I spent years trying to find a simple quality tavern style crust recipe without success. I can't tell you how many dozens of vids I've watched only to find a cracker crust with no air pockets. Those little air pockets that give you varied textures make such a huge difference. Lately I have been using the best recipe I had found to date, but this looks better. I just watched this vid after watching one of your more recent pizza vids and have saved the recipes from both. Can't wait to see how this cooks up in the wood fired oven-- Thanks!! Glad I found your channel!
The best recipe on the net for this style of pizza. I’ve made this recipe following his measurements and methods many times since I first saw his video, and it comes out perfect every time. I’ve made many of his other recipes with great results as well. I hope he continues to gain traction with the algorithm and increases his subscribers. My wife and I enjoy his humor and fun approach to cooking. Great job!
Yum. This looks fantastic. I see a Saturday afternoon with the wife out of town visiting cousins, in the near future. Those are days I can cook without concern for her acid reflux issues.
OK Bill... I invested in a pizza stone, followed your recipe to the T and.... drumroll please... it worked!!! My hubby loved it and whew its a lot of work for one pie, but worth it. Thank you!
So glad to hear it turned out great. Pizza can be tricky. I screw up a pie every now and again. Usually when I just wing it. Always follow the recipe! Glad I could help.
Brush olive oil lightly on parchment paper and place crust in center. I take scissors and as closely as I can, I trim the parchment to the size of my dough. Then I add sauce, make my very own Italian sausage (with ground pork, ground anise, caraway seed, garlic powder, coarse ground black pepper, kosher salt). I like uncooked sausage for the flavor it adds. I like the topping selection. I add green pepper. So I like sausage, pepperoni, onion, green pepper, Mozzarella cheese. I use a pizza stone (and leave parchment under the dough...no semolina needed) at 550 degrees. It only takes about 8 minutes to bake.
I remember the first piece of Chicago Pizza I every ate was in 1949. Armitage and Albany Avenue. Mom and Pop Pizzeria. Wonderful, can never forget that experience. I fell in love💖 Still to this day love Pizza.
My family is from Chicago from the late 1800s. One of the best food cities in the world! I was so lucky to get to experience so much of it as a kid. Glad I'm not the only one.
Oh my one more question what if I dont have a pizza stone? Is there something I could use in place of that? I really like your videos very easy to follow & understand. 😁
The pizza stone is very important for the crust to cook properly. You could use the bottom of a large cast iron pan maybe or a large ceramic tile if you have one of those around. Just something or a group of things that will hold heat and your pizza.
Chicago Pizza is not cooked on a pizza stone. Those are for NY style. Chicago pizzas are cooked on a steel. At home, you can buy a cast iron pizza steel.
Your video's are great. For those of us who have the pizza bug and been chasing the art for years there are some gems in here to add to our craft. You are right about Charlie's video's too which you mentioned in another pizza video. Keep doing what your doing and I'll keep watching. 👨🍳
Great job putting it on a rack. Many don't do this, but during the rest time it keeps the crust crisp. Crust can get a bit soggy otherwise. Tavern cut also called party cut.
Up to about a week would be fine as long as it is stored air tight. You can always freeze it for just about forever too. Just let sit in the fridge for 24 hours and then let it rest at room temp for about 3 hours before you try to roll it out. If you freeze it the only down side is freezer burn. Wrap the ball tightly in plastic wrap to prevent ice buildup. Take it out of the plastic wrap before it rests in the fridge so it can expand a bit. I have two in my freezer right now.
This comment is showing it is from the Chicago thin crust pizza video (YT does this a lot) but I have a feeling it is actually from the Chalupa Shells video, correct? f so then yes, freeze away. As long as they don't get covered in freezer burn they will last a long time and be ready to go whe you want a Chalupa or two. If this is really about the pizza then same answer. Ice will kill it so wrap it thith in plastic wrap and they will last for months in the freezer. Just thaw for about 24 hrs in the fridge and then 2-3 hours on the counter before use.
