Detroit has proved to be one of the most popular pizza styles across the U.S. The tender, yet chewy crumb and racing-stripe sauce add to its appeal, but there’s no denying that the real magic is in the crispy cheese crown that towers above the edges of the pizza. It seems only a matter of time before the Frico transcends Detroit pizza altogether and pops up on other styles.

These blackened, lacy edges can be traced back to Buddy’s Pizza, the iconic pizzeria credited with creating what we now call Detroit-style pizza. In 1946, the owners – Gus Guerra and his wife, Anna – were looking for something new to add to their menu. They came up with a variation on Sicilian pizza with a show-stopping cheese crown. The lore behind this style is that Buddy’s used a blue steel pan originally meant to hold small auto manufacturing parts. With an abundance of such trays in Motor City, it was probably a simple matter of convenience and supply. It’s this very pan – deep with thick steel sides – that help create the beautiful cheese crown. Ironically, those blue steel pans so key to the style’s creation are now nearly impossible to find. Luckily, other pans exist to help mimic the originals.

Frico For Non-Detroit Styles

As a person who doesn’t adhere to the exact constructs of specific pizza styles, I love seeing the Frico edge pop up outside of Detroit pizza. I’ve never made Detroit pizza at my shop, but I do put a crispy cheese crust on our Grandma pies. The pizza I make is a variation of the pan pizza my mom used to make. It’s her version of a pan pie, coated with a sesame-seed bottom. When I was workshopping this pizza to make at my restaurant, cheese that pooled over the edge and caramelized in the oven was a natural addition. The sesame seeds turn crunchy and buttery in the oven, and the crispy cheese edge makes the pizza almost decadent. Looking around, I see this feature elsewhere, too – especially on round pan pies. At Chicago-based Milly’s Pizza in the Pan, you can find a cheesy layer lurking along the round crust of what the owner, Robert Maleski, calls a Chicago pan pizza.

It might look easy, but getting the perfect frico crust takes more than just sprinkling some extra cheese on the edge of your pan pie. Like anything extraordinary, it’s all in the details. Creating a consistently great cheese crown really comes down to the cheese, the fat, the pan and the tools.

Cheese Frico

Traditionally, Wisconsin brick cheese was used to create the caramelized edges. This high-fat cheese has a buttery, salty flavor with a good amount of tang. Mozzarella has become a more common addition to the cheese blend. The amount of cheese you use is extremely important. Nicole Bean of Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana in Houston agrees that finding the right balance of cheeses is essential. She says, “Low-moisture mozzarella is helpful building a frico. There’s debate on which brand – and even if pre-shred makes a difference on it. I think it truly depends on what you’re looking for in your frico.”

The shape of the cheese can impact your final product as well. Shredded cheese is a great option, but also consider using sliced cheese that you layer along the sides – or cut and cubed cheese. This is how Maleski creates his crispy crust at Milly’s. “I use part-skim, low-moisture mozzarella. I think the whole milk releases just a little too much grease and have found that skim works better. I buy them in block form, and we slice them ourselves. We do one-ounce slices. The trick is to layer the slices so they run up the side of the pan.”

While you want a crispy crown, Maleski points out that it’s important not to overcook the pizza, since it can cause the frico to taste bitter and burned.

Pan Pizza

The cheese works in tandem with the pan. The traditional blue steel pans with black surfaces are similar to a cast iron, with the black being better at conducting heat and essentially frying the cheese edge as the pizza cooks. The slightly sloped edges help to create the shelf of caramelized, lacy cheese. While these pans are very hard to come by nowadays, there are some good alternatives.

Once you find the right pan for your frico, don’t forget the fat. A good amount of fat should be used along the bottom and sides of the pan – not only to help with the release of the frico but to help fry it and give it shape and flavor. I’m a big fan of olive oil, but depending on what you’re going for, butter, Crisco or even good old-fashioned grease works really well – or try a combination of a few coatings. Maleski first rubs the entire pan with Crisco and then sprays Pam along the edge of the pan where the frico will touch. He says, “When I first started, it was incredibly challenging to free the pizzas from the pan. Since I discovered the combo of Crisco and Pam, I have never had any issues with the pizza sticking; it comes out like butter.”

Releasing Pizza From the Pan

Once you determine which pan to use and the grease you prefer, the next thing to consider is how to go get it out of the pan. “Choose the right tools to remove your Detroits to preserve the frico as much as possible,” Bean says. “I’ve seen a variety of things: metal dough scrapers or even putty scrapers, beveled spatulas, plastic or metal spatulas, flexi scrapers.”

