 grams) water at 90°F— 43%
1½ teaspoons active dry yeast (4.25 g) — .9%
MIX
Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and rest for 5 minutes.
In another bowl, place the bread flour and salt. Use a whisk to combine the flour and salt.
Pour the flour into the water, stirring with a spatula until the dough becomes too stiff to stir. Add the olive oil and pinch and knead the dough in the bowl until all of the flour is incorporated into a ball.
Ball and cover the dough at room temperature for 10 hours.
SHAPE
At the 10-hour mark, divide the dough into two pieces and form them into squares. Place the squares back in the container with a piece of parchment paper between them to prevent sticking.
Let rest covered at room temperature for 4 more hours.
About 1 hour before baking, preheat the oven to 550°F or the hottest it will safely go with your 15-inch pizza steel in inside.
Turn the first dough square out on a well-floured surface and roll it into a 16-inch rectangle. You can go bigger if you prefer. Flour and set the rolled dough aside.
Roll out the second dough square in the same manner.
Align the dough sheets one on top of the other, and fold the dough over itself like a book. Now you have 4 layers in your dough book. Roll this out until it’s at least 16 inches square.
Fold the dough like a book for a second time (now 8 layers). Roll out the dough into a 16” square.
You should now have a square of thin, 8-layered dough. Use a pizza screen or circular pan and a sharp knife to cut out a 15-inch circular dough blank.
Dock the dough lightly with a fork.
ASSEMBLE
Build your pizza on the counter — sauce, cheese, and toppings.
Slide your built dough blank onto a pizza peel liberally sprinkled with cornmeal or semolina flour.
BAKE
Slide your pizza off your peel and onto the blistering hot steel.
Watch for the first few minutes and pop any large bubbles that appear in the crust.
Bake for about 7 minutes, checking to make sure your crust is browning and the cheese isn’t burning.
LEARNING
From the original recipe, I had to increase the salt and the water to make the dough more workable and flavorful.
I should have listened to Steve and went with a more assertively seasoned sauce. I used a raw sauce with crushed San Marzano Style Tomatoes (DiNapoli brand), added a couple of teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, ½ a teaspoon of fine sea salt, and ½ a teaspoon each of dried basil and oregano. Next time I’ll use a thicker, sweeter cooked sauce with some garlic-infused olive oil, onion, and possibly a pinch of pepper flakes.
Regarding cheese, next time I’ll use a cheese blend, not just a standard whole-milk mozzarella. Perhaps a mixture of provolone and some fontina.
Finish with a sprinkling of hard cheese like a Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the top of the pizza. Perhaps a few fresh basil leaves wouldn't hurt either.
Thanks again, all. The photos should be attached.
Tom
