Pizza Legends

It's pizza time again, peoples. I've become mildly obsessed with achieving the perfect Chicago pizza. The Gino's East experiment was a huge success, though I should mention again that I would bake it at 450 for about 30 minutes, rather than at 350.

The thin crust experiment, though crunchy and light, didn't have the taste I was looking for. The crust was more like a cracker than a flaky, chewy, yet still crunchy, pizza crust.

My attempts at a Giordano's-style stuffed pizza have led me to these two pizzas. The first one pictured used the Gino's East dough recipe; though I rushed it and let it rise only an hour rather than overnight in the fridge. It showed, because it was not very flavorful. It was too bread-like and just didn't have the right consistency for a stuffed crust. The top dough was almost uncooked, or cooked and soggy enough to melt in with the cheese. The pizza tasted pretty good, but it wasn't a show stopper.

I did some digging and came across one man's version of Giordano's crust. He promised a pie-like, flaky, biscuity crust. An eight hour rise promised lots of flavor, and a seriously short kneading time meant less bread, more flakiness. I mixed the dough in my food processor and followed the kneading and rising instructions closely. Here's what I found:

This is the crust! I'm not sure it's Giordano's crust, but it is THE crust for thin, crispy, Chicago-style square-cut pizza. The taste, the texture, the crispy bottom, it has it all. I wouldn't change a thing.

However, let me just say one thing about a lot of pizza recipes I've come across so far. If people try to tell you that a deep dish pizza needs maybe one-third to half a pound of cheese, they are lying to you. Do not believe them, do not trust a word they have to say about any dairy issues. Do not buy a cow from them; it will probably be devoid of milk. If anything, double the cheese amount they suggest and go from there.


On to the recipe. For a 12"-14" thin crust pizza, this amount is perfect. It also works well for a 10" x 2" pan pizza.

Crispy, Tasty, Flaky Pizza Crust

1 tsp yeast
3/4 tsp sugar
6 T warm water
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
6 tsp oil (5 tsp corn or veg oil, 1 tsp good olive oil)

Stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water. Let it stand 10 minutes to make sure the yeast is active.

In a food processor, combine the salt and flour by blending for a few seconds. Add the yeast mixture and blend a short time until it's thoroughly incorporated. Add the oil slowly with the motor on. The dough should start to form a ball. If not, add a little more water, but avoid adding too much as this should be a rather dry dough.

When a ball forms, knead the dough on a floured surface for not more than two minutes. It should be somewhat elastic, not sticky at all. Place it in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let it rise at room temperature for about 8 hours, or let it go for a day in the fridge. The lengthy rise time is important to both the texture and the taste of the crust, so don't rush it.

When you're ready to make your pizza, preheat your oven to 450. Roll the dough out into a 12" circle, fold it into quarters, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Lightly oil your pan and sprinkle a little corn meal on. Roll the dough again into a large, thin circle, place it into your pan, and add the toppings. A proper deep dish pizza starts with cheese, and lots of it. Next come the toppings, and finally, the sauce and some grated parmesan. Bake at 450 for about 30-35 minutes.

The sauce is a matter of preference. I love chunky tomato sauce, and so I don't really crush tomatoes from a can too much. I used Del Monte diced tomatoes with good results. You can try anything you want, just have about 28 ounces of canned tomatoes in total. Try this some time:

28 oz canned tomatoes, diced, whole and crushed, whatever you like
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp sugar
a couple shakes of dried basil, red pepper flakes, and oregano
a dash of fennel seed, crushed

Empty the tomatoes into a sieve and, without stirring, allow them to drain for about 20 minutes. You'd be amazed at how much water comes out, and this is the same water that would otherwise try to make your beautiful crust soggy.

Mix all the ingredients together and add them to your pizza.

Queso en Fuego

If you've never had saganaki in a Greek restaurant, you're missing out on some great evening entertainment. Slices of kasseri, kofalotiri, or even halloumi are grilled in a pan until slightly golden, then brought to the table sizzling. For the finishing touch, the server will splash some ouzo into the pan and light it into an enormous fireball, yelling "opa!!!" and watching the delighted/terrified looks on the guests' faces.

I'm going out on a limb here by saying, "Try this at home, kids!" It's fast, fun, dangerous and, best of all, delicious. I found a good substitute for the Greek cheeses: queso blanco. It's slightly crumbly, salty, and it doesn't melt much when fried. Bourbon makes a great finisher, and a little sprinkling of herbs will add a nice flavor.

Slices your cheese about 1/2" thick and fry it to golden brown in a pan over medium-high heat. Flip it over and continue browning the other side. Have about a shot of warmed liquor handy, and when the other side of the cheese is browned, add the liquor, shake it a little to catch the cooking flame, and opa!!!

Serve it with some bread or crackers and a cold beer.