Tavern Style Chicago Thin Crust Pizza

[@saintseymour]

your first video for this style of pizza is the first thing i watched of yours during the pandemic. it was a weird time to be alive, and i made your recipe for my family, and we all felt really at home and happy eating it together. the channel is really doing it's thing now, and you deserve every bit of this. way to go dog

[@rockgtr35]

I made this yesterday. Wow! Blown away!! I've been searching for this crust for years. Native Chicagoan living in Phoenix for the last 12 years. You can't find this crust here. I've tried many different recipes. This one nails it!! The sauce was also spot on. Thank you for posting this video!

[@Mark-in1im]

Made this today and it was excellent. Some things I noted tho: 1) It *REALLY* didn't need to addt'l salt sprinkled on top -- it made the resulting pizza into a salt lick, 2) If you like the "sharpness" of mozz, go for it, but I think this would be better with Monterey Jack instead -- it would make it less "sharp" and more creamy, 3) the sausage recipe was *perfect* and really made the end pizza terrific.

[@spiderbirdiespiderbidie1807]

I was never a thin crust person. This recipe changed my mind. Made the dough and froze it in balls. Pulled it into the fridge on Wednesday, rolled it out on Friday, and baked the pizzas on Saturday and Sunday. They were divine. I did add some Chicago-style giardiniera .

[@chqtwhite100]

As a Chicago native who doesn’t have access to real Chicago pizza, I had been trying to find a recipe as close to the real thing as possible . Thank you for sharing this recipe. I used your suggestion for block cheese as well, and it was chefs kiss 10/10!!! It truly made a difference in the melting quality. This recipe is as close as you’ll get to tavern style Chicago pizza. I recommend anyone watching to make this recipe and see for yourself. My only regret is that I didn’t double the recipe. lol.

[@DappledShade]

Someone nailed it at last! This version brings a tear to the eye of any displaced Chicagoan. Absolutely delicious. Going straight into rotation at my house. Thanks, Brian!

[@jennroeb2]

I have been through so many pizza dough crust only to find this recipe has nailed it for me. It is so good. I follow it to a T and it works perfectly. I love all of the detailed videos thank you so much for this perfect tavern style pizza recipe

[@Berggren_]

SO happy to see tavern style get some love. Don't get me wrong, deep dish is something special (I'm a Malnati's guy myself), but tavern style definitely deserves more recognition. Much love from Chicago!

[@amyschneidhorst1384]

We Chicagoans just always called this thin crust, I did not know it was considered tavern pizza, though the square cut would make sense to go along with beer.

[@yummysexyfoods]

Thin crust or Tavern Style, it still comes out delicious 😋

[@wmarian5027]

Hey bri...have made this a dozen times now. I make up the batch, let it rest, cut into 4. I roll two out in to small pizza crusrs, and let them dry in fridge as you described, and use them for lunches over the next 2 days. I put the other two small dough balls in a ziploc bag to cold ferment in the fridge for up to 4 days. When i am ready to use them, I take them,.let them sit for 20 m to warm up, roll them out, andlet them dry in fridge for 12 to 24 hours. 4 personal.lunch pizza crusts, one recipe. Followed your sauce recipes for some, but my personal favorite: Pesto sauce, parmesan cheese, mozzarella, onion, black olives, and a sprinkling of roasted corn for sweetness.

[@eaton24]

Some cooking channels really aim for entertainment. Others try to be educational. This channel mixes entertainment value with legit teaching and easy to follow recipes with the way things are shot. Kudos to Brian, he has made me a much better cook, love it!

[@89128]

Sixty-four years ago, I started eating thin crust Pizza from Nick and Sons on Chicago Avenue in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago. It has always been my standard of comparison for all other pizzas. The photos took me back to my teenage years prior to the military. I can still taste that pizza.

[@sirclarkmarz]

I grew up in park forest the best pizza I ever had was at a place called romano's on western Ave. Just north of the EJ & E tracks they cut it in squares I always like that

[@seanszarkowicz]

Thanks!

[@Art_Murder]

B taking a bite out of every block of cheese always gets me

[@bradydill4767]

I hate it so much.

[@iknowbetterthanyou6260]

gets me a little sick.

