Chicago Tavern-style Pizza

Brian Lagerstrom's Chicago Tavern Pizza

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

1. In a food processor, combine the bread flour and cold butter. Pulse until the butter is broken down into small, gravel-like bits.

Step 2

2. Dissolve the yeast in 90g (1/4c + 2T) of ice cold water and the salt in another 90g (1/4c + 2T) of ice cold water.

Step 3

3. Add the yeast water and salt water to the flour-butter mixture in the food processor. Pulse for 20-30 seconds until the dough is evenly hydrated. Be careful not to overmix.

Step 4

4. Transfer the dough onto a work surface and knead for 2 minutes until it forms a homogeneous ball.

Step 5

5. Round the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl, cover, and ferment for 2 hours.

Step 6

6. After 2 hours, divide the dough into two equal pieces. Perform a preshape by folding in the sides and rounding off the dough into a ball. Cover the dough balls and let them rest for 20 minutes to relax the gluten.

Step 7

7. Press the dough ball flat with a pizza pan or large pot then roll out each dough ball into a 12” (30cm) round

Step 8

8. Use a pizza docking tool or a fork to pierce the dough to prevent large bubbles from forming during baking.

Step 9

9. Spray 2 pieces of parchment paper with olive oil pan spray and a generous amount of fine grind cornmeal and place rolled out pizza doughs on top.

Step 10

10. Place both doughs stacked on a sheet tray and refrigerate, uncovered, for 4-24 hours to cold ferment and develop a skin for a crispier crust. Preferably 24 hours.

Step 11

1. Preheat the oven to 550°F (285°C) with a pizza steel or an upside-down sheet tray.

Step 12

2. Spread prepared pizza sauce evenly over the rolled dough.

Step 13

3. Distribute half of the Italian sausage in rough balls evenly on top of each pizza (1/2lb per pizza)

Step 14

4. Sprinkle half the shredded mozzarella cheese generously over the sausage of each pizza, spreading edge to edge (½ lb per pizza).

Step 15

5. Sprinkle each pizza with a pinch of dried oregano, dried basil, and a pinch of salt.

Step 16

6. Slide assembled pizza onto the preheated pizza steel or sheet tray in the oven.

Step 17

7. Bake for about 10 minutes until the crust is deeply baked and the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.