Chicago style pizza differs from its cousin, the New York style pizza in a ton of ways – and it’s not just the size of the crust. Many people think that Chicago style pizza has the same type of dough that a NY style pie does, just more of it. They turn their noses at the thought of having to chew through inches of dough just to get to the good stuff. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth as Chicago style pizza features a crust that is closer to a pastry than to typical pizza dough. It’s also not that much thicker than traditional NY pizza of the hand-tossed variety. The differences don’t stop there. How to make Chicago style pizza.

Sometimes you just have to have a pizza but don’t want to pull out the mixer or spend a lot of time on your meal. This recipe was crafted for just this state of mind. Don’t think that your pizza will suffer as a result, in fact this recipe may replace how you make thin crust pizzas in your kitchen. It is a biga based recipe with great texture and taste. How to make thin crust pizza.

My KFC shifts as a lad found me making biscuits every day from the basics: flour, buttermilk, butter, baking powder and salt. Each day I cranked out these goodies and watched as people ate them before eating their chicken. It’s a bit funny how a few side dishes in American fast food culture steer more passion in people than the main courses. Anyway, when we ditched our cramped KFC for a larger facility near an expanded highway, I was shocked to learn that inside the cardboard box sitting in front of me was our new biscuits. How to make biscuits.

You almost never hear, “Oh, it’s ok” when asking someone about their feelings about cornbread. In fact, its quite the opposite. You will hear emphatic phrases that contain words like ‘favorite’, ‘yumm!’ and unfortunately, ‘loathe’. Much like religion and politics, chances are that no matter how strong the argument, you will not be able to sway the subject to your chosen platform. But even as I write this, I am still trying to come up with the magical recipe that sways the nonbelievers. I suppose it’s a fault of mine but one that I can live with. How to make corn sticks.

I can’t think of another event where you can see greater cast-iron pan abuse then the office chili cook-off. At these horrific showings, Jane from accounting usually brings her ‘secret’ family recipe of chili which is a mixture of store-bought seasoning packets and her cubicle mate Donny brings a garnish of cornbread, presented in a brand-new sparkling pan. Chided into sampling a bit of everyone’s cornbread, your only hope is to recall the napkin-over-mouth removal technique you mastered to avoid eating vegetables as a wee little lad. Where is a dog when you need help getting rid of the evidence? How to season cast-iron.

No other bread can steal the thunder from your dinner’s main dish quicker than cornbread. Manners will be quickly forgotten when the cornbread emerges from the oven as forks, spoons and daring fingers pry up the moist bread and smash it into impatient mouths. If you happen to bake dry or tasteless cornbread, it will be permanently ironed into the minds of the disappointed. Even if you happen to star into your own cooking show, your cornbread shortcomings will always result in a tainted evaluation of your baking skills. Unfortunately, more of the latter situation is happening. Learn how to make cornbread.

The idea of ciabatta conjures up a very romantic feeling. I envision bakers who made bread each day in their thatch homes to feed their families and perhaps sell extras in the local market. A bit of the unsalted dough from yesterday’s bread was kept as a biga starter and the pollens from the nearby farms enhanced the dough flavors each day. Cooking on a small stone hearth embedded in their fireplace, the crusts were crispy and the insides delightfully chewy. How to make ciabatta.

Way back when, bakers in Italy used sourdough starters to leaven their breads. These sourdough starters were comprised of a flour and water mixture that was 'fed' each day by adding a bit of flour and water to replenish whatever portion the baker had used to make the day’s bread. Over time, the starter would absorb the wild yeasts that were native to the area and act as a leavening agent while also imparting on the bread a tremendous amount of flavor and texture. Learn how to make biga.