What Is Liquid Crust Pizza?

Do you like thin crust pizza, where the crust is as thin and crispy as a cracker compared with the soft melted cheese? Or are you a fan of deep-dish crust, where it's soft and chewy and lined with caramelized cheese? Or maybe you're in the middle, preferring a modestly thin but chewy crust that's soft on the inside but golden on the outside. Maybe you don't even like the crusts at all!

While some people may argue about how sweet they like their pizza sauce or what type of cheese goes best on a pizza, it's easy to forget the importance of the crust — the literal foundation on which all good pizza is built. In fact, many regional pizza styles live or die by how their crust is prepared. For example, Chicago's deep-dish pizza resembles more of a casserole than a classical deep-dish pizza, with the crust forming a sort of "bowl" in which cheese and sauce are held (via Pizza Chicago). Brooklyn-style pizza, invented by Domino's in 2006, is described as having a very thin, foldable crust that's been thoroughly dusted in cornmeal (via The Streets of New York). 

Of course, a solid crust is the backbone of any good pizza, be it deep-dish, thin-crust, or in-between. But what's a "liquid crust" pizza? Is that some kind of "deconstructed" pizza where the crust is more like a soup? How do you make a crust that's supposedly just a liquid?

In case you thought that a liquid crust was literally liquid, perhaps imagining a soupy, wet crust that's more or less raw dough, you needn't worry about that. Liquid crust pizza is actually a term for a type of pizza dough that can be made quickly and easily without having to knead it.

Food NDTV explains that a "liquid crust", or at least its version of liquid crust, is prepared using flour, curds, sugar, and salt. These four ingredients are combined in a bowl, creating a sticky "batter." This batter is then spread across a well-oiled tawa or a non-stick flat pan and covered for two to three minutes. Flip the batter similar to how you flip a pancake, letting both sides cook all the way through. Once the "crust" has baked almost all the way through, spread your sauce, cheese, and toppings on top and then re-cover for two minutes until the cheese has melted. 

Food.com has a similar recipe to this, although it's called "crazy crust" rather than liquid crust. This batter uses milk, eggs, and flour instead of curds, and it has you bake your toppings alongside the crust before adding your pizza sauce. While Food.com does admit that this isn't a traditional crust, it is a much quicker and easier method for making pizza if you really need it ready in only a few minutes.

Whether you prefer calling this unique type of crust "liquid crust" or "crazy crust" is up to you, but this raises another question: Are there other types of pizza dough that break away from the traditional norms of kneading and punching down?

Chef John, famously known for his blog and YouTube channel "Food Wishes," describes his own "experiment" with creating what he calls a "pourable pizza dough." Chef John's recipe calls for two cups of flour, warm water, dry active yeast, and surprisingly, honey. Although the use of yeast means the dough must "rise," the resulting dough is much more liquid and smooth than your traditional dough. The liquid dough is cooked over medium-high heat until the dough "bubbles," which means that it's time for the dough to be flipped. Importantly, Chef John notes that you must make sure not to cook the dough too much because it will be baked in the oven with your toppings, but you should still try to get a crispier, drier bottom while you work the dough in the pan.

While making a "pourable" or liquid pizza crust may not be the exact same as a pizza you would normally get, it's still one of many easy and cheap dough recipes that are perfect for any type of pizza you want to make.