Cooking Classes with Paul

Chicago-Style
Thin Crust Pizza

Tavern-Style Pizza, Crispy & Square-Cut

A Chicago classic. Rolled thin, baked crisp on a hot steel, and cut into squares. This low-hydration dough develops incredible flavor with a cold ferment and holds up perfectly under sausage, pepperoni, and bright tomato sauce.

Chicago-style thin crust pizza
2
Makes
2 Pizzas14-inch each
⏱
Active Time45 minutes
▣
Ferment2-7 days cold
♨
Bake Temp450 degrees F
bottom rack
▥
DifficultyIntermediate
◒Dough Ingredients
300g
bread flour
150g
warm water, about 100 degrees F
8g
salt
8g
sugar
2g
yeast
30g
olive oil

Baker's Percentage

Flour100%
Water50%
Salt2.7%
Sugar2.7%
Yeast0.7%
Oil10%

Hydration: 50%

●Sauce Ingredients
1
28-ounce can whole tomatoes
1
small can tomato paste
5 tsp
sugar
1 1/2 tsp
salt
1 tsp
garlic powder
1 tsp
onion powder
1 tsp
dried oregano
Pinch
red pepper flakes

Sauce Method

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
  3. Taste and adjust seasoning. The sauce should taste good before it hits the dough.
◣Build Ingredients
  • All-purpose flour, for rolling
  • Cornmeal, for parchment
  • 1/3 lb Italian sausage per pizza, uncooked, or 25 slices pepperoni
  • 1/2 lb shredded mozzarella per pizza
  • Pizza sauce
  • Dried oregano

Baker's Note

This is a low-hydration dough, so it will feel firm. That's intentional. It rolls thin and bakes up crisp and delicious.

◒ Dough Method

  1. Combine flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
  2. Bloom yeast: mix sugar into warm water, stir in yeast, and let sit until foamy.
  3. With mixer on low, add water mixture, then olive oil.
  4. Once shaggy, cover and rest 10 minutes.
  5. Knead with a dough hook for about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
  6. Divide into 2 dough balls and place in lightly oiled containers.
  7. Refrigerate 2-7 days.
  8. Remove from fridge 3 hours before baking.

▰ Prep, Roll & Build

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F with a pizza steel on the bottom rack.
  2. Dust work surface with flour. Coat dough in flour, flatten, and roll to about 14 inches.
  3. Dock dough with a docker or fork, avoiding the outer edge.
  4. Transfer to parchment dusted with cornmeal. Repeat with second dough.
  5. Spread sauce evenly, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
  6. Add sausage in small pieces or layer pepperoni evenly. Top with mozzarella and dried oregano.

♨ Bake & Finish

  1. Transfer pizza on parchment onto the hot steel.
  2. Bake 10-15 minutes, until cheese is bubbling and begins to brown.
  3. Let cool for a few minutes.
  4. Cut into squares, also called tavern cut, and serve.

Tavern Cut Tip

Use a sharp rocker or large chef's knife. Cut in a grid for classic Chicago tavern-style squares.
Paul's
Notes
❄Don't Skip the Cold Ferment

The dough gets dramatically better after 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

⌁Dock the Dough

Docking prevents big bubbles and helps keep the crust flat and crisp.

◯Use a Steel If You Can

A pizza steel gives you the best bottom crust for tavern-style pizza.

◖Sausage Under the Cheese

Small pieces of uncooked Italian sausage cook perfectly under the cheese.

Common Mistakes

⊘Too much flour when rolling = tough crust
⊘Not preheating steel long enough = pale bottom
⊘Too much sauce = soggy pizza

Cook With Me!

Want to learn this pizza hands-on? Ask about adding it to a private cooking class in Naperville or the surrounding suburbs.
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QR code linking to the full Chicago-style thin crust pizza recipe
Full recipe
cooking.allpaul.com
cooking@allpaul.com
Plainfield, Illinois