# What's your ultimate pizza?



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Mar 14, 2021)

If you could use any toppings, crust, and construction you wished, what would be your ultimate pizza? Cost is not a deciding factor.

First, a chewy, yeast crust is a requirement for me. thick crust, hand tossed.  The crust is made the day before and refrigerated overnight to intensify the yeast flavor.  It's then pressed into a garlic infused butter coated cast iron pan, 10 inch.  Then, the crust is dresses with olive oil, homemade pizza sauce,and roasted red peppers.Follow this with fresh mozzarella cheese to completely cover. 

Place a 2nd layer of crust on top of the first, pressing the edges together. This is dressed with another layer of cheese, this time aged asiago, aged gouda, and Pecorino Romano.  More Pizza Sauce.  Next is meats: pepperoni, Soprasetta, Capicola, bulk Italian Sausage, mortadella.  Then comes the veggies: sliced black olives, thin slice cremini mushrooms, sliced onion, sliced green pepper,.  Sprinkle top with fresh basil.  Top with dollops of pizza sauce.

PIzza sauce will be tomato puree, chopped tomato, oregano, Basil, cayenne pepper fennel seed, tomato paste, black pepper, all cooked together and tasted so as to correct the seasoning, and refrigerated overnight.

Maybe, just once in a great wille, I would add pineapple to this pie.

Let rise for 30 minutes before putting on a screening hot Webber Kettle, heated with lump charcoal.  Cover with all vents wide open to keep that fire hot.  Bake for ten to fifteen minutes, or until crust is done.  Serve with ice cold shaved watermelon juice (put watermelon juice onto a baking sheet & freeze, the shave with bench scraper.  Keep in freezer until ready to serve.

Are you ready for summer yet?  Create your ultimate pizza and tell us how you would make it.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Kathleen (Mar 14, 2021)

This is one of the few times I love something from a chain restaurant.  Pizza Hut's Thin and Crispy Veggie Lovers or Super Supreme Pizza.  I love the cracker-like crust.  I love the veggies and all of the other toppings.  No one else can make them like the Hut.  Now, the hand-tossed, etc.  I get the best of that lot at home.


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## pepperhead212 (Mar 14, 2021)

Back when some friends and I would get together for deep dish pizza making (my favorite, since it freezes well, and re-heats well, and is filling), my two favorites were a chorizo with a homemade tomato sauce, topped with various cheeses (all good), and a "white pizza".  This one was based on a pizza I used to get from an early _Pizzeria Uno_.  It had sweet Italian sausage, mushrooms, and a huge amount of minced garlic on it.  When I tried to imitate it the first time, I put about 1/2 c of minced garlic plus some olive oil on the dough in a standard 15 in square pan, before baking briefly, before topping with the sausage, mushrooms, and cheese, and it was very close to the original, but the garlic was even less than the original!  No wonder I liked it so much!  Eventually I tweaked it, and improved the flavor with some boletus or porcinis, added to the sautéed white, or cremini mushrooms.


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## taxlady (Mar 14, 2021)

pepperhead212 said:


> Back when some friends and I would get together for deep dish pizza making (my favorite, since it freezes well, and re-heats well, and is filling), my two favorites were a chorizo with a homemade tomato sauce, topped with various cheeses (all good), and a "white pizza".  This one was based on a pizza I used to get from an early _Pizzeria Uno_.  It had sweet Italian sausage, mushrooms, and a huge amount of minced garlic on it.  When I tried to imitate it the first time, I put about 1/2 c of minced garlic plus some olive oil on the dough in a standard 15 in square pan, before baking briefly, before topping with the sausage, mushrooms, and cheese, and it was very close to the original, but the garlic was even less than the original!  No wonder I liked it so much!  Eventually I tweaked it, and improved the flavor with some boletus or porcinis, added to the sautéed white, or cremini mushrooms.



How much garlic did you use, once you had tweaked it?


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## blissful (Mar 15, 2021)

I'll be making bread tomorrow/today, so with that, thin crusts. These are whole wheat with sprouted grain, with gluten to aid in rising, it also aids in chewiness. 