[@BeachPeach2010]

Makes me think of major cloggage the next day. 😑

[@DanWhiteT]

this might have been the most aggressive bite yet, a comment I'm posting explicitly to goad Brian into taking an even bigger bite next time

[@Jacob-zv7xw]

B? damn didn't know you knew him like that 🤣

[@keithjones9546]

Best thin-crust pizza making video I've ever watched. Thank you.

[@palaceofwisdom9448]

Vito & Nick's has been my birthday dinner several times, it really is amazing. If this is as close to the real thing as it looks, you have achieved something incredible.

[@kencase2179]

OMG, Brian! That looks so good! Saturday night dinner this week. Thank you!

[@VWscooter24]

I was born in 1966 and raised in Chicago but left at the age of 10. Veto and Nicks was near my fathers work and he would bring it home about once a week. However my dad always thought Vito and Nick's didn't sound right and he renamed it Nick and Vito's! I'm 58 now and still call it Nick and Vetos! I ordered a box of 3 pizzas for my dad's 75th birthday and they actually ship them (frozen). Funny they don't deliver, but they ship,lol. The pizza that I judge all other pizzas against!

[@FoulOwl2112]

I use a 16 inch ceramic floor tile as a pizza stone. They work great and are dirt cheap compared to a commercial pizza stone. I keep it in my oven all the time. Even when I'm not making pizza. The thermal mass of the hot stone helps maintain a constant oven temp.

[@als1023]

Great Idea !! Thank you for posting !!

[@lizcademy4809]

I have used 8 inch "quarry" floor tiles for my pizza stone since the early 1990s - learned from Julia Child. They work great, ae dirt cheap, and the smaller size means I can line my entire oven rack with several tiles. [I have a couple that broke in half, I use those too.] The thin spaces between the tiles don't seem to matter.

[@Scootermagoo]

I know people that take red bricks and line the floor of the oven for the same reason.

[@lostphotographs3936]

I found a 2 stone setup really works well. I place my racks at the top and bottom of the oven. I start the pie on the bottom stone to get the crust as toasty as possible. 3-4 min or so. Then it gets slid and rotated to the stone that has been right under the broiler coils. I'm forced to use electric garbage ovens in California, and will switch the oven from 550 to Broil High and watch it to get the cheese and crust slightly browned and or charred.

[@walterw2]

cool, but i gotta say a pizza _steel_ is a whole different ballgame, especially a massive 1/4" thick one like i see in brian's oven (and like i found for my own oven for maybe $40 after first seeing that); way _more_ thermal mass and way faster heat transfer than a stone! the trick when you first get it is to file off any sharp edges, then season it like you would a cast iron pan to prevent rust after that, +1 to just keeping it in the oven to even out the temperature swings

[@MartinJohnson-q3d]

Thank you so much I've been living abroad for a year now and every pizzeria that I've gone to here just does not compare to Chicago Tavern Style Pizza. I decided to take a crack at it and with your recipe, I instantly had flashbacks of eating at Vito and Nicks, and other pizzerias. Thank you again!

[@jcbartlett25]

hell yeah, my favorite pizza style (grew up on it), can't wait to see how this stacks up to kenji's recipe

[@TheMidwestWaterproofing]

I grew up 3 blocks away from Vito and Nicks. The standard bearer of Chicago pizza for over 100 years. Cash only, no delivery. Nick Barraco said "you want my pizza, you come get it"

[@pieexpo140]

You challenge Nick to a duel for the pizza 😄

[@brianh2287]

You lucky dog.

[@skylarhanson7568]

Hey, I’ve just got to say, I’m a big fan of your work. So much so that I’ve made your recipe for this pizza at least 20 times and the family loves it. I too am originally from the Chicago area and was back visiting this past weekend. My son and I went to Vito & Nick’s to try this out. We got a thin with sausage, pepperoni and mild giard. All I can say is…yours is way, way better.

[@coupdefoudre3597]

The technique looks flawless. It looks challenging, but (as always) you take the time to breakdown the key steps. Your attention to detail misses nothing!

[@maryd3779]

I don’t know that it looks challenging, but it certainly looks delicious, he makes it look effortless….like yeah, I can do this….heck he made sauce…and even sausage making stupid easy…I can’t wait to try this

[@codym6340]

I've been a weekly home pizza maker coming up on 11 years, always looking to explore new methods and recipes. In 3 months, I've made this pizza 4 times and it is a hit every time with the family and one of my personal favourites. Drying the crusts overnight in the fridge is a genius gamechanger, something that I would never have thought of. Appreciate all the work you guys put into these recipes (have made the beef and broccoli and pad Thai recipes at least a half dozen times each!). Thanks!!

