with Traditional Crust

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Alfredo Pizza

Add your own toppings to this versatile crust to create a signature pizza unique to you and your family.

Building the

6 PIZZA CRUST BASICS

The Right Flour Flour plays a large role in the finished crust. All-purpose flour creates a soft crust while high protein bread flour produces a crispier exterior with a chewy interior.

Lean vs. Rich Lean dough has little to no oil and makes a chewy crust. Rich dough has some oil, which contributes flavor, but also makes the crust fragile and crumbly.

Properly Knead You want to mix the ingredients thoroughly, but if you overknead the dough, the crust will lose its light airiness and become more breadlike.

Cool It Chill the dough to slow the fermentation process, which develops the flavor and lets the yeast break down the flour. But let the dough return to room temperature before shaping it.

Stretch by Hand To make a crust, stretch it by hand to work the gluten for crunch and chewiness. You aren’t simply flattening the dough, which is what a rolling pin would do.

High Temps A hot oven —550°F—causes the air and vapor bubbles in the dough to rapidly expand early in baking for airy dough. High heat also creates a crisp exterior and soft interior.

types of crust

From thin to thick, there’s a pizza crust for everyone.

THIN CRUST

This type of crust is often judged on its “flop” factor. Varieties include New Haven, St. Louis, Neapolitan and New York.

THICK CRUST

This sturdy base allows for lots of cheese and toppings. Varieties include Chicago deep-dish, Detroit/Sicilian, double-dough/stuffed and flatbread/focaccia.

CUSTOM CRUST

These crusts often use almost anything except flour and yeast as the main ingredients. Varieties include gluten-free, vegan and veggie, like cauliflower.

Pepperoni Pizza

Detroit-Style

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HOW-TO

TOPPINGS

you’ve PERFECTED THE CRUST, now find the right combination of TOPPINGS TO Avoid making it soggy.

Moisture When selecting your toppings, pay attention to how “wet” each ingredient is. Avoid using too many options with high moisture content. Balance The perfect combo of toppings is a matter of taste—and balance. Wet tomatoes pair well with a dry ingredient like fresh herbs. Assortment Keep your pizza from being overloaded and create a pleasing blend of flavors, textures and colors by choosing 3 toppings. Moderation The “less is more” adage works to keep your crust from becoming soggy during baking. Apply it to topping, cheese and sauce application.

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BRUSH-ONS

FLAVOR

Traditional crust makes the perfect base for Brushing on flavors that fit your toppings.

Garlic Butter Combine 3 Tbsp. melted Hy-Vee salted butter and 1 Tbsp. minced garlic.

Honey Ginger Combine 3 Tbsp. honey, 2 Tbsp. minced ginger and 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves.

Italian Combine 3 Tbsp. flavored oil, 2 Tbsp. shredded parmesan, 1 Tbsp. parsley and 1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes.

Keep crust firm throughout with a Wilton Recipe Right Nonstick 14-in Pizza Crisper from Hy-Vee.

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Hy-Vee has everything you need to build the perfect pie without leaving the comfort of your own home.

Italian Sausage Pizza

Chicago-Style

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Freeze dough ball up to 1 month by covering in plastic wrap and placing in a resealable plastic freezer bag. To use, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Let rise in a greased bowl before rolling.

HOW-TO

CHEESE

When choosing a cheese, look for meltability and stretchability.

Provolone This slightly soft cheese has a mild flavor that is most reminiscent of pizzeria-style pizza.

Cheddar The sharp, nutty flavor is familiar and the cheese stays soft and pliable even as it cools.

Pepper Jack Similar in flavor to cheddar but with a bit of heat, it works well on thick crust pizza.

Muenster Milder than cheddar but stronger in flavor than the traditional mozzarella, it offers a bit of tang.

Available at Hy-Vee, a Wilton Recipe Right Nonstick Springform Pan allows the depth needed for deep dish pizza.

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Partially bake the crust before adding the toppings and finish baking for a gluten-free crust sturdy enough to support the toppings.

Blue Cheese & Pear Pizza

Gluten-Free

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HOW-TO

GLUTEN-FREE CRUST

It’s more like a batter than a dough. here’s how to perfect the technique.

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients and stir in the mozzarella cheese.

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Bake gluten-free crust evenly with Wilton Recipe Right Nonstick 12-in. Pizza Pan from Hy-Vee.

2. Combine wet ingredients and garlic. Then, add it to the dry cheese mixture and stir to a thick batter.

3. Pour the batter into two 12-in. round pans that have been prepared with nonstick spray.

4. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fontina cheese. Add toppings and finish baking.

Small pepperoni cups as it cooks, making the edges extra crispy. Use two sizes of pepperoni to ensure every bite is meaty.

It’s easy as pie to turn your kitchen into a pizzeria with these make-at-home crust recipes. Experiment with toppings to find your ideal combo.

It all starts with the crust, which supports the cheese and toppings. Everyone’s definition of the perfect crust is different, but it comes down to flavor and texture. Some like a sweeter crust that has sugar, like the New York-style, which can be floppy. Others like the almost cracker like texture that defines St. Louis-style. Using a knife and fork is up to you.