The ingredients take more time than the crust.
raw red yellow and green peppers diced small
steamed onion diced small
pineapple small dice
mushrooms quartered cooked in their own juices

green olives, sliced small
black olives sliced
everything drained through a strainer or onto paper or cloth, so they are dry



The sauce, a concentrated sauce of tomatoes, cooked down almost to a paste. It must have ground fennel seeds, thyme, oregano, basil. If I run out of fennel, anise stands in.



We don't use refined salt oil or sugar, especially not in the cooking process. Those items are often hidden from taste once mixed in, so not necessary, until serving. Any salt added is added at the table, particular to each person. If a sauce needs sweetening, it is added by adding fruit or vegetables that are sweetening (apples, carrots).


We usually don't bother with a no-cheeze sauce on top, but a no-cheeze sauce may be thickened with tapioca giving it a mozzarella like texture, potatoes carrots and onion, with onion and garlic, give a creamy cheeze like sauce to top it with. We like pizza without bothering most of the time.


This is how it usually looks.


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## pepperhead212 (Mar 15, 2021)

taxlady said:


> How much garlic did you use, once you had tweaked it?


I still just used that 1/2 c - that was plenty, even though they used even more. 
And about 1 1/4 lbs cooked sausage, and about  3/4 lb sautéed mushrooms, with a half ounce or so of the dried mushrooms.  I used to make a batch of 2 lbs of mushrooms during the week, when I knew we would have a pizza day on the weekend, and make a pasta dish with a little more than half of it, saving the rest for the pizza.


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## WhateverYouWant (Mar 15, 2021)

For me… the ultimate pizza has no toppings, and is of sufficient quality where adding any would just ruin the experience. Unfortunately, I can count on one hand the number of places I have enjoyed such a pizza (and none of them are within range of where I live now).

So I either order sub par pizzas with plenty of toppings, or make a cheese pizza at home. While the latter is better than the former, without a pizza oven a heavily sauced, extra cheese pizza is not something I can perfectly execute (not to mention that the perfect sauce is still a mystery to me). )c:


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Mar 15, 2021)

ScottinPollock said:


> For me… the ultimate pizza has no toppings, and is of sufficient quality...  (not to mention that the perfect sauce is still a mystery to me). )c:



Chief's pizza sauce

Pizza sauce, for me, has to be thick, and overspiced a bit, to stand up to the other strong flavors, and abundant cheese.  While I love basil for most tomato-based pasta sauces, for pizza sauce, oregano is usually the stronger flavor.  That being my opinion, here's my recipe:

I use canned tomato products for their constant taste quality, though cherry tomatoes work well if you want to use fresh tomatoes.  Cherry tomatoes are less sweet than grape tomatoes, and have a ton more flavor than full sized, store bought tomatoes.  But the take a wile to cook down, and you need a bunch of them.  I like the DiFratelli brand of canned tomato products.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 18oz. can crushed tomatoes 
1 18oz. can chopped tomatoes, drained
9 oz. tomato paste, adds sweetness, and thickens the sauce
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil 
2 tsp dried oregano 
Freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper 
1/4 tsp. dried fennel
4 oz, minced black, ripe olives

Place olive oil into a heavy pot, along with the herbs and spices.  Stir together over medium heat until fragrant.  Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.  Add remaining ingredients and turn heat to simmer.  Cook until the sauce is the same thickness as ketchup.  Remove from heat, place in a glass bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge overnight.

The sauce is great on pizza, or used as a dipping sauce for garlic bread, and breadsticks as well.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## WhateverYouWant (Mar 16, 2021)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> Chief's pizza sauce… here's my recipe:


Thanks for the recipe. It has much in common with quite a few cooked sauces I have tried… unfortunately, they all tasted more like marinara than pizza sauce to me. And while I agree some pizza sauces should have a bit of kick to them, on a plain cheese pizza it should be fresh, juicy, a touch sweet, and a bit subtle.