[@damienlu7318]

Yes sir I'll take this over a deep dish any day.

[@bryansweeney4562]

Except for, of course, Brian's deep dish!

[@colin_g]

Yeah, deep dish is a gross heartburn greasebomb

[@sirclarkmarz]

Deep dish pizza is a heart attack and stroke with a side of diabetes

[@sirclarkmarz]

Deep dish it's not a pizza it's a casserole that will give you a heart attack and or stroke with a side of diabetes

[@ronsorg2862]

Thank you Brian. Amazing articulate demo once again! Living in the Burbs of Chicago my whole life, Barnaby’s was the greatest go to for tavern style in the burbs.

[@JoeAuerbach]

Giardenera is my new favorite pizza topping. It's really amazing

[@TheNickybocker]

I make this pizza often. I love the edges of the pizza so if you make it dark the whole pizza gets that dark edge flavor. I learnt this from Nick and Vito's as well. Thanks for the video..

[@goorbarkai4007]

Man I can watch you play around with dough all day. That level of doneness is the way to go, nothing like darkened mozzarella! I’m about to make this one ❤

[@jefferykalata3525]

I made this last week and it was absolutely amazing. Pizza in Florida is trash. Now we make our own with your recipe. Thank you so much!

[@coepuffs]

Vita and Nicks is THE best pizza in the world! I’m so glad you went there for this video!!!

[@johnnada5754]

Wells Brothers in Racine, WI almost just as good and V&N

[@cleverlikem3218]

@@johnnada5754 prove it. i need you to send me one of dem pizzas and I'll taste test it.

[@johnblachaniec8856]

@@johnnada5754 Thats not Chicago! 🤣😂

[@allenesnofour]

I made this pizza recipe for New Years lunch - fantastic! I have a few at home pizza recipes that are good and this one will be added to my rotation! Made one with the homemade sausage in the recipe and one with pepperoni - both really great!

[@Justicehillmusic]

That’s the real chicago style for sure. Tavern style baby

[@Phyde4ux]

Sorry Chicago, but you don't get to name two pizzas. Pick a style and own it. It's not our fault nobody liked your first choice.

[@benjaminbrand9550]

​@@Phyde4uxthey can do whatever they want you fascist.

[@mechmat12345]

​@@Phyde4uxcorrect. Chicago thinks they own this style because so many people in Chicago don't like thick crust, no because they invented it.

[@palaceofwisdom9448]

@@Phyde4ux We actually have THREE styles of pizza, stuffed being the one nobody outside Chicago seems to know about (or they mistake it for deep dish). Maybe Brian will do a video on that some time.

[@GrapeFlavoredAntifreeze]

@@Phyde4uxThat is such a petulant comment lmao

[@tmpickrell]

THIS is true Chicago style pizza. Thank you, Brian. I cant wait to make this.

[@wjkrug]

Yeah and so is deep dish

[@TeeroyHammermill]

Looks like St.Louis style

[@ramencurry6672]

I think that style was actually originally invented in New York though. Or at least in the northeast

[@fratzogmopars]

Glad you called it Vito & Nick’s, some call it Nick & Vito’s. I grew up a few blocks from them off of Pulaski, had their pizza hundreds of times over the years, a unique pizza, they had what we called “clinkers” on the bottom of the crust, they were burnt bread crumbs. As a teenager we would walk in and ask if they had any “duds”, pizzas someone ordered and never picked up, we would get a pizza for a buck. There were several good pizza places in the vicinity, Vito & Nick’s always stood out above the rest, an icon of the sw side.

[@byohnk]

Babe wake up Brian uploaded a Chicago pizza video

[@BrianLagerstrom]

haha hell yeah.

[@planreview]

REAL Chicago pizza, thin crust gold.

[@broyofroyo1207]

⁠hey bri, what’s your favorite type of pizza?

[@stocktonnash]

I read this in Andy’s kiwi voice

[@XanderL]

@@stocktonnash Andy who?

