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The Last Great Pizza Thread

'Bout time we had a thread for all those that make their own dough and sauce. Too many good cooks on THP to let something as magnificent as that king of foods, pizza go unnoticed on this forum. This thread however comes with some rules to post...

1) Make your own dough and post the recipe. Thin crust. Whole wheat. Foccacia. NY or Chicago style. Naan....your choice!

2) Make your own sauce and post the recipe. Red. White. Olive oil w/ garlic. Whatever gets your mojo workin'!

3) Mandatory that it brings teh heat. Habs. Serrano's. Bhut's. T-Scorps. Fatalli. Hot sauce's and puree's will qualify. Using wimp sauce's such as Tabasco Brand or Franks will
be ridiculed with extreme prejudice and boooooed heavily!

4) Toppings can be anything. Pepperoni. Avocado. Greek olives. Pulled pork. If it came out of the ground or walked, swam or crawled, its all cool and the gang!

5) Bake them in the oven on a sheet pan. In cast iron. A pizza stone. On the grill. Got a wood fired pizza oven? Have mercy!

6) Pics are mandatory! Anyone can talk smack about it but put up or shut up. No pics? It never happened and ridiculing and boooooing will follow. Capiche?

Alright ya'll, lets get it on.....
 
I think he means cracker like on the outside with just a little chew inside but not sure. Definitely needs that Saltine like exterior but also it's pizza so it's airy inside, and that's where the chew lies, on each interior side of the pocket or air.
 
The Hot Pepper said:
I think he means cracker like on the outside with just a little chew inside but not sure. Definitely needs that Saltine like exterior but also it's pizza so it's airy inside, and that's where the chew lies, on each interior side of the pocket or air.
 
Exactly this - like I said I can't replicate it for the life of me 
 
outlaw said:
 
Exactly this - like I said I can't replicate it for the life of me 
 
Cracker style.
 
I reckon to be the most difficult to get right.
 
I've had more than my share.
 
Of failures.
 
But even when you fail at cracker style.
 
You usually have a pert dang good.
 
Thin crust.
 
Still goodern' hell.
 
The recipe should look very similar to pita, and super thin... in fact you can try a pita bread recipe, see how you like, and adapt as needed.
 
The Hot Pepper said:
The recipe should look very similar to pita, and super thin... in fact you can try a pita bread recipe, see how you like, and adapt as needed.
 
I love a good gyro.
 
My attempts at pita have sucked.
 
And sucked even more with store bought pita.
 
Perhaps.
 
You're on to something.
 
Adapt a cracker/thin crust pizza dough in lieu of pita?
 
Gears are turning.
 
I got the idea from a local Middle Eastern joint that served pita pizza, or PITZA as they called it... When I finally got one I said to myself, oh, cracker crust! ;)
 
TB you def got to make a Pitza now! I want to see it! When it's thin enough and cooked long enough it becomes cracker.
 
Man get back here!!! I see you going to the fridge for that Ranch! :rofl:
 
Here's a cracker-crust recipe I have used before. It turned out a crust similar to Pizza Hut thin crust. I thought it was pretty tasty.
 




Ingredients:

 









1

pound

(or about 3 1/2 cups) high gluten flour



3/4

cup

warm water



1

tablespoon

vegetable oil



1 1/2

teaspoon

active dry yeast



1 1/2

teaspoon

sugar



1

teaspoon

salt



 








Instructions:
In a heavy-duty stand mixer (e.g., KitchenAid) fitted with dough hook, add the water, oil, yeast, salt, and sugar. Mix thoroughly until yeast has fully dissolved. Add flour and mix on low speed until all of the flour and water have mixed and a stiff dough ball forms, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stop mixing as soon as the dough ball forms as this type of dough should not be kneaded.

Place the dough ball into a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 24 hours in the refrigerator before using. Please note that I cannot over-emphasize the importance of a 24-hour rising time since it is absolutely essential for the dough to develop its signature texture and, more importantly, its unique flavor! Do not skip this step!

