Chicago Style Thin Crust Pizza Recipes

FLAKY THIN CRUST CHICAGO INSPIRED PIZZA

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the cubed, chilled butter and using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it is mostly incorporated, you want to have small butter lumps. Add the chopped garlic. In a large measuring cup, combine the warm water and instant yeast. Add to the flour mixture and, using a fork, combine until the mixture is evenly moistened. Knead the dough in your hands or on a lightly floured surface for one minute or so until the dough is smooth. Divide the dough in two, shape into balls, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
• While the dough sits, you can start on the tomato sauce. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for about 30 seconds. Add the herbs, salt, and both black and red peppers, and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, wine and sugar, and bring it all to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens, usually 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sauce cool before using.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (or as hot as your oven will get). Seriously, the hotter the oven, the better. If using a pizza stone, preheat it along with the oven.
• It's time to shape the dough. Take one piece of dough and shape into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. I use a rolling pin to make it completely even, but you can also just use your hands (use a light touch). With a fork, prick the entire surface of the dough and bake for approximately 8-10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, and let it cool for 5 minutes. Top with tomato sauce, and add your favorite toppings. Going TOO thick on toppings may result in a soggy crust so be careful. Return to the oven and bake for another 8-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and begins to brown. Repeat with the second half of dough or store it in your fridge for later!

CHICAGO STYLE THIN CRUST PIZZA

Steps:

• Mix the sugar into the water followed by the yeast and let it sit for 10 minutes, or until the yeast starts to foam/bubble.
• Mix in the butter followed by the mixture of the flour, cornmeal, and salt, until it forms a dough.
• Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is soft and elastic (a finger pressed into it will leave an indent that will bounce back out a little) before dividing in two and transferring to two greased bowls, covering it and letting it sit at a little higher higher than room temperature until it rises to double in size, about 2 hours.
• One at a time, knock the dough down, roll it out into a large disc, spread half the butter over half of the dough and fold the other half over onto the buttered half before folding in half again and again and again, before forming into balls and rolling them back out into thin discs and placing them onto large baking dishes.
• Spread the pizza sauce out over one of the crusts, sprinkle on the cheese and topping and bake in a preheated 500F/260C oven until the cheese has melted and the crust is crispy and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

HOMEMADE CHICAGO THIN CRUST PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix yeast with warm water and salt and stir.
• Combine wet ingredients (water with yeast, oil, beer/water) with garlic or basil and Parmesan cheese if using.
• Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well until dough pulls together.
• Knead until dough is silky smooth, adding flour until it does not stick to your hands. You want the dough to be moist and pliable but not too sticky.
• Let dough rise until nearly doubled in size and punch down. Ideally do this several times to increase the pliability of the dough and flavor of the crust.
• When you are ready to make pizzas, preheat the oven to 500 (550 ideally if possible) with baking stone on bottom rack (any floor tile will do well).
• Punch down the dough and pull off a piece of dough about the size of your fist. Sprinkle the area you will roll out the dough with cornmeal and a small amount of flour and roll out the dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick. If you have the skills for it--toss the dough in the air.
• Prick holes in the pizza with a fork all over.
• Add toppings and slide into oven, making sure pizza peel (back of a cookie sheet will work) is very well covered in cornmeal so the pizza will easily slide off onto the baking stone.
• Bake for 5-7 minutes until cheese is bubbling and edges are crispy.

CHICAGO STYLE THIN CRUST PIZZA

Steps:

• Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, then drizzle the water and work it into the dry ingredients until a sticky dough forms.
• Continue working the dough until smooth, adding more water or flour as necessary.
• Coat the dough with a little olive oil. Divide it in half and form two discs. Divide it into fourths for smaller, individual pizzas.
• Wrap the portions of dough in plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes while you prepare the sauce and toppings.
• Combine the shallot, garlic and basil in a food processor and blend until chopped.
• Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
• Taste and adjust red pepper flakes, honey and oregano to your liking. This makes an abundance of sauce (more than you'll need for two pizzas) and it freezes beautifully.
• When using the sauce from a frozen state, drain off the excess liquid by placing some paper towels over the sauce once it's thawed.
• Turn the oven on to 425 degrees and place a pizza stone or pan on the middle rack of the oven.
• Brown the sausage and add the fennel, salt and pepper. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
• Sauté the vegetables and the salt and pepper in your fat of choice (ghee, butter, olive oil, etc.) for 7-10 minutes over medium - low heat. Remove to cool.
• Add the pepperoni to the pan and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes to release the oil and moisture. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
• Roll out the dough as thinly as possible on a floured surface to approximately 12 inches. Carefully transfer the dough onto the pizza stone that's been warming in the oven. Place the crust in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until you can lift an edge and the entire crust comes off the stone (it won't be completely done; just sturdy throughout).
• Remove the crust with a wooden pizza peel. Flip it over onto a cutting board or sheet pan.
• Add the sauce, then the pepperoni. Spread the cheese evenly over the sauce and pepperoni, then top with the sausage, peppers, onion and mushrooms.
• Slide the pizza into the oven directly on the rack (not on the stone) and bake for approximately 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly and brown.
• If you need assistance removing the pizza from the oven with the pizza peel, carefully use tongs or a heavy spatula to get the pizza on the board.
• Remove and top with oregano. Cool for ten minutes, then slice and enjoy!