[@drzlecuti]

Great to see you were on the sout' side! V&N is excellent. You are absolutely right about what most Chicagoans eat as pizza. We call it thin-crust, tavern-style, or just by the name of the restaurant. Barracco's and Palermo's (among others) are popular in Evergreen Park and Oak Lawn. In Elmhurst we like Q's in Hillside and Roberto's in Elmhurst. I like this recipe a lot.

[@kathyastrom1315]

Up in Wheeling, we have Nino’s. I ordered it for my mom once, and she just raved about it.

[@charlesfinnegan7930]

Love Roberto's... grew up a few hundred feet from there. I could smell it outside walking home from school. Also like Q's.... go to their super bowl party every year.

[@joshnok6369]

St. Louis has a lot of good pizza places though. Union Loafers being one my favorites.

[@kitcat9447]

If you were gonna say Imo's, I was going to report your comment 😅

[@gordonbombay17]

Brian used to work at Union Loafers so definitely felt like an odd shot at the St. Louis pizza scene. The picture could have at least been the Imos bastard.

[@johnhowaniec5979]

St Louis pizza is one of the worst I've ever tasted!

[@chackomc]

@@johnhowaniec5979St Louis style pizza is basically exactly this recipe except your use provel instead of mozzarella. Provel isn’t for everyone but plenty of people love it… I actually found it in an Italian grocery store in Dallas!

[@Fuzzycuffsqt]

just follow this recipe but add more sugar and dried oregano to the sauce, use white processed cheese instead of mozzarella and drop your dough on the floor

[@featheredfriend1310]

I worked at the Ole Chi Mill in Arkansas, original owners. I miss their pizza and so greatful I found your video. I seriously can't wait to try this. Thank you!!!

[@ghulse3529]

Bri-Guy for the win again. I LOVE Chicago tavern style. We've been using the America's Test Kitchen recipe for a while but your crust looks way better and your sauce is far more robust so I am stoked to try this. I also make my own homemade italian sausage and am looking forward to using your recipe. Love the channel man. Keep up the awesome content!

[@BrianLagerstrom]

The first time I ever made thin crust was ATK. Theirs is a classic recipe. I think mine is closer to the real thing though.

[@diyhvac1028]

@@BrianLagerstrom Honestly have historically been a fan of Cook's and ATK, but the offer of recipes in the mag had gotten really stale - never anything in the magazine of interest anymore. Too damn many roast turkey and beef tenderloin recipes and not enough ethnic stuff. Your channel is better and I cancelled my subscription for real.

[@sherievaughn6475]

Thank you for pointing out which style of pizza Chicagoans actually eat! The pizza from the original Aurelio’s Pizza in Homewood Illinois is great too, especially if you like your sauce on the sweeter side.

[@subnormality5854]

I need to try Vito & Nick's one of these days, if I can avoid that pain-in-the-ass 3-way intersection at 87th that's always choked with traffic

[@Britnybihhh]

This gave me so much nostalgia of trying pizza places around the city with my ex. The crispy buttery edges coated in hearty burnt sauce, the ungodly chunks of sausage, oil dripping down your fingers, all enjoyed under the dim lights of the tavern. So heart warming and comforting. 🍕

[@saltydroog854]

This is the real Chicago pizza. Love it. 8.1 from the prez. The gold standard in Chicago thin crust tavern style.

[@BrianLagerstrom]

TRUE

[@joeybagofdoughnuts6664]

Chicago pizza cant be beat! great VIDEO!

[@johnvrabec9747]

Vito & Nick's, Fox's Beverly Pizza Pub, Beggar's, Barracco's, Palermo's, Aurelio's, to name a few on the South side. The best!

[@danemmerich6775]

All Delicious!!

[@fratzogmopars]

Palermo’s on 95th street is another top notch pizza, sweet sauce. Joe’s Italian Villa on Harlem was also a good pizza, but he moved further south.

[@johnvrabec9747]

@@fratzogmopars Yep, I included them as well. We actually have some good Chicago thin and deep dish here in AZ. Don't have to wait to go home to eat the best lol

[@calsurf93]

You nailed this, I'm from Minnesota. This pizza looks delicious and similar to ones I'd have at a local bar/tavern

[@Krltplps]

As a Chicagoan trapped in AZ this recipe is legit. It's all about that fennel and sheer amount of sausage.

