Pizza: How Important Is the Outer Crust?

[Gugny]

There was a brutal debate earlier in the Shout Box about pizza crust.

 

Harsh words were said.  One person was told he was dumb.  I've never seen so many insults in all my years here.

 

But ... I digress ....

 

Pizza.  Most of us love it.  All of us have our favorites.  Some idiots even like pineapple on theirs .... not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

But I'm here to talk about THE CRUST.  Specifically, the OUTER CRUST.

 

I love the outer crust.  Sure the main crust, to me, is probably most important.  But only a well-made pizza has a decent outer crust.

 

I'm interested to know what you think about this topic.

 

And please .... be careful with your words.  Once you hit ENTER, you can't take them back.

 

And remember ... when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie .... that's amore, my friends.

[snafu]

It's all one crust, no?

Main crust, outer crust -- one crust.

 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

I'll side with Alton brown. According to him, the toppings are meaningless if the crust is wrong

[mead107]

Hate it when they don’t bring the sauce or cheese to the edge. 

[Cripple Creek]

There is no inner/outer. The crust is integral to good pizza. Must I have an inch of meatless, vegeless, sauceless crust on the outside to enjoy my pizza? Absolutely not.  When I’m getting full that’s the part I leave behind.

[Augie]

4 minutes ago, mead107 said:

Hate it when they don’t bring the sauce or cheese to the edge. 

 

I only eat the outer crust if I’m still a little hungry. Something to chew on, but it’s got to be worthy! A lousy doughy outer edge crust I won’t even touch. 

[RaoulDuke79]

I've just begun attempting pizzas on my kamado grill. I love the wood fire taste. So far I've screwed up the crust by making it too thick and also am having a hell of a time getting the uncooked pizza on the stone without dropping half of the contents into the fire box. 

[Teddy KGB]

The outer crust only exists when it’s dipped in ranch 

[Gugny]

1 minute ago, Teddy KGB said:

The outer crust only exists when it’s dipped in ranch 

 

I prefer cholula.

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

sorry, had to laugh ^

 

rarely order one, simply to ***** expensive. although by the time you get all the ingredients, you've dropped over $20 but homemade is the way to go.

 

as for the outer crust, hell, the whole damn thing is important to me, I don't waste a crumb. love to brush garlic butter on the outer crust and shake some asiago on nair.

 

love me some pizza

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Just now, Gugny said:

 

I prefer cholula.

My father puts butter on it. 

[Augie]

It makes me furious when they don’t grill the pineapple! Don’t they know anything? Losers probably just open a can!

[Gugny]

8 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

My father puts butter on it. 

 

Solid.

[Captain_Quint]

It's all relative. 

[Augie]

22 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

My father puts butter on it. 

 

Butter makes everything better. 

[mead107]

Love it when the crust has a lot of pineapple ? on it 

[KD in CA]

56 minutes ago, snafu said:

It's all one crust, no?

Main crust, outer crust -- one crust.

 

 

49 minutes ago, mead107 said:

Hate it when they don’t bring the sauce or cheese to the edge. 

 

Both of these.  Yes the outer crust is critically important (should ideally have bubbly, slightly charred pockets), but it's part of the whole crust which all must be cooked correctly.

 

The sauce must go right to the edge;  cheese and toppings can have a 1/2" set back.

 

 

Not eating the crust is only for children....as such I generally end up eating more crust than pieces of pizza I consume.  But it's all good....I don't like leaving pizza uneaten.

 

 

Edited May 23, 2019 by KD in CA

[Just Joshin']

24 minutes ago, RaoulDuke79 said:

I've just begun attempting pizzas on my kamado grill. I love the wood fire taste. So far I've screwed up the crust by making it too thick and also am having a hell of a time getting the uncooked pizza on the stone without dropping half of the contents into the fire box. 

I use my BGE and it is great for pizza.  A few hard won lessons:

 

1.  The dough recipe matters.  Use 00 flour and use a recipe where it rises.  No short cuts.

2.  Target the temp to 550 - 600.  I have done as high as 700 but then the toppings do not cook well.

3.  Don't overwork the dough.  Use a pizza roller to put holes in the dough to prevent bubbles.

4.  Use the plate setter and the pizza stone.  Set the pizza stone off the plate setter to allow air to circulate.  On my BGE I use the feet.  On my other ceramic smoker, I purchased kiln blocks.

5.  Don't overload the pizza with toppings.

6.  Use lots of corn meal to avoid sticking.  In the North I can get a good course meal.  In the south too fine, it burns quick at the high temps.

7.  Make extra - good cold.

8.  I use a fruit wood with the lump for flavor.

 

Good luck, once you get it how you like it you will make it a regular event.

[Augie]

8 minutes ago, KD in CA said:

 

 

Both of these.  Yes the outer crust is critically important (should ideally have bubbly, slightly charred pockets), but it's part of the whole crust which all must be cooked correctly.

 

The sauce must go right to the edge;  cheese and toppings can have a 1/2" set back.

 

 

 Not eating the crust is only for children....as such I generally end up eating more crust than pieces of pizza I consume.  But it's all good....I don't like leaving pizza uneaten.

 

 

 

If I get to choose (and I DO), I prefer the body of the pizza. Far too often there’s a big puffy crust that is nothing but airy dough. Those pie makers save $ome money by leaving out the good stuff. Take the sauce, cheese and toppings closer to the edge, and I will go there. I’ll eat some of the crust, make it better and I’ll eat more. 

[KD in CA]

2 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

If I get to choose (and I DO), I prefer the body of the pizza. Far too often there’s a big puffy crust that is nothing but airy dough. Those pie makers save $ome money by leaving out the good stuff. Take the sauce, cheese and toppings closer to the edge, and I will go there. I’ll eat some of the crust, make it better and I’ll eat more. 

 

For a second there I thought you were going to say "stuffed crust" and I was going to be forced to take out a contract hit on you.