There’s something about a caramelized cheese frico that is irresistible – both to eat and photograph. While Detroit-style pizza is as popular as ever, the Frico edge itself has taken on a life of its own. Using the right tools, cheese, pans and process, there’s really no limit to putting a frico on your own version of pan pizza.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post Pizza’s Crowning Achievement | Knead to Know appeared first on Pizza Today.

As pizza makers and bakers, we are trained to choose our flour based on what we want our end product to look, feel and taste like. We analyze a bag of flour for the level of protein it contains, how coarsely it is milled, the elasticity it will provide and if it is bleached, unbleached or enriched. Another important question should be what wheat is used. Just as baking has been returning to its artisanal roots, pizza makers are exploring beyond standard “white flour” as whole grains and ancient grains enter the conversation.

Like all plants, wheat will taste different depending on the varietal as well as the region and soil it is grown in. All these factors influence the complexity and flavor of the grain once it is milled. The quality and type of grains have a huge impact on the flavor, texture, color, crumb and nutritional value of the pizza, breads and pastries that we create from them.

Using Whole Grains and Local Mills for my Restaurant

One of my favorite parts of owning a pizzeria is making and experimenting with dough. When I started adding in whole-grain flours, I realized how much I had been missing out. I knew the basics about wheat and flour, but once I started diving deeper, I couldn’t stop. I wanted to know about all the different wheat varietals, why freshly milled flour is so different from mainstream commercial flour, how whole grains can kickstart the fermentation process and the multitudes of flavor and texture they add to pizza dough. Naturally, I started milling flour to add to our dough in my shop with a small mill I bought. This was clearly not sustainable since we don’t have a big enough mill – nor the space for it – to accommodate the amount of dough we make daily. Luckily for me, there are a few fantastic local mills in my area.

Not only was I able to access great grains to mill (and eventually just buy flour from them), I had the opportunity to learn about the different ones available, what would work best in our dough and the different flavor qualities each one contributed. A lot of states also have created grain alliances, which can be a fantastic resource if you don’t happen to have a mill near you. Here in Colorado, the Colorado Grain Chain was started a handful of years ago, and it offers educational classes and resources to members.

Before I settled on a dough I really loved, I tried out some that were almost entirely composed of whole-grain flours and others with varying percentages of whole grains. Some were great and others not so much. There’s a fine line between adding flavor and texture and turning it into a whole-wheat dough. For my shop, we try to make two different doughs, max. This helps with a multitude of things, including labor and space. In order to add freshly milled, local whole grains to our dough and not have it be a completely separate item, I had to scale way back on both the whole-grain flour and my expectations. I found that the sweet spot is closer to five percent whole grains, but you can always push it a little further if you want a heartier dough.

Wheat and Milling Types

You might be asking, “Where do I even begin to choose what whole-grain flour to use?”

In the U.S., there are six classes of wheat:

• Hard Winter Red

• Hard Red Spring

• Soft Red Winter

• Soft White

• Hard White

• Durum

The protein content of the wheat primarily determines how the wheat will be used. The greater the protein content, the greater the elasticity of the dough. Most of the flour produced domestically is made of hard or soft red wheat. As you can see, all flour begins as whole grains. However, to be classified as “whole wheat” or “whole grain,” the flour must contain all three parts of the grain kernel – the bran, endosperm and germ. The way most commercial flour is milled and processed almost always takes out the wheat’s nutrients by separating the endosperm from the bran and germ.

The most common way to mill grains these days is roller-milling. Most commercial flour companies use this method because it is quick, efficient and produces lots of flour in a short amount of time. The process involves feeding grain through a series of rollers to separate the endosperm – or the part of the grain made up of mostly carbohydrates – from the rest of the kernel. This produces a very fine, white flour. The bran and the germ, which contain most of the grain’s nutrients, are removed in this process, leaving behind an extremely palatable flour with fewer nutrients. Stone-milled flour involves slowly grinding grain between two large stones. This ancient method preserves more of the grain and the nutrients. Flour can then be sifted to achieve varying degrees of coarseness.

