Dough “medium thick” style modified:
1 c - Water (105 degrees)
1 ¼ tsp - Sugar
1 ¼ tsp - Kosher Salt
1 T - Olive Oil
2 c - Bread Flour
1 c - All-purpose Flour
¼ tsp - Garlic Powder
1 ½ tsp - Instant Dry Yeast (1t hodgson mills, ½ t red star)

Variables changed:
This time I wanted to make the dough more workable. I lowered the water and oil content. I also omitted the baking powder because I thought the springyness made it to bread-like.

Mixed ingredients in order with bread machine, allowed to rise for 60 minutes. Balled, oiled and bagged. Placed in fridge to retard for 17 hours. Dough was much more firm, stretchable, large bubbles, very elastic.

Buffalo Chicken pizza toppings:
Sauce:
¼ can - Tomato Puree (Furmanos)
1 t - Basil
1 t - Oregano
1 t - Black Pepper
1 t - Garlic Powder
1 t - Salt
1 t - Sugar
1 T - Oil
¼ c - Hot Sauce (Texas Pete’s)

Chicken was grilled with grill seasoning then diced and mixed in a bowl with hot sauce. Placed sauce on stretched blank with corn meal on peel. Ring around the edge with cheddar cheese then add chicken and onions, cover with mozzarella cheese. Oiled the crust with olive oil. Baked at 470 degrees for 10 minutes. Liberal amount of corn meal on peel made the pie slide onto the stone easily (much better than flour and doesn’t burn). When slightly cool, drizzled blue cheese dressing on top.

Great medium thick crust (not as thinly layered, light as pizza outlet); slightly more lean than the previous wet recipe. Good amount of large bubbles. Crust supported chicken very well. Soft with a slightly harder bottom layer (coated with corn meal). Buffalo chicken pizza was a huge hit (got Doug’s thumbs up). Taste of blue cheese and buffalo pizza sauce was perfect combo. Best Yet!!

I want to figure out if it was the oil or the water that made it workable and made the crust more bubbly with less thickness.

1 1/3 c - Water (110 degrees)
1 ¼ tsp - Sugar
1 ¼ tsp - Kosher Salt
2 T - Olive Oil
2 c - Bread Flour
1 c - All-purpose Flour
1 tsp - Baking Powder
¼ tsp - Garlic Powder
1 ½ tsp - Instant Dry Yeast

Variables changed:
This time I wanted to equalize the salt and sugar based on Hank’s recollection about pizza outlet (not sure of result). Tried kosher salt to see if there is a difference (none noticed). Switched the ratio of bread to all-purpose to increase protein (think this was a good move).

Mixed ingredients in order in the mixer. Allowed to rise for the full cycle of the bread maker (approx. 60 minutes after mixing). Dough was very sticky again almost runny. Poured onto flour and patted round. Flipped and patted the other side. Dough was workable, but would present a problem if it was a large batch for more than one pie (sticks to hands, etc). Spread into greased cookie sheet. Dough was pliable with small amount of spring. Blank was about ¾ inch thick in pan.

Applied cold sauce from 3/27. 3 Spoonfulls. Topped with about 2 cups of mozz (mixed fresh with giant brand). Onions, pepperoni and cheese for toppings. Cooked in pan on lowest rack. 11 minutes at 485 degrees.

Baked crust was “best yet”! Slightly more rigid than 3/27 but still baked to about 1 inch thickness. Had a few more bubbles in middle. Crust still very white in appearance.

I think I still want to try Hi-gluten flour (in place of bread flour) and find a way to make it more workable. Consistency is very good and people love it. Not quite pizza outlet dough, still thicker and somewhat cakier. Would like to get a bit leaner but not stiff. Also want to try egg to darken the crust and possibly add cornmeal to change color/texture of crumb.

I obtained the recipe online and modified it:
1 1/3 c - Water (120 degrees, 44%)
2 tsp - Sugar
1 ¼ tsp - Salt
2 T - Olive Oil
2 c - All-purpose flour
1 c - Bread Flour (Gold Medal)
1 tsp - Baking Powder
¼ tsp - Garlic Powder
1 ½ tsp - Instant Dry Yeast (brand?)

Omitted: ¼ tsp Onion Powder, 2 T Cornmeal, 3/8 tsp MSG.

Variables: Much less sugar, higher water content, added some bread flour, baking powder, less proofing time, no retarding time, no balling, sauce applied hot.

