Pizza: How Important Is the Outer Crust?

[KD in CA]

  On 7/4/2020 at 2:21 AM, ExiledInIllinois said:

What the hell is HARVEST pizza ? ?. 

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Pizza that cost $24 and has lettuce.

 

Right up your alley!

[The Dean]

  On 7/4/2020 at 1:57 AM, mead107 said:

Pizza crust - Wish they would stuff it with pineapple 

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Don't even joke about pineapple on (or in) a pizza. 

[Gugny]

  On 7/4/2020 at 2:21 AM, ExiledInIllinois said:

What the hell is HARVEST pizza ? ?. 

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Just look at that outer crust.  MMMMMMMMmmmmmmm

 

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x89dfd029fb076689%3A0x40909c69554e043!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNXp4cxG2mddj8VWJLhZYWnnSb70QH0ujtWbQIf%3Dw213-h160-k-no!5sharvest pizza queensbury - Google Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipNXp4cxG2mddj8VWJLhZYWnnSb70QH0ujtWbQIf&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjSpvOs6rPqAhX8hHIEHZLtBq0QoiowEnoECBUQBg&cshid=1593873868474361

 

[Johnny Hammersticks]

The crust on the bottom is equally as important as the outer crust.  If the bottom crust is not crisp and chewy, the pizza is *****. I don’t care how good the sauce/cheese/outer crust is.  Everybody knows that.  Get it together people.  I’m guessing most of us grew up in the northeast and not in Arkansas where Dominos is 5*.

 

Common!

[PromoTheRobot]

  On 7/4/2020 at 4:25 PM, Johnny Hammersticks said:

The crust on the bottom is equally as important as the outer crust.  If the bottom crust is not crisp and chewy, the pizza is *****. I don’t care how good the sauce/cheese/outer crust is.  Everybody knows that.  Get it together people.  I’m guessing most of us grew up in the northeast and not in Arkansas where Dominos is 5*.

 

Common!

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#AllCrustMatters 

 

They go hand in hand. A great outer crust usually means the inner crust is also good.  And we all know crust makes the pizza.

[The Dean]

  On 7/4/2020 at 8:46 PM, PromoTheRobot said:

 

#AllCrustMatters 

 

They go hand in hand. A great outer crust usually means the inner crust is also good.  And we all know crust makes the pizza.

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While the outer and bottom crust are made from the same dough, I've had plenty of pies where the outer crust if very good, but the bottom crust is soggy in the middle. This isn't due to the dough, but rather the oven temperature, I think. Maybe a few other factors, too. But to really cook a pizza properly it helps to have a REALLY hot oven. Many places don't have ovens that reach a high enough temperature to keep up when they are busy. Opening them up to put in, take out pizza and rearrange pizzas cools down the oven. If the oven isn't seriously hot to begin with, you end up with the bottom crust being soggy, especially toward the center of the pie.

 

And every ingredient is important. You have a great crust but horrible sauce, or fake cheese or crappy pepperoni and you don't have a good pizza, IMO.

Edited July 5, 2020 by The Dean

[Mike in Horseheads]

  On 7/4/2020 at 2:45 PM, Gugny said:

 

 

Just look at that outer crust.  MMMMMMMMmmmmmmm

 

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x89dfd029fb076689%3A0x40909c69554e043!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNXp4cxG2mddj8VWJLhZYWnnSb70QH0ujtWbQIf%3Dw213-h160-k-no!5sharvest pizza queensbury - Google Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipNXp4cxG2mddj8VWJLhZYWnnSb70QH0ujtWbQIf&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjSpvOs6rPqAhX8hHIEHZLtBq0QoiowEnoECBUQBg&cshid=1593873868474361

 

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looks burnt to me

[Gugny]

  On 7/5/2020 at 4:24 AM, Mike in Horseheads said:

looks burnt to me

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It's heavenly.

[PetermansRedemption]

I never even eat the crust, so it doesn’t matter much to me. I just found out today, through this poll, that I’m in the extreme minority. Has to be cheese stuffed crust for me to eat it. Sidebar, does anyone know if any local pizzerias do a stuffed crust? Just Pizza used to, but they stopped years ago. 