[@tbone8636]

Fennel sausage is nasty. Meant to cover up spoiled meat.

[@heather9857]

Hey, so I am I! Lol. Oh and the cheese being on TOP of the meat.

[@Krltplps]

@@heather9857 If you're near a Vero pizza their deep dish is dead on Giordano's. Their thin crust is also probably the best in the state that I've had so far.

[@bcj1jrj]

But spinatos!!!! No I get ya I'm gunna try this too. I do really enjoy spinatos however.

[@Krltplps]

@@bcj1jrj They're solid as well! Their sauce is a sweeter version of Aureilo's though, and we don't have any of them out here, sadly.

[@colbylaubach3254]

Bri, I have made every pizza recipe you have posted, and every single one is fantastic in it's own way. I hope there is more to come and am excited to try this one next! Thank you for making me look good with friends and family!

[@ascrit]

STL style pizza is incredible and my favorite regional variation by far.

[@user-jw4fn6fh2x]

Your first video on this kind of za was my inspiration to start making it myself. I love it. These new recommendations will help me take mine to a new level. Thanks Brian. I love this pizza and love to serve it to my friends.

[@BLTkitchen]

Pizza docking is something I rarely hear people talk about. This explanation was PERFECT!

[@chrisberry9016]

I want to thank you so much for this one. Not only is the pizza awesome, but I really needed that recipe for the Italian Sausage! I like the taste of Italian Sausage, but normally have to avoid it, because it is either too hot, or Waaaaay too much fennel, which tears up my gut later. Now I can make my own and temper it to where I can eat it. Again thank you.

[@doctor-goggles]

A new Brian pizza video? *grabs notepad and pen*

[@BrianLagerstrom]

Thanks for watching Doc.

[@DeadHawk23]

I prefer St. Louis style more. I live next to St. Louis and I have no idea what that was at 0:22 lol. Tavern style is also great though. It's pretty similar.

[@jamesstein5087]

Isn’t provel cheese a thing there?

[@TeeroyHammermill]

@DeadHawk23: looked like a frozen pizza from a food pantry.

[@DeadHawk23]

@@jamesstein5087 Yes, and it's great.

[@Michael_Courtney]

I enjoy your videos. I finally got around to making this pizza. Loved the crust/pizza. I did use less sugar in the sauce (as it seemed like a lot) and wound up with a lot of sauce leftover. This type of crust is great for having a lot of people over as very few crusts work well rolled out in advance. I did find the lower crust in the fridge wasn't aging/leathering the same as the upper one so I swapped them 1/2 through.

[@myjewelry4u]

Yes! People always think we eat deep dish… nope. Thin crust.

[@danielryan8089]

Omg Brian I can not wait!!!! Since moving to Texas I’ve shamelessly missed (I know it’s not Chicago) monicals! Between the beefs and the pies, keep the classics coming. Much love from Bridgeport to SATX!

[@MylesandMylesAway]

you are a LEGEND

[@ericg3543]

Hey man, love your videos! This is essentially a St. Louis style pizza which has three components: cracker thin crust, sweet sauce (Italians in the Hill neighborhood in StL put sugar in their sauce) and Provel cheese (blend of cheddar, provolone and Swiss). Living in St. Louis, Imo’s is the classic example of this type of pizza. You might try Serra’s Pizzeria as a local favorite as well. Cheers!!

[@TeeroyHammermill]

Yea he just made a ripoff version of Angelo's or Pironnes and calls it "Chicago Tavern".

[@frankzito8653]

Former Chicagoan here and this is the pizza we ate most of the time. I don't think I had a "deep dish" until I was 20 years old. Chicago thin crust was and remains the king.

[@johnsiena8270]

Same - it was Barnaby's for us

[@StephenNeSmith]

The Chicago-based Barnaby's chain made it down to FL for a while and as a result I fell in love with this style pizza.

[@compunurse]

The amount of cheese is 16 ounces minus one large mouthful. Let’s be accurate.

[@pv4669]

Never had Vito & Nick's, but plenty of tavern pizza in the Windy City. I will be making this on my normal Saturday pizza night. Thanks Brian!

[@JohnHausser]

Hey Brian You should make a collaboration with Kenji López-Alt Would be awesome

[@Schudome13]

Would be cool since he took a lot of info from Kenji's recipe for this without shouting him out

[@samvimes86]

It's 1:30am on Saturday morning in New Zealand and I've got a dough base in the fridge waiting for dinner tomorrow. Love your work and especially these regional pizza recipes, Brian!