While not everyone lives in an area where it is easy to access local, freshly milled wheat, plenty of great flours can be sourced from smaller mills across the country – and even from larger companies. Most are more than willing to answer any questions you have and even send samples for you to experiment with. Some boutique flour companies only carry single-origin flours, whereas others have whole-grain flour blends created for specific baked goods. There are tons of ancient and heirloom grains. If you’re considering them for your pizza dough, I like to look for grains that have pretty high protein content, contribute a unique (but not overpowering) flavor and can be sourced year-round.

Wheat Varieties to Consider for Pizza Dough

Here are a few varietals to get you going:

Clarks Cream Wheat

This Hard White Winter wheat is a great one to dip your toes in. With its subtle color, it’ll blend right in with the rest of your flour while still adding a great texture – and, you guessed it, creamy taste.

Turkey Red 

A personal favorite of mine and many bread bakers, this wheat has high protein content. This is great for higher gluten pizzas, such as New York style, and adds great flavor.

Red Fife

This heirloom varietal adds a rich, nutty flavor and deeper caramel color to your dough.

Yecora Rojo

This wheat has high protein content, is more complex than a lot of other grains and adds a chewy texture to your pizza or bread.

Another great way to incorporate whole grains into your dough is by adding them to your sourdough starter, biga or poolish. Since whole grains naturally have higher sugar content, they will kickstart the fermentation process. Keep in mind that your hydration also will change, since whole-grain flours absorb a lot more liquid.

As you can see, you don’t need to completely overhaul your dough to benefit from the complexity whole-grain flours add to taste, texture and fermentation. Just remember that a little can go a long way. To me, it’s worth the extra effort. After all, you can make your toppings as fancy as you want but, in the end, a pizza is only as good as the crust.

AUDREY KELLY owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

Read the July 2025 Issue of Pizza Today Magazine

Who are this year’s Rising Stars in the Pizza Industry? We profile six up-and-comers who are making their mark on pizza. Discover why the Grandma style pizza is spreading across the country. See why your pizza could benefit from whole-grain flour. Brush up on inventory management best practices. Learn how to take your products to the retail market. Go to the July Issue.

The post Your pizza dough might benefit from adding whole-grain flour | Knead to Know appeared first on Pizza Today.

Hot honey has quickly edged itself in as a “must have” pizza topping. It’s hard to walk into a
pizzeria or scroll through Instagram without seeing a pie drizzled in some form of hot honey. Packing a bold heat and plenty of sticky sweetness, it’s easy to see why everyone wants to dip their pizza crusts in it. Hot honey has the ability to transform an ordinary pizza into something special – and it is not controversial like ranch dressing.

What is this sauce that has taken the industry by storm? At its most simple, hot honey is essentially just honey and chili peppers. Since there are so many different types of both, each hot honey can be incredibly unique, ranging from mild to lip-tingling hot that is evened out by the honey’s natural sugar.

One of the things I love about hot honey is that it has no limits. It can work on a white pizza, a red-sauced one or, if you really want to get wild, paired with pesto. It goes great with cured and roasted meats alike. (See our guide to cured meats on page 66.) You can get fancy by adding it to a burrata pie or jazz up a veggie one. At the same time, you can simply slather hot honey on a cheese slice and eat that for lunch every day.

You don’t have to stop with pizza either. Hot honey’s sweet and spicy nature makes it the perfect dipping sauce for garlic knots, chicken wings, a salad dressing ingredient or even a drizzle on top of cheesecake and gelato.

Hot honey can be a great addition to a drink menu as well. Think: specialty cocktail, something to spice up a hot toddy or a twist on the Italian soda.

Here are a few of my favorite hot honey pies:

• Prosciutto, stracciatella and hot honey.
• Marinara, Calabrese salami, mushrooms, hot honey and basil.
• Wild mushroom, burrata and hot honey.
• Pepperoni, pickled veggies, hot honey and Parmesan cheese.
• Breaded cauliflower (or cauliflower “wings”), gorgonzola and hot honey.

There are quite a few brands of hot honey available, and many of them are very good. That said, it’s pretty simple to make your own. Cooking up your own batch gives you control over the level of spice and heat. You only need two ingredients: Honey and chili peppers.

Which peppers you pick will determine the flavor profile and spiciness of the hot honey.

