# Bar-Style aka Thin Crust Pizza Cooked on Big Green Egg



## thirdeye (Oct 13, 2021)

You know what they say about bar-style pies...... There is more room for beer when there is less dough on board. 
	

		
			
		

		
	







Mrs ~t~ blind bakes our pizza crust for the freezer and we pressure can our own sauce, so a pizza is never too far away.   Sometimes we'll add some homemade pesto to the sauce. The crust is crispy and chewy and the toppings get pretty close to the edge.



















This is typical of the toppings, not super heavy since the crust is thin.







The cooking method for all of my pizza is using my Big Green Egg with plate setter (heat shield) and a 425° to 450° pit temp with B&B lump charcoal. The pizza sits directly on the grate and takes roughly 12 minutes for a regular finish, or about 16 minutes for a well done pie.  I don't add any flavor wood or pellets, I'm just going for the 'brick oven' flavor on the cheese and sauce.







Here is a regular finish on this 1st pepperoni, and it's followed by a well done finish on the pepperoni & red pepper.












This gives you an idea of how thin the crust is







This sausage and onion pizza with the square cut pieces is like they serve in taverns in St Louis.







And here is a pepperoni and sausage that's a hair lighter on the pepperoni than those first two.


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## SmokinEdge (Oct 13, 2021)

I would destroy one of those pies. Thin crust is my all time favorite. Super job.


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## indaswamp (Oct 13, 2021)

Ditto! I love a thin crust pizza! Well done Thirdeye! Like!


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## pc farmer (Oct 13, 2021)

Looks great.  Info on the homemade crust?


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## GATOR240 (Oct 13, 2021)

Thin crust all the way for me!  Looks excellent!


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## jcam222 (Oct 13, 2021)

Looks great! Less crust equals more toppings in the belly haha


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## thirdeye (Oct 13, 2021)

pc farmer said:


> Looks great.  Info on the homemade crust?


You can make several crusts, then store in the freezer in a zipper bag.   You can build a pizza and go right on your grill or oven, or build one and hold in the freezer until ready to bake. 





I put this video together last year but you need to use the pause button to read the panels of instructions.  I didn't allow enough delay time.


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## sawhorseray (Oct 13, 2021)

Some really nice work there, Like, even tho I'm a thick crust aficionado. Love the finish on the well done. RAY


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## civilsmoker (Oct 13, 2021)

Dang man that looks perfect!


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## BB-que (Oct 13, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> You know what they say about bar-style pies...... There is more room for beer when there is less dough on board.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Looks fantastic - just to be sure the yeast is instant yeast?


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## bauchjw (Oct 13, 2021)

Wow! They look amazing! I think BBQ pizza definitely deserves It’s own  forum here with as many strong opinions on thick verse thin, etc. as foil verse paper or no wrap!  I grew up eating “bar style” pizza as the norm in my town, but my mom was from Chicago …so, I’m a man with no crust to call home. Let’s me enjoy them all though and yours are perfect for a few cold beers! Thank you for sharing!


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## Brokenhandle (Oct 13, 2021)

They all look awesome! I  like all different types of pizza but the thin crust is really good! We started par baking then freezing crusts also... really like the way they turn out. Care to share your sauce recipe?

Ryan


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## chef jimmyj (Oct 13, 2021)

Have yet to meet a style of pizza I didn't like. Your's look great. Growing up in NJ, Hand Tossed NY Style is the most common. A Thick Sicilian Style is usually available as well.  I've not had Thin Crust outside of the Pizza Hut chain. Walmart has been carrying a Detroit Style Frozen pizza that is very good...JJ


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## Steve H (Oct 14, 2021)

Great pizzas and a really nice video. Thanks!


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## SmokinVOLfan (Oct 14, 2021)

Damn man those pies look top notch!


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## Bearcarver (Oct 14, 2021)

Pizza Looks Great, 3rd !!
Nice Job!
Like.

Bear


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## DRKsmoking (Oct 14, 2021)

Great looking finish on your pies, and i'd sit down to all of those, but the sausage and onion caught my eye :)

I like all pizza styles ( sorry not sea food )
but I am also in the hand tossed thicker crust group.

But will eat all kinds, I have even used the store made crust for on the BBQ
add your own toppings. And they turn out good also

David


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## tx smoker (Oct 14, 2021)

Some great looking pizzas right there!! Beautiful work. Looks like you have those things down to a science.

Robert


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## PulledPorkSandwich (Oct 14, 2021)

Like!