Gotta give you credit we went back and tried again but this time used two rolling pins - first french then normal - so it would be even and very thin. The result was much better. Really awesome crust.
This has become our standard pizza in our house. Thank you so much for making this video. I have a question about freezing it. Do you freeze it after doing the first 24 hours of fermentation or do you freeze it right out of the mixer?
Just got done watching your Cracker Crust video before this . WILL be my next try !!!! Do have a question for ya. Why not use a Ladle for spreading the sauce ? Or is it critical to you to have the perfect Layer ? Looking forward to the next Pizzer night, thanks to You !
About the ladle... My sauce ladle is in storage somewhere. It did not fit in the drawer when I moved in here so it stayed in the box. Also, I have seen a bunch of people use the spatula method and for me it gives a more consistent bite. No more tons of sauce, no sauce bites I used to get with the ladle. It is much slower though.
Pretty much all pizza is cooked at 550f. That is as hot as most home ovens can get. If you have a commercial oven you can cook this at 650f, just shorten the cook time by about half.
Great video and great result. When cutting the dough, why not cut the dough slightly larger than the pizza screen and use the inside of the pizza screen to build a small outer diameter lip. Put your toppings on, then put the screen and pizza in the oven. You might have to crank up the heat in the oven to compensate for the pizza screen.
That would be the "other" style of Chicago thin crust, a true 'Tavern Thin'. It has a more traditional dough and is a completely different recipe actually. The pizza screens were made for those conveyor oven contraptions that ruined modern pizza as we know it. They cook like a blast furnace in mere seconds and are WAY hotter than you could ever get a home oven. 550f is max in a home oven unfortunately. I should do the rest of the Chicago pizza styles soon. I miss good chicago pizza... Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching my video!
That's a lot of great questions. Let me see if I can answer them. This dough uses corn oil because it just does. That is how this particular pizza dough is made. It's a midwest thing maybe? Canola or vegetable oil will work just fine for this. Olive oil has too much flavor and would not work. A lot of pizza sauces do not use sugar. Good tomatoes are sweeter than cheap tomatoes. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, by all means add sugar. Red wine is also a great addition to a sour sauce. A tablespoon will radically change the flavor profile but you do have to cook it if you add wine. I never add oil to the crust before the sauce goes on. If you cure the crust right it does not get gummy. Once you stretch out the dough, let it bench rest for 10-15 minutes. That will form a skin on the dough and protect it from the sauce. This particular dough is so dry that the sauce do not effect it what so ever. I think I got them all, let me know if you have any other questions.
No, it has too much protein and it is better for hotter cooking temps. In the odd case AP is the best choice. Thanks for your question. Let me know if you have any others.
Hey Bill, I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to let you know that I just posted a kinda review video highlighting your video here and one from Chef Tuan-- as best examples for how to make a Chicago Style Thin Crust-- this is the first time I've done this and hope you like it. Feel free to check it out when you have 16 min to spare. Thanks for the inspiration!
Wow! Great video! What an honor. I like your changes and just made a dough with the semolina tonight. Can't wait to taste it. Again, thanks for all the kind words. I'll be posting a comment on your video as soon as I get a chance. 👍
Thanks and his name is Rufus. He is a 12 year old "Giant Husky". 77lbs and skinny and can be. Somebody in Phoenix breeds them this size. Normally they get to 45lbs max. His personality is 2x size too btw...
Tried too many of these from YT viral personalities and they were a waste of time. You however seem like a legit chicago pizza lover. I am going to try yours next.
I love that thin crust pizza! It is crazy the rest of the world has no idea how to make it right. I spent a lot of time perfecting this recipe so I know you are going to like it.
@@howtocooke Made it today. It was good. Next time I will roll it even thinner because it puffs up quite a lot. It's hard to get an even thickness with the french pin. The flavor and texture was good though, better than a number of others. I tried a few different cheese blends in different areas and I like adding white cheddar like your other vid. This crust is easy to make and only 1 day in the fridge is nice.
