Pepperoni and Giardiniera Pizza - Chicago Thin Experiments - January 2025

Wintertime is indoor pizza time around our house.  That brings with it a dilemma:  What style of dough do I make that satisfies everyone.  You see...Nat and the kids prefer what we call 'outdoor pizza' - something that is probably described as "Neapolitan-adjacent".  A higher-hydration dough that has a large (or at least 'larger') cornicione that is typically (or ideally) covered in Leopard spots.  Some might say'Dough-forward'.  

I prefer something closer to Chicago Tavern Pizza and/or Bar Pies.  Thin, crispy and 'toppings-forward'.  I even like 'stunt pizzas' - like BBQ chicken and more recently....a Buffalo Chicken Dip Pizza (that...in my mind... Nat 'invented'.)

Since I'm stuck using the indoor/kitchen oven, I have to either make a choice (make one dough or the other) or....make both.  This past weekend, I picked one:  Chicago Thin.  And....due to travel, I ended up making a same-day dough (not ideal).  

The same-day dough for Chicago Thin is the same as a longer, cold ferment dough - with a 48% hydration.  My recipe is an adaptation from John Caruthers of Nachos and Lager and his charity-oriented "alley pizza' called Crust Fund Pizza.  He has posted his recipe in various places and I used that as a starting-point to create my own Chicago-thin chassis.  He was also the first person to turn me on to 'curing' the dough - basically...rolling out the dough and letting it dry out as a 'skin'.  

Another tip that John shared - at some point - is to 'drain your giardiniera' before topping your pizzas.  

And that's what I did when I put together this Pepperoni (cup and char by Hormel) and Giardiniera (no olives, of course) Chicago-thin-ish.  See below for a close-up featuring something that Equation Boy/Man calls out:  the delicious, mouth-watering nature of spotting a small, rectangular carrot from the Hot Giardiniera appearing on a pizza:

Another note:  Beyond flavor development (and gluten development) that comes with a multi-day, cold ferment of dough, creates a more 'easily-digested' dough.  That's interesting, isn't it?  It is part of the difference between pizza that sits in your gut vs one that is more easy to wolf-down.  This post from Jacobson Pizza talks about that benefit:

Secondly, a longer fermentation process makes the dough easier to digest. The slow breakdown of starches and proteins during fermentation makes the dough more easily digestible, which is great for people with sensitive stomachs. Additionally, slow fermentation helps to reduce the glycemic index of the dough, making it a healthier option for those who are watching their blood sugar levels.