The shelf life also can be a factor when deciding between the two. A fresh chili infusion will keep for a week in the refrigerator, whereas hot honey made with dried chilies should last for about three months at room temperature. If you decide on dried, something as simple as crushed red pepper flakes will work. If you want to think a little outside the box, other fun dried chili varieties to look for are:

• Ancho: This is a dried poblano pepper and one of the most widely used chilies. It has a sweetness and mild to medium heat.
• Guajillo: Along with the ancho, this is one of the most common and versatile dried chilies. It’s mild and has smooth, red skin.
• Cascabel: These chilies are small and round with a deep peanut flavor. They are hot.
• Chile de árbol: Bright-red, skinny and very hot.
• Pasilla: This is a dried chilaca chili. It has dark brown, wrinkly skin and flavors of hay and bitter chocolate.

Fresh chilies are another option and, for some, easier to procure. If you already buy jalapeños or another type of pepper, you can easily use those in your hot honey recipe as well. A few common varieties are:

• Hatch green chiles: They tend to be pleasantly hot with citrusy, smoky and earthy notes.
• Jalapeño peppers: These peppers have a bright, fruity, herbaceous and spicy flavor.
• Fresno chiles: They share the fruity flavor notes of jalapeños but with more of a hot punch.
• Serrano peppers: These skinny, long peppers pack quite a bit of heat.
• Habañero peppers: This chili is small and bulbous, and most commonly red, orange or yellow. It is a close relative of the Scotch bonnet, both among the hottest peppers on the Scoville scale.

Types of Honey to Use to Make Hot Honey

When most people think of honey, wildflower or clover honey usually comes to mind, but there are many types of honey to choose from. Each has their own unique flavor and uses. A few are:

• Acacia honey: mild and sweet.
• Buckwheat honey: strong and dark.
• Eucalyptus honey: herbal aroma.
• Fireweed honey: complex buttery flavor.
• Tupelo honey: much sweeter than other honeys.
• Orange blossom: citrus flavor.
  

The upside to using a basic clover honey as opposed to one with a more pronounced flavor is that it complements the chilies without distracting from them. If you want the honey to shine through, any of the bolder varieties paired with a mild chili will do the trick.

To make hot honey, you are essentially infusing the chilies into the honey by cooking them together. Along with the spice level of the chilies you choose, the length of time you cook the chilies in honey will determine the intensity.

I’m a fan of a straightforward hot honey simply composed of the chilies and honey, but you can add in other ingredients. A splash of vinegar or lemon juice to cut through the sweetness is a popular choice, and a pinch of salt can really bring out the flavors. If you want to add another dimension to your hot honey, dry spices such as ground cinnamon, black pepper and chipotle powder are good options.

I don’t know if it’s universal pizza etiquette, but growing up in Colorado, we always dipped our pizza crusts in honey. Incorporating Calabrese chilies into locally sourced honey to make my own version of “hot honey” was a natural decision when I opened my shop. With so many different uses, it’s hard not to love hot honey.

Serrano Orange Blossom Honey

Get the Serrano Orange Blossom Honey recipe.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post Un-bee-lievably Good! Hot Honey on Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

n many pizzerias, meatballs are one of the most under utilized items on the menu. My own included. The ideal meatball is deeply flavorful and juicy with a tender bite that is somehow still cohesive. So why relegate them to simply a side dish when they have so much potential and versatility? Meatballs can be tucked into a sandwich, used to top off a pasta dish, crumbled or cut onto a pizza, smashed into a patty melt, rolled into an arancini, folded into the middle of a garlic knot, or even used as a protein on salad.

While many cultures have their own take on what we call a meatball, the version most of us are familiar with is the Italian American dish that is made following a pretty traditional format. This involves combining ground beef and pork for the base, adding in Parmesan or another aged Italian hard cheese, some form of breadcrumbs, garlic, spices and a cracked egg. Of course, there are variations that make certain ones stand out and others fall short.

What makes a perfect meatball?

To create your perfect meatball, it’s easiest to break down the components:

1. The Meat. A pork and beef combo is the most common, but you can use pretty much anything: chicken, turkey, lamb and buffalo are all great options. The type of meat you decide on will have a big impact on the
   flavor profile as well as the texture. The whiter meats tend to be a bit chewier while red meats and pork have a more tender mouth feel. Another thing to consider is the fat content because, as always, fat is flavor. If you want to make them vegetarian, there are many plant-based “meats” out there. There are the more common ground alternative meats, but you can make your own base out of eggplant or nuts as well.
2. The Grind. How coarse the grind of the meat can change how the meatballs form and the overall texture of the ball.
3. The starch. I generally use some gluten-based starch. Anything from breadcrumbs to bread soaked in milk to crushed cracker or simply flour will work. If you’re trying to make them more versatile, using a gluten-free substitute is always an option.
4. The Eggs. Don’t forget your binder. While starch helps to bring everything together, eggs also play a big role.
5. The Cheese. The traditional recipes usually call for Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano.
   Really any aged, hard Italian cheese will do but if you want a different flavor profile, don’t be afraid to branch out with other varieties. Sharp cheddar and Manchego have worked really well in the past for me.
6. The Fruits and Vegetables. Garlic is the obvious choice here, but if you’re changing things up, I love everything from roasted red pepper to fresh jalapeños to dried fruits.
7. The Herbs and Spices. Fresh or dried these give your meatballs a big burst of flavor.

