ARGH how do you get chewy pizza crust??

[herbalwriter]

mine always ends up puffy, like bread. It's good, but I don't want focaccia; I want pizza! :/ I want it chewy!!!
:hissyfit
Is there a secret I am missing here??

[hbmamma]

Are you working the dough long enough? You need to really work the dough to create the gluten - that's the chewy stuff ;)

An easy way to tell if you're getting it there is to test a small piece: pull/stretch it out tight (like you're making a mini pizza) - stretching it out to create a "window pane" - it should stretch thin without ripping. If it rips, then you need to keep kneading it till you get that "window pane"

HTH

eta: also try using a higher protein bread flour - much chewier than AP flour

[Blue Savannah]

American Pie (http://www.amazon.com/American-Pie-Search-Perfect-Pizza/dp/1580084222/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-2269366-5307614?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186793065&sr=8-1) is IMHO the ultimate pizza cookbook. Every pizza I've made from this book is fantastic, and his crust instructions are very detailed. :rockon

[herbalwriter]

See, this time I bet the problem was that it wasn't worked long enough. I am sure that's the problem this time b/c it wa so bread like. But I have gotten it to the point in the past where it was so elastic you could hardly roll it out without it springing back, and it still didn't turn out chewy - it was like a thick cracker. :/ I will try the window test next time. I am using a combination of all purpose flour and hand-ground whole wheat.

I will have to look at that cook book! Thanks!

[hbmamma]

Try substituting the AP flour with a harder bread flour - sometimes wheat (not sure on hand ground) doesn't have enough protein to achieve the chewiness :think