For 12" pizza:
115g full-fat low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
42g Parmesan, processed fine divided
Add flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast to a food processor bowl with a dough blade and mix.
Take a silicone spatula and nudge a trench along the outer edges of the bowl.
Add the oil and water to the trench.
Process until the dough begins to ride the blade, then count to 30 and stop the machine.
If the dough is too dry to ball, squirt 1 teaspoon (4 grams) of water at a time into the bowl until it comes together.
Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
Free the dough from the blade and process for another 40 seconds.
Remove dough and portion into 4 equal balls of about 295 grams each (for 14").
Lightly coat the dough balls with oil and place each into a separate container or dough box with a lid.
Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then place in the fridge for at least 8 hours, but ideally 7-10 days.
Take the dough out of the fridge about 3 to 4 hours before rolling to get it to room temperature.
On a lightly floured surface, use your rolling pin to roll out each dough to 14 inches (35 centimeters).
Dock on both sides with a dough docker or fork.
Place each dough ball on a sheet of parchment paper and put on a flat surface.
Place into the fridge, uncovered, for 24 to 48 hours.
Preheat the oven to 750 °F (400 °C).
Flip a cured dough onto a cornmeal coated pizza peel
Spread pizza sauce to the edges of the dough.
Sprinkle ½ tablespoon (3 grams) of the grated Parmesan over the sauce.
Spread mozzarella evenly to the edges.
Finish with the remaining ½ tablespoon (3 grams) of Parmesan.
Reduce the heat and maintain it at 550 to 600 °F (288 to 315 °C).
Cook the pizza for 7 to 8 minutes, rotating frequently for an even bake.
Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 1 minute.
https://newsletter.wordloaf.org/p/for-the-squares-chicago-tavern-style
https://ooni.com/blogs/recipes/john-carruthers-chicago-tavern-style-pizza
Original
If using a food processor: Add the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast to a food processor bowl fitted with a dough blade. Pulse until combined. Take a silicone spatula or spoon and nudge a trench along the outer edges of the bowl. Add the oil and water to the trench. Process until the dough begins to ride the blade, then count to 30 and stop the machine. If the dough is too dry to ball, squirt 1 teaspoon (4 grams) of water at a time into the bowl until it comes together. In a Midwest climate in an old house, I have to do this all the time (but just a bit) in winter.
Let the dough rest for 20 minutes. Do something fun, including but not limited to listening to Funkadelic and/or PM Dawn for a bit.
Free the dough from the blade and process for another 40 seconds. (If using a stand mixer, knead the dough on a low setting for 1 minute.)
Remove dough and portion into 4 equal balls of about 295 grams each, using a digital scale for accuracy. Lightly coat the dough balls with oil and place each into a separate container or dough box with a lid. [HERE IS WHERE I BEGIN TO ASK TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME. I AM SORRY.]
Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then place in the fridge for at least 8 hours, but ideally 7-10 days.
Tip: Cold dough is hard to roll out. For an easier time, take the dough out of the fridge about 3 to 4 hours before rolling to get it to room temperature.
On a lightly floured surface, use your rolling pin to roll out each dough to 14 inches (35 centimeters). Dock on both sides with a dough docker or fork, and place each dough ball between 2 sheets of non stick parchment paper. Place a sheet on top of the top dough ball and put the stack of 4 dough balls onto a cutting board or any other flat surface. **When I asked John if he really meant the top dough was supposed to be open to the fridge, here’s what he said: “UNCOVERED!
Place into the fridge, uncovered, for 24 to 48 hours. This is called “curing,” and it slowly dries the dough so you can get perfect char and crisp in a fire-cooked dough. Grumble at me for the extra step now, but you’re going to love it.
For the toppings:
Preheat the oven to 750 °F (400 °C). You can check this quickly, accurately and from a safe distance with an infrared thermometer.
Flip a cured dough onto a cornmeal-coated pizza peel (the top of the dough is slightly more dried out than the bottom, so by flipping it, the dried side will be underneath). Spread ¼ of your tavern-style pizza sauce to the edges of the dough.
Sprinkle ½ tablespoon (3 grams) of the grated Parmesan over the sauce. Spread ¼ of the mozzarella evenly to the edges.
Add ¼ of the sausage until evenly distributed across the dough. Spread ¼ of the giardiniera across the pizza between the chunks of sausage. Finish with the remaining ½ tablespoon (3 grams) of Parmesan.
Reduce the heat and maintain it at 550 to 600 °F (288 to 315 °C). Launch the pizza into the oven.
Cook the pizza for 7 to 8 minutes, rotating frequently for an even bake. Use the sausage as the barometer – if it’s not browned, continue to rotate and cook for 60 to 90 seconds.
Remove the pizza from the oven and place on a cooling rack for 1 minute.
Cut into 3 or 4 slices per side, depending on your crowd and their hunger. Repeat the steps for the remaining pizzas.