We've been doing pizzas for many years.  The recipe traces back to my mom, who patterned her recipe after the thin-crust pies in the Chicagoland area.  My wife has tweaked the crust and sauce recipes since.

Question:  I see you use yeast in the crust recipe, but I didn't see where you let the dough rise.  Did I miss that?  My mom used yeast and she didn't set the aside to rise before she cooked the pie.  My wife just deletes the yeast from the recipe to get a paper-thin but crunchy crust.


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## SmokinAl (Oct 14, 2021)

Those are some good looking pizzas!
I don’t eat pizza often, but when I do I like to really cover it with pepperoni.





Al


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## thirdeye (Oct 14, 2021)

Thanks for all the kind words.  Having a couple of crusts in the freezer is a real shortcut for making a quick pizza.  Depending on prep time for toppings you can have a pizza going into the oven in less than a half hour. 



BB-que said:


> Looks fantastic - just to be sure the yeast is instant yeast?


Yes.  The brand is 'saf-instant'  and the package is red and white with a cartoon baker at work.  



Brokenhandle said:


> They all look awesome! I  like all different types of pizza but the thin crust is really good! We started par baking then freezing crusts also... really like the way they turn out.* Care to share your sauce recipe?*
> 
> Ryan


Sure, here is the one I use. 

*Pizza Sauce*
Inspired from Healthy Canning Article using the tomato passata option and not fresh tomatoes, and using 1/2 pint wide mouth jars.

*This yielded six 1/2 pint jars
Ingredients*
2 - 24oz. bottles of tomato passata (2 x 700 ml bottles)
84 ml (grams) lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons roasted garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian Herb Seasoning

*Instructions*
In a large pot, bring passata to a boil in a large pot, Add ingredients, reduce to a simmer and reduce (uncovered) until the sauce has the consistency of ketchup, about 12 to 15 minutes stirring frequently.

Remove pot from stove, allow sauce to cool 5 minutes, then ladle sauce into heated jars, leaving 1/2" of head space. De-bubble, adjust head space, clean rims + thread area + inside area, add lids & rims.

*Water Bath Canner*:  Process jars for 35 minutes; *increase time as needed for your altitude.

NOTE*: There are also recipes for using a  *Pressure Canner *for tomato sauces if you* do not* want to add lemon juice to make sure the acid level is in the correct range.  Some claim that without lemon juice, a tomato sauce is a little more robust.  The processing times for the the recipes I reviewed were in the 25 minute range, adjusted for altitude.   So, at my altitude I could add lemon juice and use the water bath method with a 45 minute processing time.   Or use my pressure canner, and omit the lemon juice and process for 25 minutes.




PulledPorkSandwich said:


> Like!
> 
> We've been doing pizzas for many years.  The recipe traces back to my mom, who patterned her recipe after the thin-crust pies in the Chicagoland area.  My wife has tweaked the crust and sauce recipes since.
> 
> Question:  I see you use yeast in the crust recipe, but I didn't see where you let the dough rise.  Did I miss that?  My mom used yeast and she didn't set the aside to rise before she cooked the pie.  My wife just deletes the yeast from the recipe to get a paper-thin but crunchy crust.


The only rise time is the 5 minutes the dough is covered before rolling out. Maybe our altitude has something to do with it, but longer rise times (like 15 minutes) make the crust tougher, and not as crispy.  We have not tried omitting the yeast.


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## Brokenhandle (Oct 14, 2021)

Thank you! Have to give it a try!

Ryan


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## fxsales1959 (Oct 14, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> You know what they say about bar-style pies...... There is more room for beer when there is less dough on board.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


do you par bake crust?  how do you get goopy crust off peel to grate?


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## fxsales1959 (Oct 14, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> You can make several crusts, then store in the freezer in a zipper bag.   You can build a pizza and go right on your grill or oven, or build one and hold in the freezer until ready to bake.
> View attachment 513377
> 
> I put this video together last year but you need to use the pause button to read the panels of instructions.  I didn't allow enough delay time.



thanks for the vid. answered my questions. e do oven pie on a stone all the time.


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## thirdeye (Oct 14, 2021)

fxsales1959 said:


> thanks for the vid. answered my questions. e do oven pie on a stone all the time.


And with the blind baked crust you can cook right on the oven rack unless you really add a lot of toppings, then the stone might slow down the cook a little so the toppings get more melty.


