Great New York/Neopolitan crust

[nestlund]

16oz. 110 degree water
1 tsp. dry active yeast
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour (king arthur is the best)
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp salt

Let yeast and water proof together for 5 mins

Add oil then flour then salt. Kneed for 3-5 mins in kitchen aid mixer with the hook attachment. Dough will be on the wetter side. Pour into bowl and let rise for 3 hrs. After 3 hrs punch dough down and layout on a floured bench. Cut into 4 equal doughballs. Lighty coat with vegetable oil and put into separate zip lock bags to further ferment to aquire a better tasting crust. Put doughballs into fridge for 24-48hrs. When rdy to make a pie let dough sit at room temp for 1-2 hrs before shaping the dough.

 

[CWS4322]

Welcome to DC. That looks great!

 

[salt and pepper]

Looks good, nice job.

 

[Addie]

Thin crispy crust for me. Chicago can keep their deep dish pizza. We have a barroom that makes a thin crust pizza. One size only. In the summer the line is around the corner and still growing. It was voted the best pizza in New England by our Boston Food Critic, The Phantom. About six years ago, I had a pizza party for six out-of-town vistors. Not one slice left.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Nestlund, your pizza looks fabulous! Save me a slice.

Thin crispy crust for me. Chicago can keep their deep dish pizza.

Addie, on an earlier post you claimed you weren't a food snob. With this statement and the "what don't you want to see on your plate?" thread I'm beginning to think that was a complete fabrication.

I find that most people who say they don't like Chicago deep dish have never had a good one. Their comparing it to something they've seen at Pizza Hut or Domino's. Me, I love 'em. A good deep dish stuffed pizza is like a real meal. Giordano's on Rush Street used to have the best, but it's been some 30 years since I lived there and I just can't put away the pizza as well as I used to.

 

[Addie]

Addie, on an earlier post you claimed you weren't a food snob. With this statement and the "what don't you want to see on your plate?" thread I'm beginning to think that was a complete fabrication.

I find that most people who say they don't like Chicago deep dish have never had a good one. Their comparing it to something they've seen at Pizza Hut or Domino's. Me, I love 'em. A good deep dish stuffed pizza is like a real meal. Giordano's on Rush Street used to have the best, but it's been some 30 years since I lived there and I just can't put away the pizza as well as I used to.

My dislike of deep dish pizza comes from the fact that I don't like bread. By the time I am on my third slice, I am eating just the topping and leaving the crust behind. I made a tomato sandwich last night. I don't know why I used the bread. I picked all of it off and left just enough to hold the sandwich together. I will eat bread that has flavor. Whole wheat, pumpernickel, and marbled rye.

 

[Steve Kroll]

My dislike of deep dish pizza comes from the fact that I don't like bread.

A true Chicago stuffed pizza doesn't have that much bread. It's all filling. The crust is on the bottoms and sides. Everything else is meat, sauce, cheese, and veggies. The only thing that's really unusual about it is they put the sauce on top.

It should be right up your alley!

 

[Addie]

A true Chicago stuffed pizza doesn't have that much bread. It's all filling. The crust is on the bottoms and sides. Everything else is meat, sauce, cheese, and veggies. The only thing that's really unusual about it is they put the sauce on top.

It should be right up your alley!

I would use a fork to eat just the topping.

 

[Andy M.]

A true Chicago stuffed pizza doesn't have that much bread. It's all filling. The crust is on the bottoms and sides. Everything else is meat, sauce, cheese, and veggies. The only thing that's really unusual about it is they put the sauce on top.

It should be right up your alley!

I've seen Chicago stuffed pizza on TV and eaten it as well. Every version I have seen had much more crust than a Neapolitan pizza.

I prefer a thinner pie with a bottom crust no thicker than a nickle and a thin coating of pizza sauce on it then toppings.

It's really not that I haven't had a really good one, It's that I don't like that style of pizza.