Preheat your oven to 500 F about one hour before you plan to bake the pizza.

Turn the dough out onto a large surface and dust with flour. Using a heavy rolling pin (or dough sheeter), roll the dough out very thin to form a 24-inch or larger circle. If you're using a cutter pizza pan (recommended), dust the pan lightly with flour, place the dough in the pan and dock. Use the rolling pin to trim off the excess dough drooping over the sides of the pan. If you wish to cook the pizza directly on a pizza stone (not using a pan), then place the dough on a dusted pizza-peel, dock, and fold the edge over 1-inch all the way around and pinch it up to form a raised lip or rim.

Optionally, pre-cook the crust for 4 minutes before adding any sauce or toppings. Remove the crust from the oven and pop any large air pockets that may have formed. Add the sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and your favorite toppings. Continue baking, on the lowest oven rack, rotating the pan half way through so that it cooks evenly, until crust is sufficiently browned and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and slide pizza out of cooking pan onto a large wire cooling rack or cutting board. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a serving pan. This step allows the crust to stay crisp while it cools, otherwise the trapped steam will soften the crust.

Once cool, use a pizza cutter to slice the pie into pieces and enjoy!



 
 
Awesome, thanks for all the ideas! 
 
 
The Hot Pepper said:
TB you def got to make a Pitza now! I want to see it! When it's thin enough and cooked long enough it becomes cracker.
 
Man get back here!!! I see you going to the fridge for that Ranch! :rofl:
 
I concur! Pitza Ranch has a ring to it...
 
Thanks MW for the recipe, that sounds super good! 
 
 
 
outlaw said:
 
 Ralphster, my brother, is there any way I could bum your dough recipe off you? There is a place in Nebraska called La Casa that has the best pizza I've ever eaten and I can't replicate the crust for the life of me. Thin cracker-type crust with a chewiness thats hard to match. 
 
Outlaw my man, I learned a lot from this guy back in the day.  Now I just kinda go by feel using his recipe as a base (note I use instant yeast instead of sourdough starter).  Most of my pies are cooked on a preheated sheet pan at 475 in the oven and take about 10-12 minutes.  The edges are crisp and crackery and the interior has a nice chew.  It's a journey.  :)
 
On a mission for beer after the hot sauce expo we passed this old skool Italian pizza and panzerotti place and had to stop.

Tony's famous Italian still rocking the real deal panzarotto.

Crispy buttery slightly sweet fried crust and a soup bowl of marinara. What else can you ask for?
IMG_20190302_194020_419.jpg


Decor straight out of the seventies? Check.
IMG_20190302_194020_414.jpg
IMG_20190302_194020_418.jpg
 
Well tried MW's recipe this weekend - I thought it turned out pretty well. Definitely important to "pre-bake" the crust the 4-5 mins. 
 
-Extra squeeze sauce (Contadina) 
-Minced garlic sprinkled over sauce
-Pinch of parm (maybe a handful) 
-Dusting of volcanic peppers pizza mix
-Shredded black forest ham 
-Lots of low moisture mozz
-Scattering of romano over top
-A thanks to MW
-A salute to the pizza gods
 
33tjtb4.jpg

2q06avm.jpg

4vgwo2.jpg

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
outlaw said:
Well tried MW's recipe this weekend - I thought it turned out pretty well. Definitely important to "pre-bake" the crust the 4-5 mins. 
 
-Extra squeeze sauce (Contadina) 
-Minced garlic sprinkled over sauce
-Pinch of parm (maybe a handful) 
-Dusting of volcanic peppers pizza mix
-Shredded black forest ham 
-Lots of low moisture mozz
-Scattering of romano over top
-A thanks to MW
-A salute to the pizza gods
 
33tjtb4.jpg

2q06avm.jpg

4vgwo2.jpg

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Got dang.
 
I said.
 
GOT DANG!
 
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