Very true. Most tavern pies are very well done. I'm personally not a huge fan of that browned pizza, so I pull mine 30 seconds early or so. If you like it, give it a bit more time in the oven.
It depends on the tavern I guess. Many just use a standard recipe and roll it thin. This is the cracker style and has that proper crisp crust that is light and airy. It looks thicker as it gets those little air pockets in there. Also, I didn't dock it as most do. Again, little air pockets give it that light and airy crisp. Docking lets the air out😫
too be honest all the dough recipes will do but this is what nobody knows chicago is famous for the sauce i am 61 been eating it all my life and it has changed because the old timers mom and pop take out shops no seating didnt hand down the sauce its all about the sauce nobody on YT knows the sauce even those schools dont know the sauce they say sweet fennel yes thats some of jt but no one knows the sauce i worked at a mob owned joint and you were dead if you said anything the dough was as thin as a piece of paper N Y pizza taste like crap too me @@howtocooke
There IS great deep dish pizza out there, it's just that Lou Malnati and Giordano's isn't it, IMO. Try out Labriola. Not trying to convince anyone, but it's really good stuff.
I will never understand why the masses always seem to settle for mediocrity. Next time I'm in Chicago I will definitely try Labriola. Thanks for the tip
Deep dish pizza is NOT "thick crust". You don't pay all that money and wait all that time for 'bread' to cook. The depth comes from produce - sausage, mushroom, spinach, bell peppers. It's like saying you don't like shepherds pie because you don't want all that potato. If your shepherds pie is mostly potato, the problem is you, not shepherds pie. The depth of a good shepherds pie comes from the mince, not the potato. If your shepherds pie has more potato than mince, you're doing it wrong. Same with deep dish pizza. Order one and cut a cross section. Plenty of 'normal' pizza has thicker crust than deep dish.
I spent years trying to find a simple quality tavern style crust recipe without success. I can't tell you how many dozens of vids I've watched only to find a cracker crust with no air pockets. Those little air pockets that give you varied textures make such a huge difference. Lately I have been using the best recipe I had found to date, but this looks better. I just watched this vid after watching one of your more recent pizza vids and have saved the recipes from both. Can't wait to see how this cooks up in the wood fired oven-- Thanks!! Glad I found your channel!
Glad you found the channel too. I can't wait t hear how it turns out.
I don’t have a wood fired oven . Do you think I can cook the pizza on a gas fired grill ?
The best recipe on the net for this style of pizza. I’ve made this recipe following his measurements and methods many times since I first saw his video, and it comes out perfect every time. I’ve made many of his other recipes with great results as well. I hope he continues to gain traction with the algorithm and increases his subscribers. My wife and I enjoy his humor and fun approach to cooking. Great job!
Thank you so much. I'm so glad you like the recipes. I'm sorry you like the humor. I'm a bit odd so...🙃
Yum. This looks fantastic. I see a Saturday afternoon with the wife out of town visiting cousins, in the near future. Those are days I can cook without concern for her acid reflux issues.
I hear the crunch. That looks great. Waiting on my dough to be ready.
OK Bill... I invested in a pizza stone, followed your recipe to the T and.... drumroll please...
it worked!!! My hubby loved it and whew its a lot of work for one pie, but worth it. Thank you!
So glad to hear it turned out great. Pizza can be tricky. I screw up a pie every now and again. Usually when I just wing it. Always follow the recipe! Glad I could help.
Nice demonstration of how to make a thin crust pizza. Watched a few of your videos and finally subbed. Thanks
The world would be a better place with more Barnabys.
Man, I miss Banabys!
Wow that crunch
Thin crust pizza is the only pizza I'll eat. That looks awesome. This is going on my "to make" list.