Once you get your base recipe down, it’s fun to change things up. Meatballs really have endless possibilities. Instead of a rotating pizza special, you could capture customers with a weekly meatball special that you serve as a sandwich and pizza topping. Since there are so many pork-based pizza toppings, it’s nice to make a meatball that is made from something else. A few ideas to get you started:

• Apricot, feta and thyme lamb meatballs
• Hatch chiles, sharp cheddar and roasted garlic turkey meatballs
• Sun-dried tomato, oregano/basil, goat cheese and chicken meatballs.
• Pine nut, basil, raisin and eggplant “meat” balls

Whatever type of meatball you decide to make, the way you plan on serving them might change how you form them and what cooking method you use. For example, if I am using them in a meatball sandwich, I like the dough to be tighter and really stick together. If I am putting them on top of a pasta dish, I think that forming them a bit looser, so they fall apart, is texturally more appealing. To make prep easier you can mix a big batch of batter and then ball it up over a few days.

Whether you are baking, frying, steaming or braising your meatballs, always remember to taste test. This means pinching off a small piece of the meatball batter and cooking it off to see if you need to adjust anything, salt being the most obvious.

How you cook them can change the flavor and texture. Frying them creates a chewier crust and seals in all of the fat, whereas steaming them will make for a softer, more pliable meatball. I’m a big fan of baking them off and then finishing them by braising in our marinara sauce. I also do this out of necessity since we have exactly one oven at my shop and that’s a pizza oven.

It’s not just the meatballs themselves that you can get crafty with. Smothering a classic meatball in Alfredo, pesto or vodka sauce will put a brand new spin on the dish. If you’re feeling really wild, you can even try a BBQ sauce. The best thing about it is that all of this works great on pizza as well.

As you can see, there are endless possibilities to play around with. Meatballs are a great way to cater to customers with certain dietary restrictions like gluten or pork. Don’t be afraid to mix things up and always remember to taste test.

Turkey, Hatch Green Chile and Sharp Cheddar Meatballs Recipe

Get the Turkey, Hatch Green Chile and Sharp Cheddar Meatballs Recipe.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post Secrets to the Best Meatballs appeared first on Pizza Today.

Every time I look at social media, I am bombarded with pictures of pizza crust close-ups. People displaying the huge air pockets in a cross section of crust, also known as a cornicione. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good crust shot as much as anyone, but what is it that they are really showing off? Proper fermentation. For me, this is what creating the perfect dough boils down to. You can use all of the right ingredients but if your dough is not properly fermented then you’re not going to have the light and chewy crust that is so desirable. To understand just how to achieve your perfect cornicione, it is important to understand the fundamentals of dough production and a few crucial steps that should not be left out in order to create the perfect dough. They all center around fermentation: the initial bulk rise, doing an autolyse and the final rise.

What exactly is fermentation?

It all starts with yeast. Whether you are using instant, fresh, active dry or a sourdough starter, the fermentation process you choose will have a huge impact on your final dough product and thus your beautiful crust. While there are over a thousand different species of yeast, commercial yeast is almost always Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Once you have added yeast to your dough the fermentation process begins. Fermentation is an anaerobic reaction where the yeast feeds on simple sugar in the absence of oxygen. It produces ethanol and other derivative chemicals. Basically, the yeast is eating the simple sugars released by the flour’s starch that has been broken down and in turn releases carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is what forms the tiny air bubbles in the dough. This process is highly affected by your dough’s temperature. If the dough gets too cold the yeast won’t activate and if it’s too hot it won’t survive. This is why you always hear people talking about IDT or the Ideal Dough Temperature. Not everyone’s IDT will be the same depending on what type of yeast you are using, how long you plan on bulk rising and if you do a longer cold fermentation. You can control the temperature of the dough by the temperature of the water that you add to it and plugging it into this formula:

Temperature T water = T dough x 3 – (T room + T flour +T mixer heat)

In general, the longer you ferment your dough, the more flavor you are going to get out of it. A slower fermentation creates a better gluten structure which means better bubbles in the crust due to the aid in gluten development. By rushing the process, you end up with a one-dimensional dough, in both flavor and texture. One way to save time on your overall bulk and cold fermentation is to use a pre-ferment. The two most common are a Poolish or a Biga. Simply combine flour, water and yeast and allow it to ferment at room temperature overnight. By adding this to your dough, you are getting a head start on its flavor and structure.

