Margot's Midwest Thin (Deck)

Margot's Midwest Thin is a Midwest thin preset inspired by Fargo's Pizza Company: low hydration, strong flour, long cold fermentation, rolled thin, and baked hot for crisp snap. Use the KitchenRatio Calculator to scale any batch size.

StyleLow-hydration Midwest thin with crisp snap and rolled, deck-style structure.

YieldReference process targets 11-inch pizzas at about 10 oz dough each.

Best ForCold fermentation, rolling pins, heavier topping coverage, and extra-crisp slices.

Testing Status

This formula is still being tested and refined.

Background

This recipe comes from long-term hands-on experience, plus a few adjustments that make it more practical at home.

This hydration is likely very close to what we used at Fargo's: low enough for a crisp, cracker-leaning texture and well suited to sheeting. For home baking, this range still gives:

• Extensibility
• Handling (without a sheeter)
• Crust texture while keeping the signature snap

This version is currently set to 48% hydration to preserve the thin, crisp Midwest deck profile while still handling cleanly at home.

Baker's % (Testing Range)

• Bread flour (12.5-13% protein) - 100%
• Water - 48%
• Salt - 1.8%
• Corn oil - 1.5%
• Diastatic malt powder - 0.5%
• Instant dry yeast - 0.30%

Optional: Scrap / Old Dough Carryover

• Old dough - 5-10% of total dough weight
• If using old dough, reduce yeast to 0.25%
• Old dough is not added as baker's % flour. It replaces part of total dough weight.
• See Pate fermentee (Pâte fermentée) for method details.

Ingredients (Example Batch)

• Bread flour - 1000g (100%)
• Water - 480g (48%)
• Salt - 18g (1.8%)
• Corn oil - 15g (1.5%)
• Diastatic malt powder - 5g (0.5%)
• Instant dry yeast - 3g (0.30%)

INFO

No sugar and no docking for this style.

Style Characteristics

• Low hydration
• Strong flour
• Long cold fermentation
• Sheeted thin
• Fairly heavily topped for the style
• Cornmeal-stacked skins
• 500F rotating deck equivalent
• No sugar
• No docking

Sauce

The sauce for this style is mixed cold rather than cooked.

• Tomato paste
• Tomato puree
• Burgundy wine
• Granulated garlic
• Oregano
• Basil
• Black pepper
• Small amount of horseradish
• Salt

The target consistency is thick but brushable: closer to loosened tomato paste or thick pancake batter than a loose pizza sauce.

Cheese

Traditional cheese blend:

• Low-moisture mozzarella - 80%
• Provolone - 10%
• Mild cheddar - 10%

Coverage is generous. This style was fairly heavily topped, including cheese, while still relying on the thin crust to stay crisp.

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Procedure

Day 1 - Mix

• Combine water, yeast, and diastatic malt.
• Rest 5 minutes (especially for active dry yeast).
• Add flour and mix until shaggy.
• Add corn oil slowly.
• Add salt during final 2-3 minutes.
• Mix total 12-15 minutes.

Dough Feel Target

• Stiff
• Smooth
• Resistant
• Not soft
• Slight sheen from oil

Day 1 - Cold First Ferment

• Lightly oil container.
• Place dough inside.
• Refrigerate immediately.
• Cold ferment 8 hours.

Day 1 - Punch and Reset

• Remove from fridge.
• Punch down firmly (full degas).
• Return to fridge overnight (12-18 hours).

Day 2 - Divide and Roll

• Keep dough cold.
• Divide to 10 oz (283g) for an 11-inch pizza.
• Roll with pin (do not stretch).
• Target thickness: 2-2.5 mm (about 1/8 inch).

Cut and Stack

• Trim to clean 11-inch circle.
• Dust lightly with cornmeal.
• Stack skins (max 10).
• Refrigerate 24-48 hours.
• This hold creates the signature snap.

Bake Day - Oven Setup

• Use stone or steel.
• Preheat 550F for 45-60 minutes.

Bake Process

• Pull skin from fridge.
• Sauce immediately with a brush, keeping the layer thin and even.
• Add cheese and toppings generously, but keep the distribution even.
• Launch onto stone or steel.

During Bake

• At 60-90 seconds, pop center bubbles.
• Rotate at 3-4 minutes.

Total Bake Time

• Steel: 5-6 minutes
• Stone: 7-8 minutes

Dough Ball Reference (11-Inch)

Weight	Style outcome
9 oz	Extra crisp
10 oz	Classic Fargo's balance
11 oz	Slightly more chew

Technical Notes

• Diastatic malt supports browning in this no-sugar dough.
• Scrap carryover improves flavor stability over repeated cycles.
• Lower hydration requires strong flour and benefits from cold handling.
• Process is tuned to emulate a ~500F rotating deck environment.

Related Guides

• Hydration
• Fermentation
• Yield Planner

Get the Gear

• Baking Gear & Ingredients

Related Recipes

• Colorado Style Pizza Dough
• New York Style Pizza (Home-Oven Optimized)

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