Brush olive oil lightly on parchment paper and place crust in center. I take scissors and as closely as I can, I trim the parchment to the size of my dough. Then I add sauce, make my very own Italian sausage (with ground pork, ground anise, caraway seed, garlic powder, coarse ground black pepper, kosher salt). I like uncooked sausage for the flavor it adds.
I like the topping selection. I add green pepper. So I like sausage, pepperoni, onion, green pepper, Mozzarella cheese. I use a pizza stone (and leave parchment under the dough...no semolina needed) at 550 degrees. It only takes about 8 minutes to bake.
Great recipe, and your right !!!! You can not hide from the dough!!!
Dad bodies are the rage. Congrats Great video
Illinois monical pizzas. thin crust. ----very nice video.
I remember the first piece of Chicago Pizza I every ate was in 1949. Armitage and Albany Avenue. Mom and Pop Pizzeria.
Wonderful, can never forget that experience. I fell in love💖
Still to this day love Pizza.
My family is from Chicago from the late 1800s. One of the best food cities in the world! I was so lucky to get to experience so much of it as a kid. Glad I'm not the only one.
Havnt tried the recipe yet but im going too. You crack me up also. Will be watching more videos.
Oh my one more question what if I dont have a pizza stone? Is there something I could use in place of that? I really like your videos very easy to follow & understand. 😁
The pizza stone is very important for the crust to cook properly. You could use the bottom of a large cast iron pan maybe or a large ceramic tile if you have one of those around. Just something or a group of things that will hold heat and your pizza.
Chicago Pizza is not cooked on a pizza stone. Those are for NY style. Chicago pizzas are cooked on a steel. At home, you can buy a cast iron pizza steel.
Your video's are great. For those of us who have the pizza bug and been chasing the art for years there are some gems in here to add to our craft. You are right about Charlie's video's too which you mentioned in another pizza video. Keep doing what your doing and I'll keep watching. 👨🍳
Omg! I love this video. The pizza looks amazing and you are adorable! ❤
Thank you. You are too kind
So easy and yummy
Looks great and yummy! We used a basting brush for the sauce on our pizzas. Works very well.
That's a great idea! Thanks
Great job putting it on a rack. Many don't do this, but during the rest time it keeps the crust crisp. Crust can get a bit soggy otherwise.
Tavern cut also called party cut.
I love deep dish, but Chicago thin is the KING!
How long can this be in the fridge before rolling out for use?
Up to about a week would be fine as long as it is stored air tight. You can always freeze it for just about forever too. Just let sit in the fridge for 24 hours and then let it rest at room temp for about 3 hours before you try to roll it out. If you freeze it the only down side is freezer burn. Wrap the ball tightly in plastic wrap to prevent ice buildup. Take it out of the plastic wrap before it rests in the fridge so it can expand a bit. I have two in my freezer right now.
Loved this video. Can the uncooked shells be frozen without cracking? Any tips?
Thanks in advance
This comment is showing it is from the Chicago thin crust pizza video (YT does this a lot) but I have a feeling it is actually from the Chalupa Shells video, correct? f so then yes, freeze away. As long as they don't get covered in freezer burn they will last a long time and be ready to go whe you want a Chalupa or two. If this is really about the pizza then same answer. Ice will kill it so wrap it thith in plastic wrap and they will last for months in the freezer. Just thaw for about 24 hrs in the fridge and then 2-3 hours on the counter before use.
after working in several pizza shops over the years, using a ladle to spread the sauce is much better than what you are using.
Gotta give you credit we went back and tried again but this time used two rolling pins - first french then normal - so it would be even and very thin. The result was much better. Really awesome crust.
Well done 👌🏻
God Damn that crunch sounds delicious
This has become our standard pizza in our house. Thank you so much for making this video.
I have a question about freezing it. Do you freeze it after doing the first 24 hours of fermentation or do you freeze it right out of the mixer?