With pizza dough there are several ways to achieve your ideal fermentation.

The first step is to incorporate an autolyse into your process. This is a step in dough making that I find a lot of people leave out, but all of the best bakers find essential. It is the step right after you have combined the flour and water (I add the yeast here too) and before you add your salt and oil. An autolyse, or rest period, is basically just letting your dough rest for 20 to 30 minutes. This allows the gluten net to strengthen and increases the dough’s extensibility. This is an important quality, not only in the dough’s ability to be stretched without ripping but also in achieving a good rise or volume. It can be the difference between having a pasty, flat crust and a bubbly, chewy one.

After the autolyse and your final mix, the next step is to do a bulk fermentation (also called a bulk rise). For my own shop, we do a five-hour bulk rise (once the dough has finished mixing, we place it in large bins at room temperature). Since we use a sourdough starter, this allows for the yeast to really kick in and start to develop the flavor and texture that I am looking for. If you are using a commercial yeast, you might want a shorter bulk fermentation. Whatever length your bulk rise is, this is the stage where the strength, flavor and structure of the dough are developed. At this stage, you want to make sure the dough stays at a consistent temperature. You can speed up or slow down the rise by either placing it in a warmer area or placing it in the walk-in. However, just like it is possible to under ferment a dough, you also want to be careful not to over extend it. If you let the bulk fermentation go too long or get too hot, the glutens in the dough begin to degrade due to increased acidity and result in a tighter, smaller crumb.

After that, we cut and ball the dough. Once the dough is balled, we let it rise another five hours outside of the walk-in before giving it a 24- to 48-hour cold rise. By giving the dough the chance to rise in the beginning, it cuts down on the time we need to pull it out before service because the yeast is already activated and proofed to the point that we want it to bake at.

Do you ever get a slice of pizza and notice that there is a huge gum line? The reason for this is improper proofing. Proofing is the final rise that the dough goes through before baking. It is a crucial step, as it helps to create those beautiful corniciones. Once your dough is ready to be pushed out into a pizza, all of the internal chemistry has been done. If you have accomplished a proper fermentation and rise, then the dough should pop in the oven.

In theory, all dough is fermented but how you choose to carry out the process will affect your final crust. Everyone has a slightly different approach to making their signature recipes, but there are a few important steps that anyone can benefit from adding into their process. Don’t be afraid to play around with a variety of methods to achieve your perfect crust.  

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post Knead to Know: How to achieve a light and chewy finished pizza crust appeared first on Pizza Today.

In the first few months that we were open, someone wrote a scathing review on how terrible our deep-dish pizza was. They said, “while the bottom was crispy, it was mostly dough, and seriously lacking cheese and toppings,” along with some other choice descriptions of the pie. While I now know better than to even read Yelp, as I take every bad review to heart, this was not one of them. I can tell you that we didn’t make deep dish pizza then and we don’t make it now. It is not a style that I am very familiar with, nor will I claim to know very much about. What this person was describing is our Sicilian-style pizza. Yes, Sicilians are also baked in a pan, but structured totally different than Chicago deep dish pies. The whole experience was just my first taste of how important it is to constantly educate your customers on your product.

While, at least in my mind, Chicago deep dish and Sicilian are two very different pies, there are some styles that share similar characteristics and tend to blur the lines. We’re talking Grandmas and Sicilians — two of my absolute favorites. I’ve eaten quite a bit of each and it’s always interesting to see people’s different takes on them. We sell both at my pizzeria and it is interesting to observe how a lot of people strongly prefer one or the other. While they are both a style of pizza that is risen in an oiled pan with a crispy bottom, a lot of the similarities stop there. The obvious differences being the shape of pan used and height of the pie.

