Chicago Thin Crust Pizza (Crispy Tavern-style)
This crispy Chicago Thin Crust Pizza has a flavorful cold-fermented dough, bold pizza sauce, plenty of cheese, and the classic tavern-style square cut. The recipe makes two 14-inch pizzas with a thin, sturdy crust that bakes up deeply browned and crisp.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 497kcal
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Pizza Steel Or Pizza Stone
- Rolling Pin
- Dough Docker Or Fork
- Cooling Racks
Ingredients
Chicago Thin Crust Dough
- 363 g Bread Flour Plus more for dusting work surfaces.
- 13 g Cornmeal Plus more for dusting the pizza peel.
- 4 g Granulated sugar
- 2 g Active Dry Yeast
- 11 g Kosher Salt Diamond Crystal Brand preferred - plus more to taste.
- 50 g Warm Water 100-115℉
- 135 g Ice Water (Measure after chilling)
- 30 g Oil
For the Pizzas
- 12 oz Go-To Homemade Pizza Sauce
- 4 oz Parmesan cheese
- ½ lb. Italian sausage Optional, raw and pinched into small pieces.
- 12 oz Low-Moisture Whole-Milk Mozzarella
- Romano Cheese To taste.
Instructions
- Make the dough: Combine the warm water, sugar, and active dry yeast. Let sit for 5–10 minutes until bloomed and foamy. Meanwhile, combine the bread flour, salt, and cornmeal in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add the yeast mixture, ice water, and oil to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed for 2–3 minutes until combined, then cover and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Knead on low speed for 3–5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and evenly developed.
- Shape the dough into a ball, cover, and let it bulk proof at room temperature for 1 hour. Divide into 2 equal portions, about 304 g each, and shape into balls. Transfer to lightly oiled containers, cover, and refrigerate overnight at minimum or for up to 5 days.
- Shape and Bake: Remove the dough from the refrigerator 3 hours before baking so it can relax and is easier to roll out. About 1 hour before baking, place a pizza steel in the oven and preheat to 550°F, or 500°F if that is your oven's maximum.
- Working with one dough ball at a time, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll into a 14-inch circle. Transfer to a pizza peel lightly dusted with cornmeal and dock the entire surface with a dough docker or fork.
- Spread 6 ounces pizza sauce nearly to the edge. Sprinkle with 1 ounce Parmesan, followed by Italian sausage if using. Top with 6 ounces mozzarella and the remaining 1 ounce Parmesan. Finish with a light dusting of Romano and a small sprinkle of kosher salt.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 500°F, or leave it at 500°F if that is your oven's maximum, and bake for 9–10 minutes until the cheese is melty, bubbling, and the crust has sufficiently browned. Transfer the pizza to a cooling rack and let rest for 3–5 minutes, then cut into classic tavern-style squares. Before baking the second pizza, run the broiler for a few minutes to bring the steel back up to temperature.
Notes
Cold Ferment: An overnight cold ferment is the minimum I recommend for better flavor and texture. A full 24 hours is even better, and the dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Baking Multiple Pizzas: After the first pizza comes out, run the broiler for a few minutes to bring the pizza steel back up to temperature before baking the second pizza.
Keep the Toppings Light: Chicago tavern-style crust is thin, so avoid overloading it with meat, cheese, or wet toppings. Too much moisture can keep the crust from getting properly crisp.
Storage & Reheating: Store leftover pizza in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Reheat in a 400°F oven or air fryer until hot and crisp. Microwaving will soften the crust.
Nutrition
Calories: 497kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 905mg | Potassium: 296mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 583IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 401mg | Iron: 2mg