So glad you like the recipe. I freeze mine straight out of the mixer. Then transfer to the fridge for 24 hours to ferment.
Just got done watching your Cracker Crust video before this . WILL be my next try !!!! Do have a question for ya. Why not use a Ladle for spreading the sauce ? Or is it critical to you to have the perfect Layer ? Looking forward to the next Pizzer night, thanks to You !
About the ladle... My sauce ladle is in storage somewhere. It did not fit in the drawer when I moved in here so it stayed in the box. Also, I have seen a bunch of people use the spatula method and for me it gives a more consistent bite. No more tons of sauce, no sauce bites I used to get with the ladle. It is much slower though.
@@howtocookeeither way, just had pizza 2 daze ago,,,,, now thanks to you gonna go for it again in 2 more !
That sounds as good as it looks. Great job!
I don't know if I missed it, but I saw no mention of how hot the oven should be for this style of crust...
Pretty much all pizza is cooked at 550f. That is as hot as most home ovens can get. If you have a commercial oven you can cook this at 650f, just shorten the cook time by about half.
@@howtocooke thank you for taking the time.
That was fun to watch ... ❤
You need to do this with the ARC XL.
I would love to have one with as much pizza as I make. I hear it's a great pizza oven
Great video and great result. When cutting the dough, why not cut the dough slightly larger than the pizza screen and use the inside of the pizza screen to build a small outer diameter lip. Put your toppings on, then put the screen and pizza in the oven. You might have to crank up the heat in the oven to compensate for the pizza screen.
That would be the "other" style of Chicago thin crust, a true 'Tavern Thin'. It has a more traditional dough and is a completely different recipe actually. The pizza screens were made for those conveyor oven contraptions that ruined modern pizza as we know it. They cook like a blast furnace in mere seconds and are WAY hotter than you could ever get a home oven. 550f is max in a home oven unfortunately. I should do the rest of the Chicago pizza styles soon. I miss good chicago pizza... Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching my video!
Great video, all looked great but....oven temp?
As high as your oven can go! 550f is usually the max you can go.
A small ladle works great to spread the pizza sauce
Normally yes, but this is a unique style of pizza. I have since bought the icing spreaders. They are awesome.
Alright you've convinced me. Subbed.
Welcome. I have a bunch more pizza videos coming soon!
why not olive oil or canola? why no sugar in your sauce? why no oil in between the sauce and crust?
That's a lot of great questions. Let me see if I can answer them.
This dough uses corn oil because it just does. That is how this particular pizza dough is made. It's a midwest thing maybe? Canola or vegetable oil will work just fine for this. Olive oil has too much flavor and would not work.
A lot of pizza sauces do not use sugar. Good tomatoes are sweeter than cheap tomatoes. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, by all means add sugar. Red wine is also a great addition to a sour sauce. A tablespoon will radically change the flavor profile but you do have to cook it if you add wine.
I never add oil to the crust before the sauce goes on. If you cure the crust right it does not get gummy. Once you stretch out the dough, let it bench rest for 10-15 minutes. That will form a skin on the dough and protect it from the sauce. This particular dough is so dry that the sauce do not effect it what so ever.
I think I got them all, let me know if you have any other questions.
Did you buy the mozzarella shredded like that or how did you shred that?
Never buy shredded cheese
It is coated in starch and/or cellulose to prevent sticking. That ruins the meltiness. Always shred your own cheese.
@@howtocooke I agree
Can i use 00 pizza flour for this recipe instead of AP flour?
No, it has too much protein and it is better for hotter cooking temps. In the odd case AP is the best choice. Thanks for your question. Let me know if you have any others.
When I worked making pizza we used a serving spoon to spread the sauce to the edge. Was very fast.
Hey Bill, I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to let you know that I just posted a kinda review video highlighting your video here and one from Chef Tuan-- as best examples for how to make a Chicago Style Thin Crust-- this is the first time I've done this and hope you like it. Feel free to check it out when you have 16 min to spare. Thanks for the inspiration!
