Looking for Ledos PIzza dough recipe

[MDicecreamguy]

Would anyone have access to Ledo's Pizza dough recipe...or any ideas how to improvise a regular pizza dough recipe to make it more "pastry like" ?

[Bryan Pepperseed]

Not familar with this type of za, but a quick search of pizzamaking.com linked to this:
http://www.pizzamaking.com/thincrust.php

[tapmj]

I ate the one & only original Ledo's when I went to
University of MD. The only true Ledo's, not franchised all over, is in
Colle Park on Knox Street. Check it out

[monkeyrotica]

Pillsbury Classic Pizza Crust comes very close to the consistency, albeit it's a bit too biscuity for my taste. Butter improves it.

[wayne keyser]

For many years, this was the only pizza we could find in DC (I'm talking about the 1950's).

Google "St. Louis Style Pizza" and you'll find more recipes than you ever thought you'd find.

[Dennis S]

Originally from MO, and worked at Imo's once. I don't think St. Louis and Ledo's has much in common. Especially on the crust side of things, but also of course the cheese. I have been to the original Ledo's, and have good memories, but it didn't jog any linkage to St. Louis. Just curious about the reference - I do trust and follow your posts and am just wondering about the linkage.

[monkeyrotica]

From my understanding, this style of pizza (with a crackery crust that is neither Chicago deep dish or NY slice, sliced in squares) emerged in the 1950s.  Italian Inn, Pizza Oven, Dough Roller,  and The Broiler share this style which I believe was the result of a restaurant supply company that sold a particular kind of pizza oven made for use with this type of low-yeast dough. I have also seen this style of pizza in various Ohio and Pennsylvania bars and restaurants, albeit with differences in sauce and cheese, not unlike St Louis' tendency to use Provel versus Ledo's use of smoked provolone. Regional variances would extend to shape of crust as well; "cafeteria tray" versus the usual round; as well as sweetness of sauce and butteriness of crust. There's a place in Cleveland that noted for the massive amounts of butter that they roll into their dough. A comprehensive study of the origins of cracker-crust pizza is long overdue.

[Mister Big]

Just wanted to add Leonie's, Pizza Kitchen (local chain), and Stained Glass Pub as purveyors of Maryland pizza.

[4X4]

Also the Pizza Oven (the original one is still open, in Riverdale) and my old hometown retaurant, the Irish Pizza Pub.

[monkeyrotica]

It's been a while, but doesn't Grotto Pizza in Delaware have a crackery/biscuity crust? Not as thin as Ledos, but not floppy like NY slice.

[wayne keyser]

Dennis S - Google it, look at pictures, see what you think then. I don't have anything to actualy link it to St. Louis other than being told so here on this board a long while ago. I could always be wrong but the descriptions I found online match my memory fairly well. Crackery crust, very little cheese, always in a thin-cardboard box (board about the weight of a cereal box, always floppy, darn it!).

I've heard monkeyrotica's story here before, about the pizza-oven salesman, and thought it charming. Before I got to Ledo's, this board advised me of a takeout in Arlington (now apparently gone) where I could get it ... which I did. When it came, before I paid, I couldn't resist a peek. When I closed the box, the cashier asked what was wrong, because I had tears in my eyes. "I haven't seen this in 50 years", I said. She replied that hald of the staff had been there at least 40 years. It sure was good, though I knew that many others would not find it to their taste.

Anyway, regarding what monkeyrotica said about regional variations ... I expect that there will be variations from restaurant to restaurant, just as there are with other styles. But the crust texture is what I remember most fondly.