16h
- Whisk 60g bread flour, 60g room-temperature water, and a 0.1g IDY in a container until smooth.
- Cover loosely and ferment at room temperature for 12 to 16 hours until bubbly and slightly domed.
Chicago Pan (Milly's)
Deep pan pizza with 25% poolish, black pepper crust & vertical frico wall
A modern evolution of Chicago pan pizza formulated by Robert Maleski (Milly's Pizza in a Pan). Combines deep dish structure with Detroit-style caramelized frico cheese walls, featuring a 65% hydration dough enriched with a 25% poolish preferment, whole wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and coarsely cracked black pepper, baked in deep Lloyd pans.
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2
Dough per pizza--
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Dough Ingredients
Open in Dough Lab| Ingredient | Ratio | Per Ball | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread Flour | 92.5% | ||
| Whole Wheat Flour | 7.5% | ||
| Water | 65.0% | ||
| Fine Sea Salt | 2.2% | ||
| Olive Oil | 2.5% | ||
| Honey | 2.5% | ||
| Coarse Black Pepper | 0.50% | ||
| IDY | 0.33% | ||
| Total |
Toppings
| Topping | g/sq in | Level | Per Pizza |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uncooked Tomato Magic Sauce | 2.65 | ||
| Low-Moisture Mozzarella | 4.60 | ||
| Meats (Pepperoni / Sausage) | 1.60 | ||
| Vegetables & Toppings | 1.30 | ||
| Piped Ricotta & Post-Bake Drizzles | 0.600 |
Topping amounts are per pizza, scaled to your selected pan size.
Home Oven Settings
Temperature485°F
Bake Time18-22 min
SurfacePreheated Baking Stone or Steel on Center Rack
Preheat oven with baking steel/stone at 475°F–500°F for 45–60 mins. Bake pan directly on steel for 18–22 mins until frico wall is dark mahogany. Within 30 seconds of extraction, run a thin offset spatula around perimeter wall to break cheese seal, lift onto wire rack to rest 2–3 mins, slice into wedges.
Phase 1: Preferment Preparation (Day 1)
Poolish, biga, or levain pre-ferment (12–16 hours prior to main mix)
Phase 2: Main Dough & Mixing (Day 2)
Flour blending, preferment breakdown, hydration rest & kneading
2m
- In mixer bowl, combine mature poolish (120g), remaining water (96g), bread flour (162g), whole wheat flour (18g), honey (6g), coarse black pepper (1.2g), and yeast (0.7g IDY).
- Mix on low speed 1-2 minutes until a shaggy mass forms.
- Cover and rest for 45 to 60 minutes.
4m
- Add fine sea salt (5.3g) and olive oil (6g).
- Mix on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes only.
- Do not mix to full windowpane stage; minimal development maintains a tender, biscuit-like crumb.
Phase 3: Fermentation & Temperature
Ambient bulk rise, portioning, cold proof & room temper
4h
- Bulk ferment in a lightly oiled container at 72°F–75°F for 3 to 4 hours until roughly doubled.
- Round into a tight ball, seal in an airtight container, and refrigerate for 36 hours.
3h
- Coat the interior base and walls of a 12" Lloyd PSTK pan with 15g-20g olive oil.
- Press cold dough outward to corners.
- Cover and proof at room temperature for 2.5 to 3 hours until puffy and fully relaxed.
Phase 4: Shaping & Assembly
Bench dredge, hand stretch or pan press & topping layering
- Stand 1/4-inch thick slices of cold mozzarella vertically around the entire circumference against the pan wall.
- Tile bottom with remaining cheese slices.
- Ladle raw Tomato Magic sauce over the cheese base (leaving a 1/2-inch reveal at the wall) and distribute pre-bake toppings.
Phase 5: Oven Launch & Finishing
High-heat baking surface, broiler assist, de-pan & wire rack rest
22m
- Bake pan directly on preheated baking steel/stone at 475°F–500°F for 18 to 22 minutes until cheese wall is dark mahogany.
- Within 30 seconds of removal, run a thin offset spatula around perimeter wall to vent steam, lift onto a wire rack, rest 2-3 mins, apply post-bake garnishes, and slice into wedges.
INTERACTIVE KITCHEN MODE
Want live step-by-step countdown alarms and timeline tracking?
Launch this recipe in the Pizza Lab to run real-time fermentation alarms, calculate dough temperature (DDT), and scale ingredients dynamically.
Fermentation Schedule
Bulk Ferment3-4h
Cold Ferment36h
Final Proof3h
12-16h room poolish. Mix final dough with 45-60m hydration rest, minimal knead. 3-4h room bulk, 36h cold proof. 2.5-3h room temp pan proof in oiled Lloyd pan before topping.