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## fxsales1959 (Oct 16, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> You know what they say about bar-style pies...... There is more room for beer when there is less dough on board.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


hate to re-open this. but, do you have any idea where you got the "dough disc? I want to try par baked crusts and that looks ideal for rolling your own.


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## JLeonard (Oct 16, 2021)

Great looking pies. When I eat pizza I love a thin crust. The crust is a just a transport medium for the good stuff.
Jim


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## chopsaw (Oct 16, 2021)

Those look great . I always have fresh dough in the fridge , but have wondered about making ahead and freezing . 



thirdeye said:


> square cut pieces is like they serve in taverns in St Louis.


A lot of good pizza places in St. Louis .  Tj's pizza is sold as a frozen product to some Taverns that don't have kitchens . Stocks the pizzas and provides a masonry lined electric pizza oven to cook them . They're pretty good . He also does  school and sports fund raising with the frozen pizza . 
I like the thin crust and the square cut . Some of the store front pizza places make them on a sheet pan . That's the way I like it myself .


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## thirdeye (Oct 16, 2021)

chopsaw said:


> Those look great . I always have fresh dough in the fridge , but have wondered about making ahead and freezing .
> 
> 
> A lot of good pizza places in St. Louis .  Tj's pizza is sold as a frozen product to some Taverns that don't have kitchens . Stocks the pizzas and provides a masonry lined electric pizza oven to cook them . They're pretty good . He also does  school and sports fund raising with the frozen pizza .
> I like the thin crust and the square cut . Some of the store front pizza places make them on a sheet pan . That's the way I like it myself .



When I was a little boy Tombstone pizza did about the same thing, stocking bars with frozen pizza and supplied a chrome pizza oven to cook them in.  A neighborhood bar near my Grandparent's house had specials on Friday night to carry frozen pizzas home and cook them.  It was great when my Granny had a house full of kids.


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## thirdeye (Oct 16, 2021)

fxsales1959 said:


> hate to re-open this. but, do you have any idea where you got the "dough disc? I want to try par baked crusts and that looks ideal for rolling your own.


I would bet it came from Amazon, and they make several sizes.  The circle pattern really helps.  Search for 'silicone pastry mat'.  Some silicone mats are made for baking, and others are made for working with dough.


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## chopsaw (Oct 16, 2021)

Those ovens went a long way to the end result in my opinion . One of the guys I deer hunted with hung out with Tom from Tj's pizza . He gave him an oven to bring to deer camp . That thing did a great job .


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## chopsaw (Oct 16, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> . Some silicone mats are made for baking, and others are made for working with dough.


Yup . Mine was a gift last Christmas from my Daughter . She said it came from Amazon . This one holds onto the counter and holds onto the dough .  No sliding around and keeps the dough from springing back . really works good .


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## thirdeye (Oct 16, 2021)

chopsaw said:


> Those ovens went a long way to the end result in my opinion . One of the guys I deer hunted with hung out with Tom from Tj's pizza . He gave him an oven to bring to deer camp . That thing did a great job .


Slightly off topic, but in the Kutas book there is a section toward the back titled "How I started making sausage" (which reads like a novel), but at one point he talks about him and a partner selling "beer sausage" to bars in Las Vegas, and selling them a 'steam cooker' at cost so they could cook and sell links to patrons.


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## chopsaw (Oct 16, 2021)

I remember browsing through that . Found it interesting . I'll have to revisit that .


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## fxsales1959 (Oct 16, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> I would bet it came from Amazon, and they make several sizes.  The circle pattern really helps.  Search for 'silicone pastry mat'.  Some silicone mats are made for baking, and others are made for working with dough.


pastry mat...   ding ding ding


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## fxsales1959 (Nov 12, 2021)

thirdeye said:


> You know what they say about bar-style pies...... There is more room for beer when there is less dough on board.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This inspired me. Since I sold my bar/pizza joint over 20 years ago I've always been a make-your-own pizza person.
I in no way profess to be a baker ( too much precision and wimmens do it better.  I've even lowered myself to buyin the pre-made dough balls at Publix. I make my own sauce when there's a deal on authentic san Marzanos. I also buy a chunk of sandwich pepperoni and grind it in the processor like Pizza King in Indiana did. This worked out pretty good and we enjoyed it. I might experiment and try and increase batch a little to yeild a 14-ish pie. I think I squished all the air out rolling to 12".  Still all in all it was real good.  Might have to set up an assembly line to make a few ahead
thank you for the motivation.
john.


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