I was born in raised in Hanover, Massachusetts, a very small community south of Boston. If you’re not familiar with the area, you may be unaware that it is a high density region for a pizza phenomenon known as bar pizza. Bar pizza isn’t necessarily fancy fare--it’s called such because it’s a particular type of pizza served at bars. But don’t let that fact take away from the magic for you, because this pizza is special. On the smaller side (10-12 inches) and intended for one or two people, these pies have a crispy, thin crust and humble toppings. This is simple pizza done right.
The epicenter of killer bar pizza tastiness, for me, is Lynwood Cafe. Located in Randolph, Massachusetts, it’s about eight miles away from my office. The pizza is always excellent, and I’m constantly trying with zero luck to get a glimpse in their kitchen so I can snag their pizza secrets.
I was left to reverse engineer the bar pizza, and I think we’re pretty close with this recipe. The dough is typically very thin, super crispy and cooked almost well done, but not exactly burnt. Bar pizza pans are specialized round steel pans, but you can create a similar effect by baking your pizza in a generously oiled cake pan set atop your Baking Steel. The pie bakes for a few minutes in the bar pizza pan,(we love the 10 inch) and then is transferred directly to the Baking Steel Product to finish. If you were to try to wait for a table on a friday night at Lynwood Cafe, you’d be waiting 2-3 hours; to make this pizza, all you need is about 15 minutes once you have the bar pizza dough on hand.
Remember to tag us on Instagram and follow us @bakingsteel
