Awhile back I reported on my having tried the St. Louis-Style Thin Crust Pizza recipe from an issue of Cook's Country
. As I stated on that occasion, I wasn't particularly impressed with the results. I noticed, however, that the same recipe ended up being reprinted in The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2011
. Usually the recipes that end up in ATK's year-end collection are pretty good, so seeing that one there got me wondering if I'd missed something the first time around. So, with that in mind, I tried it again last week.
As was the case the first time I tried this recipe, I was not particularly impressed with the results. The crust was nice and crispy, but not particularly flavorful, while the sauce was both acidic and cloying. Maybe I'd have liked the results better had I access to provel cheese, but I wasn't particularly fond of the suggested substitution (white American cheese and Monterey jack with a bit of liquid smoke).
Although I used to go to St. Louis semi-regularly back during my grad school days, I don't recall ever eating pizza there. My favorite restaurant in St. Louis was, by far, a Jamaican place, and I made sure to eat there whenever I was in town. So, I can't speak to how accurately this particular recipe captures the essence of St. Louis pizza, but not having liked the results either time I've made the recipe, I can say with certainty I won't be making that one again.
I think you need to try it with the provel cheese. It makes the pizza so much better. The only problem is that you can't really find provel anywhere other then in the St. Louis area. The cheese really makes the pizza.
ReplyDeleteI saw the show. The cheese seems unpalatable to me, and the I wouldn't use that sauce for anything (just get a premium brand of ground or crushed tomatoes, like 6-in-1 or Pagliacchi). The crust might be interesting to try, though.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you might benefit from par-baking the crust before you add the toppings and do the final bake.