For me, thus far… my best effort has been an uncooked combo of ground canned tomatoes (Cento or Pastene), sugar, EVOO, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. It is fresh, bright, a bit sweet, but lacks some savory notes that I recall from the best cheese pizzas I have ever had.

Tomato paste is a definite no-no here as it tastes too cooked (and a reason I dislike the local pizza place's sauce). I am on the fence about garlic as it seems to temper the brightness of the sauce. My next experiment will be adding caramelized, minced shallots to the uncooked mixture and perhaps dialing back on the sugar a bit, to see if that brings that savory component I am looking for.

All comments welcome and encouraged!


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Mar 16, 2021)

For a brighter sauce, replace the tomato paste with cherry tomatoes, and asd roasted tomato.  To give it ,ore depth, decrease the garlic by halt, them add Summer Savory, and maybe a little allspice.

A touch of lemon juice will also increase the fresh taste.  You do have to be  careful as you want just enough to enhance the sauce flavor, without being able to taste the lemon.  Actually, I would use lime juice instead of lemon.`

Just more ideas for you to try.  And, as you have removed the tomato paste, you will need to simmer the sauce longer to get it thick enough,

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 16, 2021)

For me, less is more, and fresh is best.

Loaded, ultimate, food experiences don't have the same appeal as they did when I was younger.

Easter has me thinking about a white garlic pizza topped with asparagus and maybe a few ribbons of prosciutto.


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## Andy M. (Mar 16, 2021)

I care less about toppings than the quality of the crust/sauce/cheese base.

First, my pizza has to be a thin crust, NY-style pizza. Crispy but foldable. *NO charred crust or charred crust bubbles!* Simplicity.

If there are to be toppings, I like different things at different times-pepperoni and/or onion, meat lovers.


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## taxlady (Mar 16, 2021)

Aunt Bea said:


> For me, less is more, and fresh is best.
> 
> Loaded, ultimate, food experiences don't have the same appeal as they did when I was younger.
> 
> Easter has me thinking about a white garlic pizza topped with asparagus and maybe a few ribbons of prosciutto.



How do you make the white sauce? Is it just butter with garlic or is there something else?


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## WhateverYouWant (Mar 16, 2021)

taxlady said:


> How do you make the white sauce?


It is essentially a Bechamel with grated garlic and parm.

Add the garlic as soon as it comes together to give it time to cook off the rawness, and then add the parm.


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 16, 2021)

taxlady said:


> How do you make the white sauce? Is it just butter with garlic or is there something else?



I would use garlic and oil topped with mozzarella and or a few dollops of ricotta.

When I use ricotta on a pizza I mix it with an egg and a couple of tablespoons of grated cheese but the local pizzerias use it right from the carton.

I would coat the fresh tender asparagus with olive oil and basically roast it on top of the pizza as it bakes.  If the asparagus is a little old/tough I would blanch it first.

It might be best to put the paper-thin ribbons of prosciutto on when the pizza comes out of the oven.

At this point it's just a food fantasy for me!


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## taxlady (Mar 16, 2021)

Aunt Bea said:


> I would use garlic and oil topped with mozzarella and or a few dollops of ricotta.
> 
> When I use ricotta on a pizza I mix it with an egg and a couple of tablespoons of grated cheese but the local pizzerias use it right from the carton.
> 
> ...


Thank you, sounds good. I don't much care for bechamel, so I like to learn what other white sauces people use.


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## bakechef (Mar 16, 2021)

I really love a real Margarita pizza simple and well executed can be pure bliss.  If I'm just having regular pizza, I love just a simple pepperoni.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Mar 16, 2021)

I just made a batch of the sauce that I posted.  First, I got the olive oil hot, then added the herbs, then garlic.  nI stirred everything over medium-low heat.  The chopped, canned tomato  (12 oz, can), and thee tomato puree (12 0z, can), were added, stirred well and let all simmer for ten minutes. As the canned tomato already has salt in it, no more was added.  
I then added 6b oz, tomato paste to thicken.  I didn't add the olives, or fennel seed.  The sauce was stirred well. untI just tasted it after a day in the fridge.  The sauce is thick, and rich, well balanced in flavor, with a little heat from the red pepper (cayenne pepper).  I could eat this stuff with a spoon, but not very much.
It's too thick for a pasta sauce, but perfect for a pizza, at least if you're a sauce guy like me.  And yes, it would be a great topping for garlic bread sticks, bruschetta, or on freshly made tortellini, or ravioli.

