Chicago Tavern Thin Crust (On-Demand, 60 Minutes)

Master the crispy, square-cut Midwest classic — start anytime, bake tonight

Chicago isn’t just deep dish. The pizza locals actually eat every week is Tavern-Style Thin Crust — ultra-thin, shatter-crisp, edge-to-edge toppings, and cut into party squares.
In this detailed Virtual Pizza Academy on-demand class, you’ll learn the authentic techniques pizzerias use to produce a rigid, crunchy crust that still has flavor and structure — not a cracker, not a floppy NY slice… the perfect in-between.

This is a precision pizza. And once you understand the method, it becomes one of the most repeatable styles you can make at home.

What You’ll Learn

• The real Chicago tavern dough formula (low hydration, high flavor)

• How to develop gluten without chewiness

• The secret to a crisp bite that doesn’t dry out

• Dough ball sizing and scaling for any oven

• Sheeting vs rolling — and why it matters

• Sauce application for full coverage without sogginess

• Cheese distribution for even browning

• How to prevent bubbles and blistering

• Proper bake temperature and timing

• The iconic square-cut technique (and why triangles are wrong here)

Included With The Class

• Full start-to-finish instructional video

• Printable recipe handbook

• Fermentation schedule options (same-day and next-day)

• Home oven optimization guide

• Commercial deck oven notes

• Troubleshooting guide: pale crust, dry crust, soft center, burning cheese

• The Chicago Tavern Dough Calculator — instantly scale dough balls and batches with accurate hydration and yeast percentages

Skill Level

Beginner friendly — but detailed enough for serious pizza makers and pizzeria operators.

What Makes This Different

Most thin crust recipes produce either:

• a cracker

• or a floppy NY-style pie

This class teaches the controlled gluten development and baking approach that creates a rigid yet tender crust with a clean snap — the hallmark of authentic Chicago tavern pizza.

Bake When You Want

On-demand means:

• Watch anytime

• Pause & rewind

• Bake along at your pace

• Revisit forever

If you love crispy pizza — this will likely become your weekly go-to style.

Learn the pizza Chicago actually eats.