Pizza Today - February 2024 - 44

had a hand in making some traditional
American pizzas popular. Here are some
variations of American pizzas that you
may, or may not, not be familiar with. I've
kept individual names out to protect the
innocent.
New England Beach Pizza:
This Pizza made only in Southern New
Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts
is both simple and different. The crust is
wafer thin, cooked on seasoned sheet pans
and you can get a single slice or a box of
8 or 20 squares. Other toppings are available
to pair with a very sweet sauce and
just a smattering of aged provolone. Two
pizza places dominate this market and
are rivals which is why I will not disclose
their names.
Milwaukee Pizza: This cracker thin
pizza originated at the Caradaro Club
and has evolved into several micro-styles
depending upon the place you go to. It
is sheeted round or oblong, some with a
cornmeal dusting and each tavern-style
cut is crunchy like crazy. Some pizzas are
as thin as two credit cards. In some places,
this crisp thinness is achieved by parbaking
the crust in deck ovens then turning
it over before saucing and cheesing,
others go straight on the deck. The sauce
is simple, sweet, and placed as just a thin
layer of whole milk mozzarella.
Quad-City Pizza: This Mississippi
River Valley style is prepared in
Davenport and Bettendorf Iowa, Rock
Island, Moline, and East Moline Illinois.
This pizza is made with malt and handstretched
to a thin crust with a slight cornicione,
or crust. Chili flakes and ground
cayenne makes the thin tomato sauce zing
with spice. It is usually loaded with fennel
sausage. Pizzas are available in 16-inch
and 10-inch styles and cut into strips as
opposed to slices or squares.
Detroit Pizza: This rectangular pizza
baked in a seasoned blue steel pan that
was initially said to be used in the automobile
business for draining oil or catching
grease. This focaccia-like pizza with
small cell structure is usually par-baked
with Wisconsin brick cheese baked in a
" Frico " or bark around the side. Cheese
and toppings lie under the sauce which is
put on after the final bake. Many different
variations now dominate the market.
Colorado Pizza: These small 8-inch
round pizzas have a braided crust with
added honey in the dough. A major
heaping of whole milk mozzarella tops
the extra-sweet sauce, and the braided
crust ensures that the boatload of toppings
doesn't fall off. Colorado style has
been described as like Chicago deep dish
but sweeter with a cooking time that is
shorter. This pizza is sold by the pound
and is accompanied by more honey.
California Pizza: This pizza tends to
lack a particular crust, size, style or even
bake. The similarities of this pizza lie in
the dissimilar nature of them. They all
tend to lean on seasonality, international
flavor profiles, freshness and artisanal
ingredients that Spago, Gjelina, Hail
Mary, Tony's, Tandoori, Mozza, Pot Pizza,
California Pizza Kitchen all have made
available to Californians.
Altoona Pizza: Originally made at
the Altoona Hotel before it was burnt
down in 2013. Other pizza shops have
taken up the mantle. This is usually a
square-cut, sheet pan baked, thick Sicilian
style crust with a soft feel. It was
originally topped with Velveeta over deli
salami and green peppers but now most
places place the salami and pepper slice
under processed American cheese. Other
toppings can be added.
Ohio Valley Pizza: This pizza is
made in the northeastern Ohio Valley
around Steubenville, Ohio and Wheeling
West Virginia. It is best described as a
square pie with a bready crust, sweet sauce
baked at 550 F and garnished with sauce
made of green bell peppers, oregano and
olive oil. This pizza is par-baked and taken
out before topping with more sauce and
a small amount of cheese. After the final
baking, the pizza is topped with shredded
provolone cheese and cold toppings and
cut into squares.
Philly Tomato Pie: This square
pizza is usually compared to the Sicilian
Sfincione because of its thick, focaccialike
crust. It is also called a " Bakery Pizza "
in nearby Rhode Island. Most of this style
has just a smattering of Romano after the
bake. The thick sauce is just as high as the
crust and is cooked for over 40 minutes
with sugar, oregano, garlic salt and olive
oil.
Midwest Pizza Dough Recipe
Here is a dough recipe which, to me best
reflects the middle ground in middle America.
I've left this recipe at 66% hydration.
Strong enough to hold sauce, cheese and
toppings and flavorful enough after proofing
to enable a digestible crust. Mixing it with
cold water (and using less yeast) followed
by cold fermentation slows the yeast activity
down, giving the starches in the flour time to
convert to simple sugars releasing fantastic
flavors. This recipe is designed to be used
within 6 hours if using warmer water, and up
to 3 days using the cold holding method.
25 pounds high gluten flour, (11.34 kg)
16.6 pounds water, (7.53 kg)
2 ounces dry yeast, (56 grams)
11 ounces salt, (11 grams)
Hold one cup of the water in a smaller
container and set aside.
Using your proprietary mixer, add the
flour and water and mix on high, then lower
to medium for at least 12 minutes and mix
on low for another 5 minutes. Stop the mixer
and let the dough sit for 20 minutes for the
gluten to expand as it absorbs the moisture.
This is what is known as the autolyze
method.
Mix the yeast in with the cup of water until
it dissolves.
After 20 minutes, add the yeast water and
salt to the dough and mix on medium, then
low for another 10-15 minutes.
Pull the dough from the mixer and set on
a dough table to bulk ferment for 10 to 15
minutes.
Cut the dough balls into 17-19-ounce
dough balls for large pizzas, 8-10 ounces for
small pizzas, 1.5 to 2 pounds for medium pan
pies, and, 2-4 pounds for larger sheet pan
pizzas.
JOHN GUTEKANST owns Avalanche
Pizza in Athens, Ohio.
44 / PIZZATODAY.COM / FEBRUARY 2024
http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM
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