This sauce would be great on a simple pizza with fresh, drained mozzarella, soprasetta, or pepperoni, ond thin slced onion.  
It doesn't taste like Dominoes, Pizza Hut, or any of the other pizza chains.  
Im hope you try it, and hope you like it.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Roll_Bones (Mar 17, 2021)

I am no spring chicken and have been enjoying pizza for a very long time.
Seems today I like less. Less is more.
So, I will pick a simple cheese pizza.  Of course I like cooked sauce and high quality mozzarella.  And a not to thin, not to thick crust.  Somewhere in between.
I love pizza!


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## Janet H (Mar 17, 2021)

Andy M. said:


> I care less about toppings than the quality of the crust/sauce/cheese base.
> 
> First, my pizza has to be a thin crust, NY-style pizza. Crispy but foldable. *NO charred crust or charred crust bubbles!* Simplicity.




but, but.... the best part is the charred bubbled up crust.  

I like a chewy but crisp base with a red sauce that has some snap and is NOT sweet.  Not too much cheese and the perfect toppings are:


Artichoke hearts
Onion slivers (that char at the edges when cooked hot)
Mushrooms (pre sauteed so they don't sweat all over the pizza)
Nicoise olives - with the pits still in.

A dusting or red pepper flakes just prior to eating.


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## Cooking Goddess (Mar 17, 2021)

That's no pizza, *Chief*, that's a casserole!  



Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> ...what would be your ultimate pizza? Cost is not a deciding factor...


Cost not a factor? I would like a Margherita pizza to share with our daughter, served up in Naples while gazing out at the Gulf of Naples, the two of us doing a food tour of Italy. Italy was her favorite country when she went on an 16-day tour of Europe after spending two nights-one day in London. I don't think we'll ever actually do it, but eating while spending time with people we love can the best meals of all.


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## Termy (Jul 1, 2021)

THE ultimate ? The Villa on W117th in Cleveland. When they went out of business nothing could even compare. Not even close. 

A good satisfier they have in Chicago, I'll have to go 100 miles and bang on his door with a gun to get him up and tell me what pizza place. SIXTY BUCKS ! Last time he came back I think with four, think of that, at the counter in a pizza place "That'll be $240". 

And then there's mine, which gets great reviews but not lately. Can't really have parties so much in this place. But a properly stacked deluxe. If I have all the stuff I mean the dough stuff, the sauces and spices, three cheeses. (mozz.,prov.,aciago) I have told of my sauce, so yes that. and this does prove it saps the spices flavor. 

Then we have the elquicko ones on a Friday night, premade crust in a bag and all that, and some of those have been surprising. 

The olman made pizzas on those burrito wraps. 

If I can get none of the above, I figure something else out. 

T


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## Roll_Bones (Jul 2, 2021)

Large cheese for me.


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## WhateverYouWant (Jul 2, 2021)

This is the best "looking" cheese pizza I have seen on YouTube (or other recipe photos):

https://youtu.be/8pqcd3N-AtE

Note: there is an error in his vid… the diameter is 24cm, not the indicated 24 inches. I haven't made one yet, and while the rather abundant amount of semolina used is curious, I have tried several of his other baking recipes and they have been exemplary.

The sauce seems a bit simple, but this is how I start my pizza sauces (prefer fresh to cooked), and I may doctor with a little sugar, red pepper flakes, and oregano (although he adds the oregano on top the cheese - so maybe not).

Anyway… since it looks more like how I expect a great cheese pizza to look than anything else I have seen (and his track record with me has been great), I think it is worth a shot. Just not right now as the last two weeks here have been pretty brutal (temperature wise), so the thought of pre-heating a 500°F oven for an hour is not something I am looking to do until it cools off considerably.


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