Wow! Great video! What an honor. I like your changes and just made a dough with the semolina tonight. Can't wait to taste it. Again, thanks for all the kind words. I'll be posting a comment on your video as soon as I get a chance. 👍
@@howtocooke I am so happy you enjoyed the video it was a lot of fun to make and I learned a lot from both you and Chef Tuan!!
Great looking pizza and that is one chonky husky in the background!
Thanks and his name is Rufus. He is a 12 year old "Giant Husky". 77lbs and skinny and can be. Somebody in Phoenix breeds them this size. Normally they get to 45lbs max. His personality is 2x size too btw...
Little cheese first Then the meat and then more cheese. That keeps all the toppings on when you're just cutting into 2 inch 3 inch pieces.😊
Chicago it's all about the sausage😊
Tried too many of these from YT viral personalities and they were a waste of time. You however seem like a legit chicago pizza lover. I am going to try yours next.
I love that thin crust pizza! It is crazy the rest of the world has no idea how to make it right. I spent a lot of time perfecting this recipe so I know you are going to like it.
@@howtocooke Made it today. It was good. Next time I will roll it even thinner because it puffs up quite a lot. It's hard to get an even thickness with the french pin. The flavor and texture was good though, better than a number of others. I tried a few different cheese blends in different areas and I like adding white cheddar like your other vid. This crust is easy to make and only 1 day in the fridge is nice.
The only way to go in is when it is HOT!!
Chicago tavern pizza is best well done. You pulled it out a few minutes early.
Very true. Most tavern pies are very well done. I'm personally not a huge fan of that browned pizza, so I pull mine 30 seconds early or so. If you like it, give it a bit more time in the oven.
Mmmmm thin pizza :D
this is actually too thick for cracker tavern style pizza but 1 of the best i,ve seen on yt
It depends on the tavern I guess. Many just use a standard recipe and roll it thin. This is the cracker style and has that proper crisp crust that is light and airy. It looks thicker as it gets those little air pockets in there. Also, I didn't dock it as most do. Again, little air pockets give it that light and airy crisp. Docking lets the air out😫
too be honest all the dough recipes will do but this is what nobody knows chicago is famous for the sauce i am 61 been eating it all my life and it has changed because the old timers mom and pop take out shops no seating didnt hand down the sauce its all about the sauce nobody on YT knows the sauce even those schools dont know the sauce they say sweet fennel yes thats some of jt but no one knows the sauce i worked at a mob owned joint and you were dead if you said anything the dough was as thin as a piece of paper N Y pizza taste like crap too me @@howtocooke
There IS great deep dish pizza out there, it's just that Lou Malnati and Giordano's isn't it, IMO. Try out Labriola. Not trying to convince anyone, but it's really good stuff.
I will never understand why the masses always seem to settle for mediocrity. Next time I'm in Chicago I will definitely try Labriola. Thanks for the tip
When I worked at Jakes Pizza we used our finger to spread the sauce.
So many thoughts going through my head right now. Not sure youtube would me post any of them 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Part skim mozzarella has a flat taste. I always use whole milk.
You gotta go raw sausage
Yup, it was a rookie mistake...
It's a bari still pizza, no? 😏
Boston has the bar pies. They are a bit different but similar style. Chicago it's a tavern pizza. Semantics really.
Deep dish pizza is NOT "thick crust".
You don't pay all that money and wait all that time for 'bread' to cook. The depth comes from produce - sausage, mushroom, spinach, bell peppers.
It's like saying you don't like shepherds pie because you don't want all that potato. If your shepherds pie is mostly potato, the problem is you, not shepherds pie. The depth of a good shepherds pie comes from the mince, not the potato.
If your shepherds pie has more potato than mince, you're doing it wrong. Same with deep dish pizza. Order one and cut a cross section. Plenty of 'normal' pizza has thicker crust than deep dish.