Gino's East Pizza Crust

[spinnybobo]

Your welcome:-)

dont forget about the yellow food coloring.

[love_doc]

Hi, I've never worked at a Gino's, but I was a restaurant manager for 8 years and am pretty good at determining prep methods for dishes. I've made my own pizza crusts for years, and was very impressed with the taste, consistency and pleasing look of the Gino's product. I rushed right home to try to recreate it, and while I do not have access to their actual recipe, I've got the taste and look down pretty good. I don't think turmeric is involved at all. I just use a standard pizza crust recipe, splitting the flour equally between regular and bread flour. I also add about 3 TB of corn meal. I believe the golden color comes from either spraying or brushing olive oil on the crust prior to baking. I've been to Gino's again after trying this, and I believe that's all it is, a combination of corn meal and olive oil. Try it yourself and see what you think. My family says my crust is actually better than Gino's!
Enjoy!

[gonefishin]

Thanks again spinnybobo


I just got done eating your Gino's East pizza crust...and it was delicious!

Among all the cheese and sauce I also stuffed it with some Italian sausage/ground beef balls, roasted tomatoes, garlic and zucchini.

It really turned out great...thank you

dan

[foodblogger]

I just made Gino's again last night. I thought I would check on the status of this thread. I see that someone has added cream of tartar to the recipe. I haven't tried making it this way but I will have to try it. I am not sure what that would add to the dough but it might be interesting. That particular poster also recommended using a lot of oil to make the dough. I have been adding a little more oil to the crust lately and I like the way it changes the consistency. I have been using more like 1/4 cup corn oil per cup water.

I don't know about all of the satellite Gino's restaraunts, but the one that was on Superior Street right by Northwestern in Chicago (before it moved over to Rush street) DID use cornmeal in the crust. There wasn't a lot of cornmeal in it but there WAS SOME. They may have changed in recent years but I like the way it tasted when it was on Superior street. I don't know if you have eaten Uno's at any of the various satellite locations across the country, but the satellite pizza doesn't taste anything like the pizzas served in downtown Chicago. I suspect that Gino's may be doing something similar at its satellites.

Also brushing olive oil on the crust will not give the crust a through and through yellow color like you get at Gino's. As I discussed in my blog, I tried to duplicate that color for about 10 years until I finally figured out that they were adding yellow food coloring to the dough. That was the biggest DUH moment I have had in the kitchen. Anyway if there is still interest here are links to the recipes as I posted them on my blog a year ago:

Gino's Link1

and

Gino's Link2

[Z~BESTUS]

SODDARO:
Good Evening. I would like to just say my friend that you are correct in your assumtion of the cornmeal in Mr. Gino's pizza dough recipe. The reason why it isn't grainy like others have expiercing in doing the recipe is because Mr. Gino uses Quacker Oats brand of Corn meal. To avoid the grainniness he grinds the cornmeal very very very extra fine in a coffee grinder. He then sifts it. Another secret is the order he mixes the ingredients. Oh yes my friend he uses butter & olive-oil for the fat ingredient. I hope this information helps you & provides you with some insight to continue experimenting till you succeed in getting the pie concoction that satisfys you. Good luck in your quest & enjoy the balance of the week-end what is left of it.
~Z~BESTUS

[toota]

thankxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[bearfootie]

Hi, I'm new to this site. Ginos has always ranked third as my favorite pizza crust although similar to the above two in some ways. Any body have any info on Lous or Unos/Duos old recipe? ( Unos, who by the way has changed their recipe at the Chi location and now tastes more like their less than palatable satelite locations) There is also a pizza restaurant called Georgios in Crystal lake and one I beleive in Lake in the Hills that has the same pizza maybe slightly better than Lous. It says on an article on their wall that he used to work for either Lous or Unos, can't remember which. Pizza has a little stronger/richer yeast flavor maybe? Anyway anyone know their secrets? Recently moved to Montana and am going thru severe withdrawl, although you can get "Lou to Go" overnight but the shipping is $26.00! Then $10.00 for each pizza ordered in addition. Montana being 50th in the state for low income, can't see me ordering to many! Help! ( P.S. Definitely going to try the Gino's recipe, Spinny! Thanks!) Need to move back to Chi area and marry a pizza lover!

how about for the dough a combo of AP,Semolina and bread flours and a pinch of egg shade for the color...it could be very subtle and not really effect the flavor at all. My doughs are on the wet side and I make them two days ahead of time and leave them in the fridge heavily dusted with flour. I cater Pizza parties in people's houses . I bring along about 10 small boulles along with about twenty ingredients and let the customers build their own indiviidual pies....I also use semolina flour on the peel because it won't burn like corn meal.