My version of a Grandma pie isn’t exactly a typical one. I call it Patty style after my mom, and it is the pizza she made me growing up. It’s a thin pan pie, with cheese spilling over the edges and sesame seeds lining the bottom. We don’t rise or par bake our Grandmas. Something that I believe is not technically correct, but I’ve tried both ways and this is what I prefer. The seeds and extra virgin olive oil create an almost buttery taste, which, combined with the caramelized cheese eludes to pure decadence. The dough rises enough in the oven to create air pockets, while still maintaining a denser crust. Our Sicilians on the other hand are quite the opposite. It is a style that I have worked tirelessly on over the years and finally asked the advice of someone whose Sicilians are legendary. The one and only Chris Decker, chef/partner at Metro Pizza in Las Vegas.

They are risen for hours and then par baked. The bottom should always be crispy, providing a nice crunch to contrast the pillowy, light middle. They are rectangular in shape as opposed to the traditional square shape of a Grandma. All of our pizza is naturally leavened, AKA sourdough. The Sicilian is where you can truly taste the beauty of this method. The long rise and fermentation really accentuates the flavor and strengthens the texture. I think of Sicilians as a cloud that carries a light amount of toppings. Some people might think that since the Sicilian is thicker in structure it can hold up to more toppings. This is a valid point. However, the beauty of this pie is to taste the phenomenal flavor and structure of the dough. As such, I believe whatever it is topped with should highlight and enhance it instead of covering it up.

My favorite is when it is made into an OTP or Original Tomato Pie. Sliced mozzarella on the bottom with sauce, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, Sicilian oregano and grated Parmesan on top. I cannot take credit for this. Everything I learned about OTP’s was from Tony Gemignani. As with most things pizza, he taught me the true beauty and simplicity of this pie. Tony is a pizzaiolo who sticks truly to the origins of a style of pizza. If you eat a pie at any of his places you know that it will not only be one of the best pizzas you ever have, but it will also be technically correct. I, on the other hand, like to have a base knowledge of a style and then veer off in my own interpretation of it. So, to give you a more concrete definition of what exactly the differences and similarities are of Sicilians and Grandma pizzas I thought I would ask a few people I consider to be experts.

Tony said that “the bottom on a Grandma tends to be crispier because more oil is used so it has an almost fried texture.” The perfect description of something I always try to create but never know how to put into words. Giovanni Cesarano, of King Umberto’s, agrees that it should have a crispy bottom, finishing the pie on the deck of the oven to achieve that quality. Cesarano also says that the sauce is an important characteristic of the Grandma, stating that the “traditional style toppings are an uncooked plum tomato sauce with plenty of flavor. You should be able to taste the garlic, and less cheese than a regular pie.” Gemignani also acknowledged this important fact, describing Grandmas as “more sauce centric.” As for Sicilians, Decker says that one of the most important qualities is “proof time.” This is what makes the Sicilian thicker and airier as opposed to the thinner, crunchier Grandma.

As with making any style of pizza, I believe that the fun and beauty in it is creating a product that reflects you and that you are happy with. Some people like their Sicilians with huge air pockets, others prefer them dense. I’ve had Grandmas that are soft and melt in your mouth and others as crunchy as a cracker. If you want to pile on the toppings, well that is up to you. The one characteristic of the two that any pizza maker I know will insist and judge it on is that it better have a good, crispy bottom.

In the wise words of Chris Decker, I leave you with this, “Both pizzas are fantastic when cooked with the most important ingredient of all time, love.”

Audrey Kelly is the owner and pizziola at Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, CO.

>> Explore Pizza Dough Recipes for Top Trending Pizza Styles including Detroit, New York, Grandma, Sicilian, Chicago Thin and Deep Dish. <<

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Over the years of being in the pizza business I’ve realized that there are three types of people: there are pizza people, people who think they are pizza people and others. You can tell right away what category someone falls in by what they comment on about the pizza first. In my experience, pizza people go straight for the crust.  It is the first thing they notice and what they are most interested in learning about. What kind of flour? How long is the fermentation? What is the hydration? The people who fall into the Other category, instead see the crust simply as a vehicle for the toppings. I hear it daily in my slice shop and read it in reviews all of the time.  It is my job, as the menu developer and pizzaiola, to make both camps happy. This means making the most cohesive pizza I can. Something that I enjoy immensely as I am not only a complete dough geek, I am also a cook. Since the other category makes up a pretty big percentage, let’s talk about toppings, namely vegetable toppings. As for the people who think they are pizza people, well that is a topic for a whole other conversation.

