signature square pizza

What does a square pizza, a grandma pie, Roman pizza al taglio (by the slice), Philadelphia tomato pie, Detroit, and Sicilian style pizza have in common? Answer ! They are all made in a pan, are not thin crust and are mostly rectangular in shape (the slices are somewhat square).

Growing up we only knew apizza. It was of course roundish and not made in a pan. Philly tomato pie, Detroit style and Roman pizza was unheard of, and my family did not make grandma pizza at home. The Sicilian pizza was known as that thick crust pizza that was pretty good, however it was never mainstream in our area. We just wanted apizza. Wow, times have changed. 

                               Basic guidelines for my square pizza

makes one 10 by 14 inch rectangular pizza 

280 grams King Aruthur bread flour (12.7%)

210 grams cool water (75% hydration)

⅛ tsp (.45 grams) Fleischmann’s instant dry yeast

1.5 tsp (7.2 grams) Morton’s coarse kosher salt

1 tbsp (13.3) grams extra virgin olive oil

• Mix flour and salt, then mix in yeast
• Make a well in the flour and add the water, then add the oil to the water and mix everything for about a minute until all the flour is absorbed.
• Cover and rest at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours (depends on the environment)
• Transfer dough to a floured surface, fold the dough a few times and create a semi-dough ball and place the ball into the oiled Lloyds pan (or whatever pan you choose), flatten the dough somewhat, cover and let rest for 1 hour.
• Next, stretch out the dough in the pan with your fingertips to fit evenly. Cover and rest dough for 1 hour ( I use no ridge around the edges, preferring the charing that happens when the cheese and sauce escape)
• Make holes with a fork ( I use two plastic forks) to cut down on bubbles
• Drizzle dough with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes at 500° (my oven is set to 465° with the oven rack set 8-9 inches down from the top of the oven. Know your oven, see “kitchen oven makes an awesome pizza oven” on July 10, 2024)
• Remove pizza from the oven, add sauce, cheese etc. and bake for 10 minutes more (watch it)

I like doing square pizza in two bakes. The dough will develop and firm up with no interference from the sauce and toppings and become crispier and remain that way after the sauce and cheese etc. is added for the 2nd bake. Plus you’re not doing sauce and cheese any favors by keeping it in a 500° oven for 20 minutes. Pizza is best baked hot and fast to ensure a fresh and lively quality. You will be rewarded with an airy crust about ½ inch thick that is soft inside with a nice crunch to it.

For simplicity I will refer to all non-round pies as square pizza. Pizza made in a rectangular pan with more dough than usual and longer baking times. Chicago deep dish is, well, deep dish and requires a post of its own. It seems to me, nowadays, that all manner of square pizza, when made correctly, is awesome and becoming (is) very popular. Consequently most of us at home, I suspect, will eventually develop some type of hybrid square pizza that we enjoy. I have made all the prior mentioned styles at home and have arrived at my go to square pizza when the urge strikes and I just have to have a square.

Pans for pizza can become a complicated subject if you allow it to. Special pans for Detroit, Sicilian, and Roman style are available. Usually grandma pies and Philly tomato pies are made in baking trays. Actually any square pizza can be made in a baking tray without much trouble. Over a period of many years I have evolved to using Lloyds Sicilian style pizza pans.The pre-seasoned variety. I suppose that I am not 100% sold on them, however they have been in use for many years and I have encountered no problems.They do a good job. I chose the Sicilian pan because the height of the sides is somewhat universal and can accommodate any style of square pizza. One size fits all. The pans are seldom washed and never with soap. I just wipe them out with a paper towel after they cool down. They are rated to 750° and can accept metal utensils. However, I use sturdy non-metal tools only. I suppose I don’t trust metal tools on anything with a finish to it.

Grandma pizza is often called upside down pizza because the sauce goes on last as with Detroit style and many Sicilian styles. I have never warmed up to the sauce being on top of everthing. As you can see the hybrid square is beginning to take shape. Also, the Sicilian style crust, delicious as it is, can be too soft and thick at times and I crave for a thinner crisper square.. Roman pizza al taglio has the lightest, airiest dough of the bunch and there is no topping in the world that is off limits to this style. In Rome there are pizzerias with 15 to 20 different pizzas on display at all times. However, as compared to the other square styles, it requires some specialized techniques and equipment that when all was said and done I found the results not quite worth the effort. Easier methods worked and tasted just as good. I guess Romans might diagree.

I always learned that the less one handles the dough the better. New York style seems to need more work to develop the dough to produce those big sturdy slices they’re famous for, being the exception. When I make focaccia bread or any type of pizza that will eventually wind up in a pan I will use a semi no-knead technique (see guidelines above). Hands off. Time is your best friend.

When the pie is done I take it out of the pan with the help of a sturdy non-metal spatula  and onto a cooling rack.  Next I slide the pizzas off the cooling rack onto a cutting board and with a pizza cutter make 8 slices. I then slide the pizza (in mass) off the cutting board back onto the cooling rack. You can easily just remove the pie from the pan right to the cutting board. However I rather have the air circulating under the crust as quickly as possible to ensure a crisp bottom. If you have designated baking trays, that you don’t mind getting beat up, you can just cut them right in the baking tray using a sharp blade and a wide food grade putty knife. 

Good luck making your signature square pizza and  thank you for taking the time to read this post

better pizzamaking

Jimmy

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