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.

 

[GoBills808]

It's the second most important part of the pizza imo. First is assuring an appropriate amount of pineapple/square inch.

[LeviF]

As I said in the shoutbox, if the crust isn't good, the pizza isn't good.  But, there's no reason to say the outer crust is the best/most important part.

Just now, GoBills808 said:

It's the second most important part of the pizza imo. First is assuring an appropriate amount of pineapple/square inch.

 

***** Hawaiians, who invited them?

[Augie]

8 minutes ago, KD in CA said:

 

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.

 

 

STUFFED CRUST!!!

 

There, I said it! But technically, shouldn’t you go after Gugny? I mean, this is all his fault....he started it.....he had to know this would happen. 

[GoBills808]

31 minutes ago, mead107 said:

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

 

As per usual mead gets it

[US Egg]

Blue cheese dressing cures bad pizza crust.

[Augie]

My son used to get “pies” from Jett Pizza with chicken, BBQ sauce, pineapple, ham, jalapeños, red onions and other veggies plus other things that made it unrecognizable as a pizza. I refuse to go to them for anything after that sacrilege. 

 

 

Once you put BBQ sauce on a pizza, you have something else! 

[GoBills808]

4 minutes ago, Augie said:

My son used to get “pies” from Jett Pizza with chicken, BBQ sauce, pineapple, ham, jalapeños, red onions and other veggies plus other things that made it unrecognizable as a pizza. I refuse to go to them for anything after that sacrilege. 

 

 

Once you put BBQ sauce on a pizza, you have something else! 

 

Tomato sauce, bacon, jalapeno, pineapple is the correct way to make that pie

[LeviF]

2 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

 

Tomato sauce, bacon, jalapeno, pineapple is the correct way to make that pie

 

You're a monster.

[Augie]

1 minute ago, GoBills808 said:

 

Tomato sauce, bacon, jalapeno, pineapple is the correct way to make that pie

 

I could live with that....if you take it all out to the edge. 

 

 

BBQ sauce? That’s almost ranch with your wings.  

[GoBills808]

3 minutes ago, LeviF91 said:

 

You're a monster.

 

[/dev/null]

i've heard of New York pizza, Chicago pizza, Midwest pizza, Pittsburgh pizza, Detroit pizza, and California pizza

 

1 hour ago, Captain_Quint said:

It's all relative. 

 

But never West Virginia pizza

 

[Buffalo716]

Listen . My opinion is the only one that matters. I’m an expert , a buffalonian , and a hardcore pizza lover 

 

if you dont have a good crust or outer crust you ain’t got ****

 

topping don’t matter if your base is ****

 

Dough , sauce + cheese make a pie

[BuffaloBill]

There are no “outer” and “main” crusts.  It is all one and the same.  Some people do not eat the “outer” crust, their loss.  The crust is critical to a good pizza.  Ever eat one that is soggy or flimsy and it matters little what else is there.

[The Jokeman]

2 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

I prefer cholula.

I dip mine in bleu cheese.

[Ol Dirty B]

1 hour ago, KD in CA said:

 

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.

 

 

I only eat the crusts on stuffed crust pizzas. 

 

We have a problem?

[mead107]

Nothing like Pizza Hut ??????

[Ol Dirty B]

58 minutes ago, /dev/null said:

i've heard of New York pizza, Chicago pizza, Midwest pizza, Pittsburgh pizza, Detroit pizza, and California pizza

 

 

But never West Virginia pizza

 

 

Chicago and California pizza are crap.

 

If I see you use a damn knife and fork to eat a pizza I'm judging.

 

Order pasta and sauce with some cheese if you're gonna pull that crap.

[LeGOATski]

Butter and some seasoning.... that's all you need to transform that boring outer crust into a pizza meal's happy ending.

[Augie]

1 hour ago, LeGOATski said:

Butter and some seasoning.... that's all you need to transform that boring outer crust into a pizza meal's happy ending.

 

Who knew it was that easy! If only Krafty had taken the easy route to the happy ending.....

 

 

We’d have missed out on a lot of fun! 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

4 hours ago, Augie said:

 

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. 

Ditto. For a bigger guy like me who’s trying to stretch out every last calorie, I’ll leave the outer crust be for the sake of another bite of all the fixin’s instead—great, now I’m starving for some pizza...btw, in my single days a slice or 3 of cold pizza was a heck of a breakfast after a bender, but I digress 

2 hours ago, Ol Dirty B said:

 

Chicago and California pizza are crap.

 

If I see you use a damn knife and fork to eat a pizza I'm judging.

 

Order pasta and sauce with some cheese if you're gonna pull that crap.

I had such high hopes for the 1st deep dish Chicago pizza I ever tried in Chicago, and was sorely disappointed...a flim flam hot mess (almost watery red sauce marinating a gooey doughy Mt. Vesuvius) that I don’t care to repeat—yes I will join you ol dirty in judging away as to that “pizza” atrocity. 

Edited May 24, 2019 by NoHuddleKelly12