Creating the perfect pizza is all about balance — not only with flavors, but textures as well. Vegetables are one of my favorite ingredients to achieve both. They can change drastically simply by how you cook, pair and use them. My menu has vegetables that are roasted, raw, blended and pickled. When I’m creating a new pizza, I look at the whole pie. Basically, how is it going to play out in your mouth? I want each bite to have elements of chewy, crunchy and creamy textures. As far as flavors, I am always looking for a balance. Cutting super fatty or earthy flavors with a hit of acid; or a big punch of garlic with a handful of saltiness.

I use vegetables in different ways on every pie depending on what I’m trying to achieve. For example, on some pizzas I cook the olives so that they become softer and blend in more with the other ingredients; and on others I put them on raw to deliver a bit more crunch on the finish. Onions are a vegetable that change drastically depending on how they are prepared.  Raw, they offer a big bite and spiciness that is great for cutting through meats and other heartier veggies. Caramelized, they break down and offer up a sweet creaminess.   

With only one electric oven at my pizzeria, we are forced to be a little more creative on how we cook things. This means a lot of roasted veggies, which I love because they carry some of the deepest flavors. One of our best sellers is our version of an eggplant Parmesan. We make it into pizza and sandwich form. Since we don’t have the capacity to pan-fry or deep fry the eggplant, we thinly slice and roast it. It is layered with sauce and ricotta, then topped with fresh basil and shaved Parmesan. We also roast Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, sweet onions, and other seasonal veggies, such as butternut squash and asparagus. Being a small place, I always try to multi-utilize every ingredient.

In my opinion, one of the best ingredients, vegetarian or meat, are chilies. Yes, chilies. I was once asked in an interview why so many of my pies featured peppers. Well, because they’re freakin’ awesome! Yes, I might have a slight addiction to spiciness but there are so many different types of chilies ranging in levels of heat. Also, how you prepare and pair them changes the flavor and hotness. Our most popular pizza is probably the Spicy Pig. It has sausage, natural casing pepperoni, garlic, and most importantly roasted jalapeños. Do we roast them in house? You bet we do. Not only is it super simple to do, but the difference in flavor is a game changer. Others that we use in multiple forms are Calabrian chilies. We blend them with honey, make hot oil, crush to put straight on pies and mix in with our homemade sausage. Of course, there are also bell peppers, which can be put on the pizza raw, roasted to bring out the sweetness or pickled for added crunch and acidity.

Let’s talk about pickled veggies. To me, they are something that a lot of people overlook, yet happen to be one of my favorite ingredients. It can turn any dish that is a bit lackluster, into a flavor bomb. You could say I’m a bit of a pickle junkie. Making tacos? Top them with some pickled onions and cauliflower. Italian sandwich? Oh, there better be some giardinara on it. Need to jazz up that pepperoni pie? Did you add pickled jalapeños? You can also change the flavor to create exactly what you’re trying to achieve simply by adding different ingredients to the brine. Use fresh herbs, spices and different allium (leeks, onions, scallion, garlic, etc). You can also adjust the vinegar ratio if you don’t want it to be so acidic. What’s the best way to balance all of the acid? A nice hit of fat. Which brings us to frying.

Deep frying is also an excellent way to transform veggies, perfect for a finishing touch. One of my favorites is fried leeks. Not only do they look and smell amazing, they add a whole new dimension to the pizza without being overwhelming. Lemons, which I know are not technically a vegetable, are beautiful when flash fried.   

There are so many fun ways to use vegetables as toppings besides accompanying meat on a supreme pizza. Here are a few different pies to play around with that encompass multiple textures and techniques. Feel free to substitute the veggies for ones you have on hand or have a hankering to try.

• Roasted delicata squash and broccolini, mozzarella and finished with burrata, toasted pumpkin seeds and fresh basil.
• Pepperoni, sauce, mozzarella, pickled cauliflower and jalapeños.
• Raw spinach, mushrooms, caramelized onions, pesto and sweet piquanté peppers.

Pickling can be a little intimidating at first, but it is actually one of the simplest things to do. If you’re going to use the pickles right away and refrigerate them, you don’t even have to can them. Here is a recipe to use as a baseline (you can add different ingredients to vary the flavor profile).

Quick Pickling Recipe

Makes: 2 pint jars

Get the Vegetable Quick Pickling Recipe.

Audrey Kelly is the owner and pizzaiola at Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, CO.

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