Edited July 5, 2020 by PetermansRedemption

[BringBackFergy]

  On 7/5/2020 at 9:25 AM, PetermansRedemption said:

I never even eat the crust, so it doesn’t matter much to me.....

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This might be the most un-American post ever written on TBD. 
 

 

 

 

?

[Gugny]

  On 7/5/2020 at 9:25 AM, PetermansRedemption said:

I never even eat the crust, so it doesn’t matter much to me. I just found out today, through this poll, that I’m in the extreme minority. Has to be cheese stuffed crust for me to eat it. Sidebar, does anyone know if any local pizzerias do a stuffed crust? Just Pizza used to, but they stopped years ago. 

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  On 7/5/2020 at 10:06 AM, BringBackFergy said:

This might be the most un-American post ever written on TBD. 
 

 

 

 

?

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Fergs, he's the kind of guy who asks for his steak well done, then dips it in ketchup.

[snafu]

  On 7/5/2020 at 4:24 AM, Mike in Horseheads said:

looks burnt to me

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Me too. Looks like burnt oil from a deep dish pan, which can be tasty, but that’s not actually pizza crust.

And if burnt oil is the best part of a Harvest Pizza slice, then the remainder must be pretty sub-par.

 

 

 

[The Dean]

  On 7/5/2020 at 4:24 AM, Mike in Horseheads said:

looks burnt to me

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  On 7/5/2020 at 1:48 PM, snafu said:

 

Me too. Looks like burnt oil from a deep dish pan, which can be tasty, but that’s not actually pizza crust.

And if burnt oil is the best part of a Harvest Pizza slice, then the remainder must be pretty sub-par.

 

 

 

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It might be baked or fried in a pan, but it is definately not overcooked or burnt. Most USA pizzerias seriously under cook their pies.  There should be some char on the crust (outer and bottom) in a "properly cooked" pizza. That's why I typically order my pizza "very well done and crispy".

 

Just google napoli italy pizza and take a look at the images. You will see how dark most of the pizzas are around the edges. 

 

With that said, the Harvest pizza doesn't look like it was baked traditionally (coal fired or wood burning, very high temperature oven). But it looks nice and crispy. Of course the half with all that crap on it (pineapple again? ? ) is an abomination. 

 

 

[snafu]

  On 7/5/2020 at 2:43 PM, The Dean said:

 

 

 

It might be baked or fried in a pan, but it is definately not overcooked or burnt. Most USA pizzerias seriously under cook their pies.  There should be some char on the crust (outer and bottom) in a "properly cooked" pizza. That's why I typically order my pizza "very well done and crispy".

 

Just google napoli italy pizza and take a look at the images. You will see how dark most of the pizzas are around the edges. 

 

With that said, the Harvest pizza doesn't look like it was baked traditionally (coal fired or wood burning, very high temperature oven). But it looks nice and crispy. Of course the half with all that crap on it (pineapple again? ? ) is an abomination. 

 

 

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I agree that a crust must be well done. Most pizzas that get delivered to my house could use a few more minutes in the oven.

 

The only thing well done in that photo, however, was blackened oil or burnt cheese. Not crust. 

 

[KD in CA]

  On 7/4/2020 at 2:45 PM, Gugny said:

 

 

Just look at that outer crust.  MMMMMMMMmmmmmmm

 

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x89dfd029fb076689%3A0x40909c69554e043!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNXp4cxG2mddj8VWJLhZYWnnSb70QH0ujtWbQIf%3Dw213-h160-k-no!5sharvest pizza queensbury - Google Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipNXp4cxG2mddj8VWJLhZYWnnSb70QH0ujtWbQIf&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjSpvOs6rPqAhX8hHIEHZLtBq0QoiowEnoECBUQBg&cshid=1593873868474361

 

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Uh....what crust?   Looks like they cut off the crust then put it back in the oven.   Or else they got it from Dominos or somewhere.

 

When we say 'sauce/topping to the edge', people who are not insane mean 'to the edge of where the crust starts', as in this photo of a pizza with an actual crust.

