Beer-Infused Pizza Is Real. Here's What You Need To Know
Beer and pizza have been the ultimate duo since, well, forever. The Pizza Press has a lot to say about the perfect pair too, adding that the two enhance each other's flavors. Indulging in a meaty pizza? Stouts and porters will be your BFFs. Or maybe you're in the mood for a veggie alternative? In that case, reach for some pilsners and pale ales. Whatever kind of pizza you're in the mood for, its soul beer is probably out there somewhere, but the general beer and pizza pairing guide is to go with lighter beers for light pizzas and heavier beers for heartier pizzas.
That said, there's a real game-changer is in town, and it's beer-infused pizza. We know: "Where do I get this immediately?" was our first question, too. Tons of pizza restaurants have already jumped on the beer-infused pizza bandwagon, so if you're looking to try this stat, check with your local restaurants. If beer-crust pizza hasn't made its way to where you live quite yet, don't worry, King Arthur Baking has a quick (about one hour) and easy recipe to make your own at home.
How to make it yourself
For King Arthur Baking's recipe, you'll need all-purpose flour, semolina flour, instant yeast, olive oil, salt, baking powder, and room-temperature beer. After mixing all of the ingredients together to form a dough, let it rise (the longer it rises, the thicker the crust). After forming a crust, you bake it briefly, then top it and pop it back in the oven to bake for the recommended time or until it's crisp to your liking. Et voilà! Perfectly-baked, beer-infused pizza.
Two Michigan-based brewing companies, Short's and Stormcloud, have spent years experimenting and testing different doughs to pinpoint the best ones to serve their customers. Their advice? "Additions such as malt flour and malt syrup help 'give the dough the ultimate beer infusion,'" Erin Kuethe, General Manager of Short's told CraftBeer.com. If you use "too-light or delicate beers, or at a rate less than 50 percent, you might find that the flavor is not different enough to justify the expense of adding beer at all," Tom "The Dough Doctor" Lehmann, renowned baking and dough consultant, added.