[@austinnajar]

Woah, woah Brian. As a lifelong St Louisan, I’m only a little insulted by that subtle dig at Imos

[@randleski]

I grew up on Imo's, and still love it. Nostalgia and provel in squares.

[@RemFreeman]

I have found my fellow people of culture!! Provel and Imo's for life!!

[@wareagle415]

Inebriated Imos for the win.

[@gmoney4980]

Provel is divine... never had it until I was an adult. Found a STL place in FL & took my Mrs (she grew up with Imo's & Provel) to the place & I was smitten.

[@danielsimms5796]

I plus one the dig

[@arleneking2]

Since moving from Chicago to southern California, I’ve been searching for a true Chicago thin crust pizza. I’m so excited to have found this recipe!!! Can’t wait to make it!

[@neilbecker1140]

looks like this man knows there is only 1 way to cook pizza. If I have to say well done to a place they dont know what they are doing. so many pizzas get served before they are done cooking

[@banethero]

This feels like a throwback to the good old days in all the right ways. Love it and can’t wait to make it!

[@kenyattaclay7666]

I'm born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, I have NEVER in my life heard it called tavern style until I moved and people not from Chicago (or the North Side) started calling it "tavern style." Also, we don't use "deep South Side" as a descriptor; they are located on the far South Side and if they were north of 51st then they would be near South Side.

[@mtothel657]

Love it Bri! Will be making this very soon. Best cooking content on YT by far. I've learned so much from your videos over the last few years, so thank you!

[@Ninewave1]

Brian is so dedicated that he drove 5 hours to eat a pizza to inform us. Kuddos.

[@ingridreaves2916]

He probably had to drive uphill both ways... With only 3 tires! 🤣

[@palaceofwisdom9448]

If you had ever tasted Vito & Nick's pizza, believe me, you wouldn't think twice about driving 5 hours for it. In fact it would most likely be my death row last meal.

[@Thassodar]

Another killer recipe I need to try, your "old school" Dominoes style recipe is a favorite of mine, and my friends.

[@rivertonrock]

There’s better pizza available here in STL, and you know it, Brian!

[@jasonroets660]

Agreed. Little Italy has some outstanding authentic pizza.

[@Ghostbearstudios]

I'm from florissant and we got some spots (not imos) that do thin crust right. Celanos and Angelo's are definitely my top 2 st louis style pizzas for sure.

[@neilb3299]

Yeah, the photo he showed is pretty dishonest. There are plenty of places with good pizza in the metro area with everything from traditional to deep dish to tavern (and IMO’s obviously). For someone who has been as plugged into the food scene of STL as Brian, this seems like a shitty cheap shot for internet points.

[@Alverant]

30 deep dish and 1000+ tavern style. So you had the same amount of each kind of pizza.

[@forrestcommander6283]

I love it…workshop the verbiage and the joke lands seamlessly. “So you have tried an equal share of each Chicago pizza?” That’s the punchline that lands

[@kevingeorge5942]

Followed your recipe as written and our pizza turned out perfect. I prefer thin crust and this was thin and crispy. Thank you!

[@RIPMrAlwaysFirst]

First

[@atomicbrain9401]

this one is a literal masterpiece. the finished product looks sooooo damn good. you outdid yourself!!!

[@crystallampkin4033]

As someone born and raised in STL I go back home to visit all the time and I don't eat provel pizza when at home. There are plenty of good pizza options like Union Loafers or the Headless bat.

[@johnburch6927]

Woah!! Before going off the deep end regarding the St. Louis pizza scene, i would recommend heading over the Guido's on the Hill.

[@iancryar6431]

Our sister lived in Chicago for 7 years. I visited often & we hit every pizza place we could when I visited. Tavern style is the best. We ate at Vito and Nicks and yeah they rocked. Down here in The GNO we miss Rocky’s Pizzeria.

[@brianfoley1805]

I just made this....Came out fantastic! All the toppings stayed on too!

[@BobBrittonBespoke]

Hey Bri.... how about a road trip to NYC followed by some recipes? John's on Bleeker cannot be beat! Life changing pizza.

