Sometimes a meal is so good, I have to share it with you right away. This is one of those times. When given the choice, I’ve never been one to choose thin crust pizza over regular, but hey, it’s still pizza and I’ll eat it if it is available. As soon as I saw a recipe for thin crust pizza in the latest issue of Cook’s Illustrated, I was intrigued. After all, these are the same people who created the recipe for the best traditional pizza dough ever.
The process for this dough is interesting. The dough is mixed up using ice water, and then refrigerated for 24 hours-3 days. The cool temperatures prevent over-rising and keep the crust, well, thin. Although it does require a bit of planning ahead, it is actually quite flexible since there is a two day window of when you can use the dough. I went ahead and made a full batch of dough, and froze half of it at the same time that I baked this pizza. Now we have an extra dough ball all ready to go. Guess what’s on the menu again this week?
The recipe also includes a basic pizza sauce that is delicious and extremely easy to make. Really, it takes less than 5 minutes. The yield is enough sauce for 3-4 pizzas, so that is saved in my freezer as well. You can certainly use whatever toppings you like, though it is important to use a light hand so that you don’t overwhelm the thin crust. I used the basic cheese topping suggested in the magazine (my favorite anyway) and loved it so much, I doubt I’ll try many variations.