Pizza - Quest For The Perfect Crust

For at least the last year, if not longer, I've been trying to perfect the perfect pizza crust. My inspiration, you ask? Lucca Grill, home to Central Illinois' 1st Pizza, they have been making them since 1936.

My quest started simple, I wanted to make a good pizza at home. Not only a good pizza, but one with the perfect, thin, flaky, crispy crust. After a couple attempts, I quickly ruled out the store bought, pre-made crusts. Next on my list was the store-bought mixes. I put in a valiant effort, mixing, and tweaking along the way. With no luck, I moved to the Internet, trying various recipes. I was getting closer, but the crust always turned out to thick, to bready (is that a word?).

Last fall I was at a book fair and stumbled upon an Italian cookbook. I didn't really need another cookbook, but who can resist pouring over pages and pages of delectable food. In my world, a cookbook is like a good novel, it should be read cover to cover. I didn't hesitate to purchase Williams-Sonoma Italian Favorites. Today, ot's selling for $18.21 on Amazon. The book fair I was at had it for $11.99, but I would pay full price, it's worth it's weight in pizza crust! The book has a section on Basic Recipes & Techniques, and the recipes in the book all build on these. It was page 319 that had my attention, a recipe for Milk Pizza Crust:

This soft, butter-enriched dough produces a then, crisp crust that compliments sweet toppings.

All of the recipes that used this crust were for dessert pizza, but I was determined to make this crust work for a traditional pizza. For my first attempt, I followed the recipe, a rarity for me, but I wanted to know what I was working with before I started to change things! While the crust turned out good, my best attempt to date, it was still to dense. The best part about this crust is that it doesn't require time to rise.

For my next attempt I split the dough in two. Finally, I had the thin, flaky crust I'd been dreaming of. Next up, can I get the crust to remind me of Lucca's? Their crust has a distinct cheesy flavor. After maybe a dozen attempts at different cheese combinations, with adjustments to the original ingredients to make up for the addition of cheese, I finally found the winning combination. Last weekend, I felt like my quest was over. Without further ado, here's what I've come up with!

Milk Pizza Crust
2 1/4 Cups Bread Flour
3/4 to 1 Cup Milk
5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature, Cut Into Cubes)
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
Parmigiano-Reggiano (100 Strokes with Rasp Shredder)
Asiago (50 Strokes with Rasp Shredder)

Note: Next time I make the crust, I'll measure the cheese and update!

Combine Flour, Baking Powder, Salt, and Cheeses.
Add Butter, ensuring it's coated with flour mixture.
Add Milk, reserving about a 1/4 Cup, and stir with fork until a soft dough forms.
Finish mixing dough with hands, using the reserved milk if needed and shape into 2 balls!
Turn out 1 of the dough balls onto a lightly floured surface.
Roll out into a thin crust, flipping occasionally as you go.
The dough should be slightly thinner in the middle then the edge.
Move dough to a pizza paddle, dusted with corm meal.
Top dough and bake in a 500° F oven for approximately 5 minutes.

Note: If you aren't making a second pizza, the extra dough can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated. It will only last 1 day in the fridge, so you may want to cut the recipe in 1/2 if you don't need 2 pizza's! I haven't tried freezing the extra dough yet, but I'm going to try it next time.



Topping Your Pizza
At this point, you can top the pizza with your favorite ingredients and bake. I prefer pepperoni, but have been known to top pizza's with anything from chicken and garlic to ham and pineapple.
I always cook the pepperoni before I put it on my pizza. It cuts down and the greasy factor and you get crispy pepperoni to compliment the crust.

Once the crust is on the paddle, I brush with olive oil and Italian herbs. Next comes a thin layer of cheese. Pictured is provolone, but a thin layer of shredded parmigiano-reggiano works just a good. This adds flavor to the pizza and puts a layer between the crust and sauce, making for a crispier crust! Sauce (a thin layer for me, thank you!) goes next and then mozzarella cheese and more parmigiano-reggiano. Last, but certainly not least, the cooked pepperoni.

Finally, the pizza is ready for the oven. I heat my pizza stone at 500° F for 60 minutes, which is about how long it takes to to make the dough and put the pizza together! The oven should be super hot at this point. I can always tell here at home because the smoke detector goes off (it doesn't matter if the oven is clean or dirty, that little smoke detector is sensitive). About 5 minutes on the stone and the pizza is ready to eat, which is of course, the best part!