Tavern Style Chicago Thin Crust Pizza
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Pizza Dough
INGREDIENTS:
▪360g (3c) bread flour
▪40g (3T) cold butter
▪180g (3/4c) ice cold water, divided
▪5g (1 1/2t) yeast
▪7g (1 1/2t) salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In a food processor, combine the bread flour and cold butter. Pulse until the butter is broken down into small, gravel-like bits.
2. Dissolve the yeast in 90g (1/4c + 2T) of ice cold water and the salt in another 90g (1/4c + 2T) of ice cold water.
3. Add the yeast water and salt water to the flour-butter mixture in the food processor. Pulse for 20-30 seconds until the dough is evenly hydrated. Be careful not to overmix.
4. Transfer the dough onto a work surface and knead for 2 minutes until it forms a homogeneous ball.
5. Round the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, cover, and ferment for 2 hours.
6. After 2 hours, divide the dough into two equal pieces. Perform a preshape by folding in the sides and rounding off the dough into a ball. Cover the dough balls and let them rest for 20 minutes to relax the gluten.
7. Press the dough ball flat with a pizza pan or large pot then roll out each dough ball into a 12” (30cm) round
8. Use a pizza docking tool or a fork to pierce the dough to prevent large bubbles from forming during baking.
9. Spray 2 pieces of parchment paper with olive oil pan spray and a generous amount of fine grind cornmeal and place rolled out pizza doughs on top.
10. Place both doughs stacked on a sheet tray and refrigerate, uncovered, for 4-24 hours to cold ferment and develop a skin for a crispier crust. Preferably 24 hours.
Pizza Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
▪1 28oz/800g can crushed tomatoes
▪100g (1/3 cup) tomato paste
▪12g (2 1/2 tsp) salt
▪20g (5 tsp) granulated sugar
▪1g (1/2 tsp) chili flakes
▪2g (2 tsp) dried basil
▪2g (1 tsp) dried oregano
▪2g (1/2 tsp) onion powder
▪2g (1/2 tsp) garlic powder
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Scoop out half a cup of crushed tomatoes from the can.
2. Add the tomato paste, salt, sugar, chili flakes, basil, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder to the remaining crushed tomatoes.
3. Blend the sauce with immersion blender until the dried herbs are broken down and everything is well combined.
Italian Sausage
INGREDIENTS:
▪450g (1 lb) 80/20 ground pork
▪7g (1 1/2 tsp) salt
▪2g (3/4 tsp) black pepper
▪2g (1 tsp) chili flakes
▪5g (1 tsp) red wine vinegar
▪2g (1 tsp) ground fennel seed
▪5g (1 clove) fresh garlic, minced
INSTRUCTIONS:
Mix together all ingredients until well combined.
Assembling and Baking the Pizza
▪450g (16 oz) full-fat aged mozzarella cheese, shredded
▪1lb (1/2kg) italian sausage (preferably homemade, recipe above)
▪Pizza sauce (recipe above)
▪Dreid oregano
▪Dried basil
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 550°F (285°C) with a pizza steel or an upside-down sheet tray.
2. Spread prepared pizza sauce evenly over the rolled dough.
3. Distribute half of the Italian sausage in rough balls evenly on top of each pizza (1/2lb per pizza)
4. Sprinkle half the shredded mozzarella cheese generously over the sausage of each pizza, spreading edge to edge (½ lb per pizza).
5. Sprinkle each pizza with a pinch of dried oregano, dried basil, and a pinch of salt.
6. Slide assembled pizza onto the preheated pizza steel or sheet tray in the oven.
7. Bake for about 10 minutes until the crust is deeply baked and the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
