Chicago Thin Crust Pizza with J. Kenji López-Alt

NOTE: iphone and ipad users, CLICK HERE to register for class.

What’s on the Menu:

• Kenji’s Thin-Crust Pizza Dough
• Chicago-Style Tomato Sauce
• Thin-Crust Pizza with Sausage and Giardiniera

This class is part of our summer pizza series. Use code PIZZAPARTY for 10% off your ticket to this class, plus Peter Reinhart’s Deep Dish Class on June 20 (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/882052722437?) and Ali Stafford's class on August 1 (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/917898879257?).

When you think of Chicago-style pizza, you probably think of iconic deep dish, with its many layers and rich, pastry-like crust. But there’s another style of pizza native to the Windy City that you might not be familiar with. Originating in the taverns of Chicago South Side and now popular at restaurants across the Midwest, super thin-crust pizza deserves your attention. Don’t believe us? Trust J. Kenji López-Alt, who’s been applying his detailed and science-based approach to food to pizza variations across the country. In this livestream cooking class, he’ll distill what he’s learned into essential lessons that will transform your approach to pizza at home. We’ll review the science of hydration in the context of baking and explain why a thin crust dough’s hydration level changes dramatically from the beginning of the process to the end. You’ll learn what it means to cure dough and why curing is transformative when it comes to a crust’s crispness and browning. He’ll explain why a bit of fat—whether it’s lard, vegetable oil or olive oil—is essential to successful thin-crust pizzas. You’ll learn how a Chicago tomato sauce is different from Neapolitan and New York sauces. And Kenji will prove that it’s worth it to start your pizza dough four—or even five—days ahead of time for optimal results. Join Kenji and the Milk Street Cooking School for a class that will change the way you make and appreciate pizza forever.

About Kenji: J. Kenji López-Alt is the author of several cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning and bestselling cookbooks “The Food Lab” and “The Wok,” and the bestselling children’s book Every Night is Pizza Night. He is the host of a YouTube channel where he posts cooking videos and other food-related content. He is a New York Times food columnist and the Chief Culinary Advisor for Serious Eats. Additionally, he is the the former chef and founding partner at Wursthall in San Mateo, a German-inspired California beer hall and restaurant. He is a huge fan and partner at Backhaus, a San Mateo bakery specializing in naturally-leavened sourdough, pretzels and European-style pastries. He lives in Seattle with his wife Adriana, their children Alicia and Koji and dog Jamón.

Want to give this class as a gift? You can purchase gift cards here.

If you have any questions about this class, please don't hesitate to get in touch via cookingschool@177milkstreet.com.

This event has limited spots and you must register in advance via Eventbrite in order to attend. One sign-up covers one device. Payments for Milk Street livestream events are non-refundable. If you find yourself unable to attend, you may transfer the ticket to someone else, but we are unable to refund fees and all payments are final.

Closed Captioning is available for all Milk Street virtual events.

Immediately after registering, you will get a confirmation email that contains the Zoom meeting log-in information. One week prior to the class (or within 48 hours, if you register less than one week in advance), you will receive instructions on how to prepare ingredients and equipment in order to cook along, if you choose.

After class, you will receive a recording of the event, as links to any additional recipes and resources that may come up. NOTE:The recording link is only available online for one month following each event. If you’d like to have access to the recording for longer than that, you'll need to save the recording locally by clicking on “download” on the top right corner of the recording page.

Proceeds from livestream cooking classes and workshops support Milk Street's non-profit work with The Big Sisters Association of Great Boston, The Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester, FoodCorps and other partners.

Bonus: All attendees of this class will receive a one-time 20% off coupon to the Milk Street Store after class.