Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

I tried my second deep dish pizza last weekend. It was made again last night, per Mr. Prevention’s request. For my Champaign, Illinois readers, he says it is almost as good as Papa Dels…and, I think that is quite the compliment.

While pizza isn’t how most celebrated Cinco de Mayo, it’s what the half marathoner requested.

Which, P.S. the chip times were in – 1:44:58. I shafted him 2 seconds. 😉

While this dough was rising for the second proof yesterday, we jetted over to a local winery real quick. We got 6 one ounce pours for $5. We bought one bottle of a dry white that I really enjoyed.

I was joking that the pizza dough would rise over the rim of my stand mixer bowl and come overflowing into the fridge. But it didn’t. We drank fast 😉

We got a bit more creative with the toppings. On the 3 pizzas there was a combination of turkey pepperoni, sausage, green bell pepper, mushrooms, and jalapenos. I stuck to the veggie option that had a bit of pepperoni – delicious!

My in-laws seemed to enjoy the pizza, too. I think everyone went back for seconds – always a good sign!

To lighten things up a bit, I served Megan’s salad with a bunch of cut up bell peppers, tomato, and red onion. It hit the spot. Especially with a nice glass of red wine my sister-in-law brought back from Ithica, New York.

Don’t be scared by these directions – they’re there to help you! There is nothing difficult about making deep-dish pizza…it just takes a bit of time. Make this for a relaxing night in with a great glass of wine. It is easier the second time around and you’ll impress your guests…and yourself with how good it is!

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Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza adapted from Cook’s Illustrated by Annie’s Eats

Dough:
1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp (8 1/8 oz) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 3/8 oz) yellow cornmeal
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 1/8 tsp. instant yeast
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp (5 oz) water, at room temperature
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Sauce:
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
Pinch of dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
Pinch of sugar
2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
Ground black pepper

Pizza:
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz fresh mozzarella, shredded (about 2 cups)

Directions:

To make the dough, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook on low speed.  Mix until blended, about 1 minute.  Add the water and melted butter and continue mixing on low speed until fully incorporated, 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally.  Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is glossy and smooth, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 4-5 minutes.

Using your hands, coat a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil.  Transfer the dough to the bowl, turning once to coat with oil.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled, about 45-60 minutes.

While the dough is rising, prepare the sauce.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, oregano, and salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomatoes and sugar and increase the heat to medium-high.  Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 25 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in the basil and oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To laminate the dough, turn the dough out onto a dry work surface and roll into a 8- by 6-inch rectangle.  Using an offset spatula, spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.  Starting at the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder.  With the seam side down, flatten the cylinder into a 9- by 2 inch rectangle.  Fold into thirds like a business letter, pinch the seams to form a ball, and return to the oiled bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator until nearly doubled in size, 40-50 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  To assemble, coat a 9-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Transfer the dough ball to a dry work surface and roll out into a 13-inch disk about 1/4-inch thick.  Transfer the dough to the pan.  Lightly press the dough into the pan, working into the corners and 1 inch up the sides.  If the dough resists stretching, let rest 5 minutes before trying again.

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the surface of the dough.  Spread the tomato sauce over the cheese and top with Parmesan.  Bake until the crust is golden brown, 20-30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Yield: 1 9-inch deep-dish pizza (4 servings – 1/4 pie each)

Nutrition Information (per serving): 493 calories; 29.5 g. fat; 30 mg. cholesterol; 709 mg. sodium; 42.3 g. carbohydrate; 1.3 g. fiber; 18.5 g. protein

Result: Must-make! This is the real deal Chicago-style deep dish pizza! The bit of time and effort is well worth it. May I suggest doubling this recipe, however? 😉 Reheat in the oven for best results. Enjoy!

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No completed Weekly Menu yet – I’m behind this week. I will post it tomorrow 🙂

Be well,