[@hilleri8]

Transplant to Chicago ~14 years ago and agree - this is the pizza I eat all the time, although the fam still loves the occasional Butter Crust Chicago Classic from Lou's. I know it isn't actually a substitute given the slightly puffy crust, but I've been making your weeknight (1 hour) pizza ~twice per month for the last year and a half or so as a substitute from getting takeout thin crust. I'm absolutely terrible at making meals that require I start the day beforehand, so I think I may just sub in the dough recipe you have here and try it without the overnight rest the next time I do Weeknight pizza. I know it wont be cracker dry, but hopefully it gets us at least 75% of the way there.

[@patrickwoods2583]

Good god! That looks right up my alley. I love it thin, crispy, and well done.

[@soundbites1152]

Making this style tomorrow. I've made it twice following your recipe for the crust. Today I did something a little different. I rolled out the dough into a rectangle, and then folded it in half and then in half again. I then rolled that back out into a rectangle to simulate a laminated crust like Shakey's or Round Table Pizza. It's a West Coast thing. Not the rectangular shape, but the lamination. I don't have a large dough sheeter like those pizzerias do, so this is kind of a hack. I'll let you know how it goes.

[@jeffa5616]

I don’t eat pork so I put the same ingredients into some ground chuck to make some beef sausage. Came out amazing. Thank you!

[@sianoalexander]

Holy crap...it worked! I do have the Ooni Volt but the pizza was amazing. Brian...I apologize for judging. I worked in a one Michelin star restaurant in London and now a 2 in Paris. Your the few KZbin chefs who do actually make good stuff 💚🍀🇮🇪

[@TheMadpyrate]

OK, I love watching these and I try a lot of your videos. I love the presentation and the thoroughness of the recipes. While entertaining though, I would wager most people never try these. Not because we don't have the materials and ability but because of time. Dude, this recipe takes more than a DAY! I work a 9-6. You know, a job that has specific hours and takes an incredible amount of mental stamina. When I'm done for the day, I gotta get dinner on the table. I might be unique (don't really think so), but I don't have the time to put in the effort of meal planning and doing constant meal prep throughout the week. If I can't have dinner on the table in 30-45 minutes, it ain't happenin. So, here's a challenge. It takes my electric oven about 45 minutes to hit 500 degrees F. Can you do something fairly close to this recipe and get it on the table in under an hour?

[@alphaperez]

Loved your Detroit pizza videos and I've been making that dough recipe on the regular. In fact I have one cold fermenting in the fridge right now! Very stoked to try this tavern style thin crust.

[@PhilipLemoine]

DUDE! I legit took a $40 Uber here from the loop just to try it on my ONE free day while I was in town. With a glass Old Style too! 10/10 worth it! And now here I am craving it and trying to make it at home.

[@davidward1259]

Brian, try adding about 1tsp of crushed anise seed to your 1 pound sausage recipe. I think you will love the results....

[@JeanneHaegele]

Ahhhhh I grew up only a few blocks from Vito and Nick's--although for whatever reason we always called it Nick and Vito's instead. No idea what that's about. This is making me sooooo nostalgic. I'm gonna have to make this this weekend. Thank you!!!

[@bbq4fun789]

Love Vito and Nicks, Love hearing you mention them. Miss the Lemont location. Try to go to the Pulaski location every time back to visit Chi Town

[@nope9439]

Ive made this pizza several times now, exactly according to the recipe, and its EXCELLENT. dead on to what i had growing up in the chicago suburbs

[@r.llynch4124]

Looks legit! We sell pizza and ours is this thin crust but we use Crisco instead of butter for the fat. and put the cheese down first then the sauce similar to NJ pies. It keeps the crust nice and crispy. I leave a little edge though because we cook in a brick oven and do not want the sauce and cheese to get on the deck. We make all the skins for the next day and also cure the skins overnight in the refrig.. This cuts down so much time getting customers' orders out it's crazy. NO Neapolitan cork sniffers allowed..lol

[@RebeccaBalber]

Made it yesterday. Absolutely perfect recipe if you know what real Chicago tavern style pizza is supposed to be. Thanks, Bri!

[@lychenthrope]

i got introduced to lemon pepper + chili flakes on pizza when i was homeless a while back, and its changed my whole life. its so fucking good. really improves a basic frozen pizza and can make homemade ones even better.