[gonefishin]

Hi bearfootie,

here's a thread, at pizzamaking.com, that talks about "lou's" recipe. It also has some people talking about PAPA GEORGIO’S pizza too.

This is the Lou Malnati's Pizzeria recipe from FoodNetwork. Given to them by Marc Malnati.

Keep in mind...I haven't tried either of the above recipes. But I'd love to hear how they turn out

dan

[epicous]

Originally Posted by foodblogger

Gino's Link2

foodblogger:
In the recipe it is written "If the dough is sticky add a little more flour."
It must say 'water' instead?

[foodblogger]

Originally Posted by Z~BESTUS

SODDARO:
Good Evening. I would like to just say my friend that you are correct in your assumtion of the cornmeal in Mr. Gino's pizza dough recipe. The reason why it isn't grainy like others have expiercing in doing the recipe is because Mr. Gino uses Quacker Oats brand of Corn meal. To avoid the grainniness he grinds the cornmeal very very very extra fine in a coffee grinder. He then sifts it. Another secret is the order he mixes the ingredients. Oh yes my friend he uses butter & olive-oil for the fat ingredient. I hope this information helps you & provides you with some insight to continue experimenting till you succeed in getting the pie concoction that satisfys you. Good luck in your quest & enjoy the balance of the week-end what is left of it.
~Z~BESTUS

That is BS. That misconception comes from a recipe that I posted on the topsecretrecipes.com forum in the mid 1990's. I was on the wrong track then. Thankfully topsecretrecipes no longer displays that recipe, but if you do a google search for Gino's East Pizza Recipe the top site that comes up has a chopped down version of my recipe taken word for word from that recipe. They chopped it up so much that it no longer makes sense.

I am beginning to question whether or not there is cornmeal in the crust any more. I am the same foodblogger on pizzamaking.com, and in the thread on that site a lot of people swear that there is no cornmeal in the crust. I personally can't say anymore. The last time I ate at Gino's was in 2001. Many people think that they have changed their recipe.

[foodblogger]

Originally Posted by epicous

foodblogger:
In the recipe it is written "If the dough is sticky add a little more flour."
It must say 'water' instead?

Actually the way it is written is correct. If your dough feels very sticky it probably needs just a touch more flour.

[radtek]

I'm thinking that corn oil isn't all that neutral and may contribute to the subtle "corny" flavor of the crust.

I'm really a NY thin crust kinda guy, but the appeal of the thick hearty meat-pie aspect of Chicago-style has me experimenting with great results.

Now I'm a 50-50 depending on mood, finances and time.

BTW, Gino's has a tremendous rep as the best Chicago pizza throughout the USA.

[Jolly Roger]

The last restaurant I was chef at, we had a wood fired oven and offered the wood fired pizza experience. I got playful with our dough recipe and came up with a one part semolina to three parts cake flour combination. So one day I took some of the 10 ounce portioned dough, greased a few rectangular baking pans and let the dough proof in the pan. I then gave a quick docking and sauce and cheesed it and baked in the deck oven in the back kitchen at 400 degrees for about twenty minutes. It came out beautiful. It was airy, crispy and the lard I used gave it a nice golden brown crust on the bottom. Here's the dough recipe. Sorry I didn't have time to break it down to a smaller batch:
3 lbs. semolina
9 lbs. cake flour
7 lbs. h2o
6 oz. yeast
1 cup honey
6 oz. salt
1 cup olive oil

[BDN]

I worked for Ginos for 9 years. There is no corn meal. What makes the crust yellow is Yellow Dye # 3. The ingredient that make the dough lite and airy is a Dough conditioner that you would you as if you were frying beer batter chicken. They only use pure olive oil in the bottom of the pan. Theis is why the crust comes out so crunchy. The dough is only made in the morning , not made 2 days in advance.