Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza Dish Guide

Serves 4-6

For the Dough

3 and ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup yellow cornmeal

1 T sugar

1 t garlic powder

1 t salt

1 packet (7g) Active Dry or Instant Yeast

1 and ¼ cups warm water

¼ cup of melted unsalted butter plus another ¼ cup or half stick of softened unsalted butter

1 T olive oil

For the Sauce

28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

½ cup (or one small) onion, minced

3 large garlic cloves, minced or crushed

2 t Italian seasoning

1 t sugar

1 T balsamic vinegar

2 T unsalted butter

1 T olive oil (if necessary)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Filling

1 lb hot Italian sausage

8 oz sliced button or cremini mushrooms

1 bell pepper, diced

8 oz provolone, sliced

8 oz mozzarella, sliced

2-3 oz grated parmigiano

1-2 T Basil or Parsley to garnish

Combine all ingredients save the olive oil and ¼ cup softened butter in a stand mixer or bowl and incorporate them until a tacky, firm dough forms. Knead for 3-4 minutes to develop the gluten. Remove the dough and oil the bowl. Form the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl. Cover and place in a warm area for 1-2 hours or until almost doubled in size. Remove the dough and roll it out on a floured work surface until it is ¼ to 1/3 of an inch thick. Spread on the ¼ cup of softened butter over the dough and fold it like a brochure. Roll it back into a ball and place it back in the bowl, this time in the fridge for at least an hour, up to 3 days.

To make the sauce, cook the sausage in a pan over medium heat, crumbling it as it cooks. Once cooked, remove the sausage but leave the fat in the pan. Cook the mushrooms in the sausage fat, adding a pinch of salt to help them release their moisture. Add a splash of water if needed and deglaze the pan. Once the mushrooms are soft and slightly browned, add the diced bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and peppers from the pan and add the diced onion. Add a splash of oil if necessary to coat the pan. Cook the mushrooms on medium heat for 4-5 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the Italian seasoning and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar and butter and stir everything to combine. Cook slightly uncovered (lid ajar) over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.

To assemble the pizza in a 12” deep skillet or spring-form pan, use the entire dough ball. If making smaller pizzas, simply cut it in half to make two.

Roll the dough out a couple inches larger than the bottom of the pan you will be using. In my case - a large 12” cast iron skillet. Place the dough in the skillet and gently press it in the bottom, edges and up the sides until it is covering the pan. Add a layer of mozzarella to the bottom followed by the provolone. Add the meat and veggie filling then spoon over the marinara sauce evenly. Dust with half the parmigiano cheese.

Bake at 425 for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is brown and the sauce is beginning to caramelize on top. Remove from the oven and let it rest at least 15 minutes. If you cut it immediately the fillings will all run out. Garnish with the remaining parmigiano and the basil or parsley and serve.

Dish Notes

Substitute store bought dough if desired, but it will not have quite the same texture from the cornmeal and the butter lamination. If you buy store-bought sauce you will still need to reduce it to keep it from being too watery. Any fillings of your choice can be used here including other cheeses, pepperoni, bacon, ham, etc. Get creative! Just avoid fresh (not low-moisture) mozzarella as it tends to leach out lots of water while cooking that sogs out the dough.