 

 

[BringBackFergy]

  On 7/5/2020 at 11:36 AM, Gugny said:

 

 

Fergs, he's the kind of guy who asks for his steak well done, then dips it in ketchup.

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Maybe his Mommy eats the crust for him. 

[The Dean]

  On 7/5/2020 at 3:46 PM, KD in CA said:

 

Uh....what crust?   Looks like they cut off the crust then put it back in the oven.   Or else they got it from Dominos or somewhere.

 

When we say 'sauce/topping to the edge', people who are not insane mean 'to the edge of where the crust starts', as in this photo of a pizza with an actual crust.

 

 

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That looks like a really well made (and baked) pie. I'll bet the outer crust could be eaten just like delicious warm airy bread. On pizza like that, I love the naked outer crust. Sometimes I wait and eat the outer crust with a little dish of good olive oil.

 

Unfortunately too many pizzas have dry cardboard outer crusts. On those, I'd prefer they just sauce the entire top. I'd say "just avoid those sub-par pizzas" but that's hard to do  where I live. 

Actually what I can get is a decent Bar Pie. Those tend to to be sauced  completely and cooked to crispy.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=pizza+bar+pie&sxsrf=ALeKk03JBirm61pmG12brujNQSnNRh91GQ:1593969255138&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi7yfCZzrbqAhVsm-AKHVUVDDAQ_AUoAXoECDcQAw&biw=1600&bih=757

 

I wonder if J&J's Southside is still open in Huntington Station (on Long Island)?  They had a killer bar pie.

[BringBackFergy]

  On 7/5/2020 at 3:46 PM, KD in CA said:

 

Uh....what crust?   Looks like they cut off the crust then put it back in the oven.   Or else they got it from Dominos or somewhere.

 

When we say 'sauce/topping to the edge', people who are not insane mean 'to the edge of where the crust starts', as in this photo of a pizza with an actual crust.

 

 

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That’s not even pizza. It’s focaccia. If I wanted to eat a side loaf of fresh baked bread I’d order one of those. The Harvest pizza (noted above) has a perfect balance of sweet crust, sauce, caramelized cheese baked to perfection. Try again.  

[Gugny]

  On 7/5/2020 at 5:56 PM, BringBackFergy said:

That’s not even pizza. It’s focaccia. If I wanted to eat a side loaf of fresh baked bread I’d order one of those. The Harvest pizza (noted above) has a perfect balance of sweet crust, sauce, caramelized cheese baked to perfection. Try again.  

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[KD in CA]

  On 7/5/2020 at 5:56 PM, BringBackFergy said:

That’s not even pizza. It’s focaccia. If I wanted to eat a side loaf of fresh baked bread I’d order one of those. The Harvest pizza (noted above) has a perfect balance of sweet crust, sauce, caramelized cheese baked to perfection. Try again.  

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Try again to educate you about pizza?  Naah....you seem happy with your Papa Johns.

 

Enjoy!

 

  On 7/5/2020 at 5:13 PM, The Dean said:

That looks like a really well made (and baked) pie. I'll bet the outer crust could be eaten just like delicious warm airy bread. On pizza like that, I love the naked outer crust. Sometimes I wait and eat the outer crust with a little dish of good olive oil.

 

Unfortunately too many pizzas have dry cardboard outer crusts. On those, I'd prefer they just sauce the entire top. I'd say "just avoid those sub-par pizzas" but that's hard to do  where I live. 

Actually what I can get is a decent Bar Pie. Those tend to to be sauced  completely and cooked to crispy.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=pizza+bar+pie&sxsrf=ALeKk03JBirm61pmG12brujNQSnNRh91GQ:1593969255138&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi7yfCZzrbqAhVsm-AKHVUVDDAQ_AUoAXoECDcQAw&biw=1600&bih=757

 

I wonder if J&J's Southside is still open in Huntington Station (on Long Island)?  They had a killer bar pie.

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It took me a little while to find the proper Italians when I came out to CA, but have been pretty happy with the pizza selection since then.