 

[taxlady]

Does anyone make a deep dish pizza with whole wheat crust? I prefer thin crust pizza with whole wheat, but it's hard to find.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I had this pizza when I first hit San Diego, by a company called Square Pan Pizza. It had a thick, chewy, yeasty crust that was amazing to me at the time. In my home town, we had three pizza places, Rosini's, Fabrocini's, and King's pizza. The first two made a thin, cracker crust pizza, with the usual toppings. The dough was made on site, by the owners. King's pizza made a thicker crust, but more of the Neapolitan style. What they were famous for was taking that pizza, and turning it into a pizza pastie, one of the finest pizza creations ever made.

So, my pizza experiences were somewhat limited. When I had that thick-crust pizza, it was a brand new pizza experience for me, and I love it at first bite. I'm still in love with that kind of crust, though it's no longer my absolute favorite anymore. I just wish I could make one like it. Mine come out with a great outer crust, but somewhat uncooked under the toppings. I made a neapolitan crust last night that came out pretty good. But as usual, it was topping heavy. More isn't always better. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't great. Someday, I'll learn to make pizza that's as good as my egg rolls.

But as per this thread, the op's pizza crust looks top notch, great job. Now, come on over to my house and teach me how to do it.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[nestlund]

Giordanos is my favorite stuffed pizza. Malnatis is my fav deep dish. I love a giant 18in. new york slice as well. Thin crust is good to but i hate the cracker crust kind with the stiff cheese. If any of u guys are pizza fanatics go check out the forums at pizzamaking.com.

 

[Rocklobster]

Both those pizza's look great. Vive la différence!. I make both and for deep dish, I just use the same crust and put it in a round cake pan. I have also used regular pie plates.

 

[nestlund]

Giordanos pie

 

[babetoo]

i like thin, not paper thin though. but please no whole wheat, even if it is better for me.

 

[Addie]

i like thin, not paper thin though. but please no whole wheat, even if it is better for me.

Pizza is one of those foods that shouldn't be healthy for you to eat. The cheese should have looong strings when you pick up a slice off the tray. You fight with everyone else to get as much cheese as you can. Onions, mushrooms, garlic and anything else you want on them should be semi-fried in lots of olive oil And don't drain them on anything. Just pile it on the top of the pizza with the pepperoni and cheese. I want to see pools of olive oil on the top under the cheese. I don't want to see what is underneath the cheese. There should be so much cheese, that the company is going to go broke buying mozzarella cheese. And definitely thin crust with a little bit of burn and corn meal on the bottom.

 

[FrankZ]

By the time I am on my third slice, I am eating just the topping and leaving the crust behind.

You can get to the third piece slice of Giordano's? Pretty impressive...

 

[Addie]

You can get to the third piece slice of Giordano's? Pretty impressive...

Only if it is thin crust. And I have to have not eaten for a couple of days. I have this crazy digital scale. You step on it to check you weight. If you don't like what it says, move it to another part of the floor and it shows you ten pounds lighter. I love it! Instant weight loss program.

 

[nestlund]

Funny, i always thought that the crust from giordanos set them aside from all the other places. Its that good!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

OK. I hear what all of you are saying. And all pizza is good. Some are just plain amazing. There are great thin crust, thick crust, Neapolitan, Chicago style, Sicilian style, etc. But unless you come to Sault Ste. Marie, MI, and try the pizza pasty served up at UpperCrust pizza, you are missing a unique and amazing pizza. You just have to try and make some for yourself. Take your favorite pizza crust, sauce, and toppings. Build your pizza. Now, before you bake it, fold it and press the edges together to form a half circle. Now bake it, let it cool just enough to handle. Pick that baby up with both hands and eat it. The cheese is so gooey, and every bite is intense, juicy beyond belief (make sure you have good napkins available), and just a bite of pizza heaven.

The pizza pasty is a pizza lovers holy grail, IMHO of course. I've lived in many states, and eaten pizza from both coasts, and Chicago. For me, there just isn't a better pizza made, period. And you can get it with your favorite toppings, all steamy and good. It should be on "The Best Food I Ever Ate". It's that good.

If your ever up in the Eastern U.P., you've got to try it. It does for pizza what grilling does for a PBJ.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North