Thin Crust Pizza - Margarita

Everybody loves pizza. Some love deep dish. Other dig thin and crispy. I like both at different times. The other night I wanted a thin crust white pizza.

You have been told that Pizza begins with the crust. I believed that, and So I have tried hundreds of variations. I have used flours with all different protein contents. I have used oil, not used oil. I have varied the moisture content from doughs that would pour to doughs that would barely roll out. Then I built a brick oven and learned that Pizza is about heat.

I had to move away from the house with the brick oven, but I had learned my lesson. I did an earlier post on deep dish pizza cooked in a iron skillet. Today will look at how to get the crisp in the thin pizza.

The AirBake pizza pan is perforated to let the dough get direct heat

Adam's Pan Thin Crust Pizza Crust

Makes 1 12 16 inch pan pizza

8 ounces of bread flour

1 1/2 cups of water

1/2 tsp of yeast

5/8 tsp of salt

1. Whisk together dry ingredients.

2. Add water and knead until silky and smooth. About 5 minutes with my Kitchenaid Mixer on #2.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

4. Allow to double in size.

5. Preheat oven to 500 degrees and place oven rack in lowest position.

6. Roll and stretch the dough to cover a 16 inch pizza pan. I actually roll the dough to 18 inches so that I can roll the edge of the pizza.

This is the exact same recipe as my pan pizza. There is nothing fancy or difficult here. We are just going to change the way we get the heat into the pizza. In our pan pizza we used iron. In the thin crust we are going to use a tremendous amount of dry heat and limited toppings.

The ingredients of my pizza

For the topping on my white pizza I have chosen some family favorites, basil and grape tomatoes. These are going to be scattered over a 16 inch pizza. On a thin pizza it is critical to limit the amount of sauce and toppings for a couple of reasons. If you start out with too much sauce that is a lot of moisture that is just going to fight you in your attempt at crispness. In our white sauce the goal is to convey the taste of garlic, the mouth-feel of cream, and the saltiness of the Parmesan. That's it.

The same goes for the toppings. Go easy and think about pockets of flavor, the burst of a tomato, the sweetness of the fresh basil, the creamy cheese. You want those to be relatively distinct and separate, so that they can play together in your mouth. A thin-crust pizza is all about harmony while the pan pizza is more like the choir singing in a blended unison.

Quick White Sauce

Adam's Alfredo

1 head of garlic

3 tbs butter

3/4 cup of cream

1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese

1. Melt butter in a pan on low heat.
2. Separate cloves, removes the skins and mince and add to butter. Cook, stirring occasionally until garlic softened. I keep my garlic from carmelizing, but that is a personal choice.
3. Add cream and stir occasionally until the cream is heated through. Set aside. The sauce will thicken a bit as it cools. If you want an extra creamy, thicker sauce add a tbs of butter and work it in. It is surprising how it works.

Thin Crust Pizza with Fluted Edge

The pizza has been rolled out for a bit. I like to get it rolled out before I make the sauce. It lets the yeast work on the dough just enough to fill it with little air bubble. I like the fluted edge because it is like attaching a breadstick to each piece of pizza.

Pizza Ready to Bake

The pizza is ready for the oven. Here you can see the distribution of the toppings. I have not tried to cover the pizza in cheese. There are gaps and empty spots. These are important for allowing the heat to go all through the pizza.

Finished Pizza

The cooked pizza. When I slipped it of the pan, it didn't sagged in a damp, wimpy, undercooked pizza sort of way. It stood up boldly. When I cut into it with my pizza knife, it snapped in a satisfying way that let me know that I had succeeded in my goals.

The bottom of the pizza

The bottom of the pizza looked better than this picture show. When held by the crust it stood out nicely with a graceful downward turn that spoke of its inner strength.

Some tips from experience.
1. This dough can be made and used in a hurry. You can use the dough when it begins to look puffy.
2. Conquer the urge to open the oven door and peek. That just let all of the heat out. On my oven the temperature drop has been as much as 75 degrees. If you must look. Clean the oven window.
3. Don't try to cook more than one thin crust pizza at a time. You WILL be disappointed. The one on top will have a disappointing bottom. The one on bottom will have a pale top. There just isn't enough heat in most ovens to go around.

Cook for Enjoyment. Eat for Health.