Mixed ingredients in order with bread maker. Allowed to rise for about 80 minutes. Dough was very wet and sticky. Removed dough and rounded it. Patted with flour to keep from sticking to table. Flipped and patted other side. Dough was too floppy to use peel. Oiled large cookie sheet with olive oil and stretched dough into pan. Dough had some elasticity, but stretched fairly well. Blank was approx. ¾ inch thick in pan.

Sauce was “Papa Johns” style obtained online and modified:
1 lb 8 oz - Tomato Puree (Furmanos)
½ c - Water
2 T - Sugar
2 tsp - Olive Oil
½ tsp - Lemon Juice
½ tsp - Salt
½ tsp - Oregano
¼ tsp - Basil
¼ tsp - Thyme
¼ tsp - Garlic Powder

Amounts were not exact because I used almost a whole large (1 lb 12 oz) can of Furmano’s Puree by mistake (amounts above are shown doubled from original recipe). Makes enough sauce for 2 cookie sheet sized pies. Sauce was sweet and even, thin.

Oven preheated to 480. Spread sauce while still hot onto blank. Covered with pepperoni and hand shredded mozz (from broad st market). Placed pizza, in pan, on lower rack (pizza stone was still in oven on middle rack). Cooked for 10 minutes, cheese golden brown. Crust was somewhat white with brown spots.

Crust cooked to be about 1 inch thick with large air voids. Chewy, soft with very slightly crisp outer layer. Not greasy, very flavorful, medium chewy (not cakey, but not cosmos chewy). Everyone loved the crust. Sauce did not taste like Papa John’s. Mikayla liked the sweet taste of the sauce. Jenn said sauce wasn’t spicy enough. Pizza reheated very well 1 day later.

“Classic Crust” recipe obtained online:

1 ½ c - Warm water (did not use thermometer, 38%)
2 T - Sugar
1 ½ tsp - Salt
2 T - Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Giant Brand)
4 c - All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp - Instant Dry Yeast (brand?)

Ingredients combined in order using dough setting on bread maker. Allowed to rise in the bread maker for about 1 hour. Removed and balled the dough. Placed in oiled bowl and allowed to rise again for 45 minutes (doubled in size). Re-balled it and cut into two balls. Place them in smaller oiled bowls and allowed to rise in refrigerator 20 hours (doubled in size again). Removed the balls and hand rolled them into 12 inch crusts. Low elasticity and about ¼ inch thick.

Sauce was “Basic Sauce” recipe obtained online:
2 small cans - Tomato Paste (Contadina’s Italian Seasoning)
- Salt
- Oregano
- Basil
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Salt (Called for onion powder, lowered salt amnt)
- Water
- Oil

Cooked the paste with seasonings till it changed color then added water and oil. Sauce was acidic in flavor and pasty in consistency (very thick).

Sauced pizza blanks while on pizza peel. Heated oven to 475 (30 minutes). Applied liberal amount of flour to peel. Topped with mushrooms, ham diced onions and hand-shredded mozz (from broad street market, international cheese booth) and sprinkled grated romano (dellalos). When slid onto baking stone, toppings shifted. Second pizza used more flour on peel and loosened edges. Toppings did not shift, but significant amount of flour stayed on the bottom of crust. {Try cornmeal or screen?}

Pizza 1 cooked for 12 minutes and cheese was beginning to get too brown. Pizza 2 cooked for 10 minutes and was good color. Crust cooked to about ½ inch thickness. Hard layer on bottom. Flat dough not chewy. Pizza nothing special, tasted like a Giant deli pizza. Jenn liked the sauce.

1 1/4 c - Water
1 ¼ tsp - Sugar
1 ¼ tsp - Kosher Salt
2 T - Olive Oil
3 c - Hi-Gluten Flour (Pillsbury)
¼ tsp - Garlic Powder
1 ½ tsp - Instant Dry Yeast (flieshmans ADY)

Variables changed:
Omitted Onion Salt. Changed proof duration.

Dough was allowed to rise for 30 minutes (half time) in bread machine. After that it was balled, oiled and bagged. Placed in the refrigerator. Dough still rose to fill the bag.

Texture of pizza crust was perfect. I slightly overcooked the toppings (maybe by 1 or 2 minutes). It was still very thick because I think I used too much dough for a 12 inch pie. Might have to trim the ball next time. Topped with blended mozzarella and provolone with sliced pepperoni from karns and thinly sliced mushrooms. Used the Neapolitan sauce but I didn’t make enough for 2 pies, so I had to make a recovery batch. I used 2 tsp of sugar in the sauce and crushed tomatoes mixed with puree.

This traditional crust is close to being done. I just have to play with the thickness and the perfect fermentation time. It is my personal favorite at this point. Mom said it was the best she ever had, and swears she wasn’t being nice because I was her son.