Thin Crust Pizza. Any pointers?

[Cooking4Fun]

Thin-Crust Pizza Dough

This thin-crust pizza dough recipe is easy to make with just five ingredients for a no-rise dough that bakes up crisp, chewy, and delicious.

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Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe

Use this Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe to make your own sauce at home in minutes with just a few pantry staples. Use now, or freeze for later!

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This pizza turned out pretty well, but like a few commented it isn't that crispy. Or at least the bottom was very pale. I don't necessarily want a cracker pizza, but I'm used to the bottom being browned. Ideas?

 

[dragnlaw]

If you can preheat your pizza pan before actually putting on the pizza - as in prep you pizza all the way and then slide it onto the hot pan.

Or if you have a pizza stone and that gets preheated in the oven, using apizza peel to slide it on.

Just a thought.

 

[blissful]

The oven being hotter to get some browning might help. I like to put corn meal on the bottom of the crust for a little extra chew.

 

[Silversage]

This recipe is unusual in that I've never seen "a greased pizza pan" before. Cornmeal, yes - greased, no. Also a preheated pizza stone would be better. If using a pan, as Dragn said, be sure the pan is HOT HOT HOT before putting in the pie.

 

[dcSaute]

if you leave the pizza on "a pan" after it comes out of the oven, the crust will go soggy because it's still cooking, and the released moisture sogs the crust.

I always remove the pizza from the parchment (I use parchment on stone) to a metal cooling rack - 5 minutes - then slice.
the crust 'snaps' as I cut slices with a 10" knife . . .

 

[Cooking4Fun]

If you can preheat your pizza pan before actually putting on the pizza - as in prep you pizza all the way and then slide it onto the hot pan.

Or if you have a pizza stone and that gets preheated in the oven, using apizza peel to slide it on.

Just a thought.

Would it work to bake halfway on pizza pan, then transfer to preheated cookie sheet left in oven when it reached 500 for last 5 minues?

The pan is actually pretty thick and might not reach temp quick enough, and I don't want to burn myself pressing dough out on hot pan.

 

[medtran49]

This recipe is unusual in that I've never seen "a greased pizza pan" before. Cornmeal, yes - greased, no. Also a preheated pizza stone would be better. If using a pan, as Dragn said, be sure the pan is HOT HOT HOT before putting in the pie.

Pizza Hut oils, and I do mean oils (or maybe some other kind of commercial liquid shortening), their pan pizza pans to get that fried crust. They did that with the priazzos they used to make years ago. I make a priazzo for Craig every now and again because they were the 1 thing he liked from Pizza Hut.

Back to the OP question, we always precook the crusts, which I stretch out really thin, just enough to set them, then top. We usually cook them on the grill, but when I cook them in the oven, I flip a large heavy sheet pan over and let it preheat with the oven to 475 and cook the pizza on the sheet pan. I get a nice crisp and browned crust.

 

[dragnlaw]

Cooking4Fun - I think most of us are saying to shape and create your pizza before putting it on the hot pan.

Edit - yes, the mention of parchment paper is jogging me memory. Shape and create it on parchment, then just slide the paper onto the hot pan.

 

[GinnyPNW]

I recommend getting a pizza stone and pre-heating the stone. Build your pizza on a pizza peel. Spread some Semolina flour on the peel before building it (or Cornmeal). Learn to throw your pizza onto the stone in the oven. I like to "shake" the pizza dough a bit before I put the toppings on. Just to make sure it is moving. If it is not, add more semolina under it. Check as you build too...and lift to add more, if needed. Practice. It gets easier.

Good luck!

 

[Kathleen]

I wish I could replicate that thin crust from Pizza Hut pizzas.

 

[Cooking4Fun]

Cooking4Fun - I think most of us are saying to shape and create your pizza before putting it on the hot pan.

Edit - yes, the mention of parchment paper is jogging me memory. Shape and create it on parchment, then just slide the paper onto the hot pan.

I guess that's an idea, but the pan would still be very hot. What temperatures can parchment reach? Would it burn to the dough?

 

[Cooking4Fun]

I wish I could replicate that thin crust from Pizza Hut pizzas.

The cracker pizza they make? I have wondered about that crust. It worked pretty well for dessert pizzas. I used to work at PH.

 

[Kathleen]

The cracker pizza they make? I have wondered about that crust. It worked pretty well for dessert pizzas. I used to work at PH.

So how do they make it???? I'd love to know how.

 

[taxlady]

I guess that's an idea, but the pan would still be very hot. What temperatures can parchment reach? Would it burn to the dough?

I don't think that parchment would burn to the dough. How hot can parchment withstand? It will depend on the parchment. Some of the boxes of parchment will tell you how hot the paper in that box can tolerate.

 

[GinnyPNW]

They do make pizza screens. You can buy them online or at your local restaurant supply store. The screen goes directly onto the stone. No need to "throw" the pizza that way.

I did see an episode of The Pizza Show, where a pizzeria used a contraption to make super thin pizza. They took a skillet of sorts to a machine shop and had them cut off about 3/4 of the sides of it. They use it to make the pizza, place in the oven and when the crust cooks enough, they slide it off the skillet to finish cooking. Ingenious!

 

[GinnyPNW]

Here's a link to a pizza screen: Link

 

[Andy M.]

I use Costco parchment paper and it has a temp limit of 420ºF.

 

[GinnyPNW]

I use Costco parchment paper and it has a temp limit of 420ºF.

Andy, that would be toast in my pizza oven! I shoot for 700F to start and then turn the flame way down.

 

[dragnlaw]

Most parchments go between 420 and 450. I never cook past 450 so it is never an issue.

paper lining an object, for example bread, the edges sticking out will get a toasty brown over time - on something else the edges may go black and could possibly even flame if run under a broiler. But I doubt it will stick to your food at all.

So use a peel ( a large wooden paddle) and some corn meal, as suggested.

Truth to tell, I dislike burnt edges on pizza. Many pictures I've seen of pizza oven baked pizza's just seem to be too blackened for my tastes. Blech..

 

[Andy M.]

I bake my pizza at around 500ºF. I have a wood peel I use to build the pizza. I start with corn meal, add the shaped dough and build the pizza. It slides nicely onto the stone. I remove it onto the same peel then onto a cutting board.