Let me add to the recommendations for Papa Del's in Champaign. Their recipe would be of particular interest to King Arthur because their crust is much more bread-like than the Uno/Malnati style from Chicago. The claim is that Dels is a family recipe from Sicily, but it's the thickest, breadiest pan pizza I've ever experienced. And also the best. The custom cheese blend and tart garlic and thyme flavored sauce combine perfectly with the sweet bread crust -- without being fat heavy like the recipe in this article.
The Dels crust is pretty much a classic bread recipe, with overnight proofing that results in a strong alcohol side-effect -- the employees call 'em dough hits when they punch the dough down and inhale. Del's ships semi-baked pies worldwide, so the results can be sampled out east. Searching online will show that it is a highly regarded midwest specialty. I've been trying to reproduce the dough recipe, getting close with online tips, but still not copied perfectly yet. The sauce and cheese are their own challenges as well.
Sounds like you are willing to go the distance - meaning you'll try again and again to get the results you see in your mind's eye. That's terrific as long as you keep track of the changes should you reach your own pizza nirvana - then you can repeat the excellent results. We hope you continue to enjoy the journey. Happy Baking! Irene @ KAF
July 8, 2011 at 12:08pm