Tavern Style Pizza

Tavern Style Pizza

Ingredients:

Yields two 14 inch pizzas

385 g. bread flour (King Arthur is what we use) 

30 g. medium-grind cornmeal

2 g. instant yeast (Fleischmann's)

4 g. salt (Sea Salt)

4 g. sugar

195 g. warm water (85-90 degrees Fahrenheit)

30 g. olive oil (High Quality)

  • Stand Mixer

  • Add the dry ingredients to your stand mixer bowl fitted with a dough hook. Set to stir until combined, then add the water and oil slowly.  Turn to medium low and let mix until a shaggy dough forms (1 minute) if it is all not combined use your bands to combine any of the flour that is being difficult.  Let rest for 20 minutes covered with Saran Wrap then mix on medium low until a smooth dough forms.  This will take about 2 minutes.  If it balls up immediately use your hands amen to spread the dough a bit and continue mixing.  You want the dough hook to work the dough here.  Remove from mixer and divide evenly and ball dough.  If you want a smaller pie (10-12 inches) divide into 160 gram dough balls

  • Place dough balls in an oiled container and let cold ferment in your fridge for 3-5 days.

Dough Rolling

 

After cold fermenting, remove dough from the fridge and let sit out covered on the counter for 30 minutes to allow it to warm up a bit.  This will make it easier to roll.  If you are stretched for time you can do roll it right out of the fridge but it will take more effort.  Place on to a well floured surface.  Press all the air out of the dough with your fingers and use a rolling pin to roll dough to a 14 inch circle.  Use a dough docker or fork to poke small holes to help release steam while baking to keep your crust thin and crispy.  At this point these are ready to bake but to take it another level, you can cold cure your dough in the fridge.

Dough Curing

Lightly flour a 16-18 inch piece of parchment paper.  Place your rolled dough on top. Lightly flour and place another piece of parchment paper on top. Repeat with remaining dough and place back in your fridge for 24 hours to cure.  Curing dries out the surface of the dough, which leads to a crispier, cracker-like texture.

Fire up your Gozney pizza oven.  Ideally preheat the oven for 30-45 until the stone temperature reaches 700 degrees.  Before placing the dough on your pizza peel to launch use a healthy amount of semolina flour to coat the top of the dough before flipping and placing on your pizza peal to launch.  Cover the pizza peal as evenly as possible with semolina flour as well to make launching the pizza.  This process will make everything much easier on you and the semolina flour adds a nice cracker texture to your pizza.

Launch your pizza

Once you launch the pizza turn the burner off and set a timer for 2 minutes.  After 2 minutes turn your Gozney pizza oven on medium heat and begin to rotate until the crust is darkened as evenly as possible.  This will take 30-45 seconds typically. 

Once you remove the pizza from the oven place on a cooling rack for 2-5 minutes allow to cool and this will only enhance the cracker type crust you are looking for.  Slice into squares and ENJOY!!!

Videos:

https://www.tiktok.com/@davepizzaoven/video/7426444462970162463

Billy Zureikat who we credit for the foundation and cooking process:

https://gold-flugelhorn-b7hr.squarespace.com/recipes/chicago-tavern-dough