When you grow up 40 minutes outside downtown Chicago deep dish pizza is just a way of life and anything else is simply sin. I love a good thin crust but nothing compares to to a true Chicago-style deep dish. Others try to copy it, freeze them and ship them to the poor souls who have searched but come up empty handed, or pass off their pan pizza as deep dish. I've been in Minnesota nearly 10 years now and trust me NO ONE makes an authentic deep dish pizza, believe me I've looked. That's when I decided to take matters into my own hands and create my own version. The only thing missing is the scorching hot pizza oven and the well seasoned, cast iron, deep dish pizza pan. If you've got the time and have ever experienced the true joy that is a 50 minute wait to experience the salty, ooie-gooey, steaming pizza that IS Chicago deep dish and happen to be far from your beloved Chicago like me give this a try.
If you're single make it for a prospective significant other. It will either seal the deal or reveal that they are nuts if they don't fall over dead at the effort you put in and ask you to marry them on the spot over the mind blowing experience they just had tasting the best pizza they've ever had. If you hear something to the tune of eh I'd rather have thin crust, run, run far far away. If you aren't single well this is a fantastic way to seal the deal for eternity and ensure you're never single again!
Good luck. For best results use a 12" pizza pan with straight sides. I have a great heavy duty spring form pan which makes it easier to get it out without damaging the pan.
Serena's World Famous Chicago Deep Dish Pizza
Pizza Dough
1 c. warm water
1 package fresh yeast
3/4 c. cornmeal (see instructions)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 c. olive oil
2 TBL melted butter
2 1/2 c. flour (2-3 c. as needed)
Filling
2 c. mozzarella cheese shredded
2 c. Parmesan cheese shredded
2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can unsalted diced tomatoes
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
Additional fillings optional (Use your favorites but remember fresh veggies release lots of moisture and will create a soggy pizza.)
1 8 oz. can mushrooms
1 8 oz. can sliced black olives
2 boxes Hormel mini canadian bacon
Directions - Dough
Makes enough dough for a 12" round deep dish pizza pan. 1/2 recipe is the perfect amount for a 9" round cake pan. Preparing the cornmeal: One secret to making a great Chicago deep dish pizza is getting the cornmeal ground very fine so that you don't have a grainy texture to the crust. To do this take 3/4 c. cornmeal and grind it find in a coffee or spice grinder. Take the ground corn meal and sift it into your mixer bowl.
Next follow the instructions on the packet of yeast. Add the warm water to a mixing bowl with the cornmeal, yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil, and melted butter. Using a whisk attachment on your stand mixer stir the mixture for 10 minutes.
Add one cup flour to the mixer and use the dough hook to combine all ingredients. Add the remaining flour 1/4 c. at a time until you can handle and kneed the dough without it sticking to your hands. Over mixing the dough in the mixer will result in a tough crust. Depending on the humidity in the air you may need more or less of the 3 c. of flour. Next take the dough out of the mixer and kneed it by hand on a lightly floured counter. Kneed the dough for 3 to 5 minutes. The end result should be slightly softer than the palm of your hand near the base of your thumb.
Let the dough rise in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place. A good secret is to put some boiling water in a deep skillet. Put the skillet on the bottom wrack of the oven and the dough on the top wrack. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 30 to 90 minutes.
Forming the crust
After the dough has risen punch down the ball. Place the ball on a lightly floured surface and flatten with your hand. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a uniform circle about /4 inch thick. Very lightly oil the bottom of your pizza pan. Take your rolling pin and roll the dough around the pin, then lift it gently and place it over the pizza pan. Form the crust by pinching the dough 1 1/2 inches up the sides of the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise another 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees.
Filling the pizza
Layer the pizza in reverse from a traditional pizza. Combine your mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses in a separate bowl. Squeeze the excess moisture from the diced tomatoes. Add the salt, diced tomatoes, basil and oregano to another bowl and combine well. Start with a layer of cheese on the crust, then a layer of diced tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives or whatever veggies you are using. For best results squeeze excess liquids out of the veggies before adding them to the pizza. Next add your meat layer and finally add a layer of sauce. Repeat these steps ending with sauce.
Baking the pizza
Put your pizza in a 475 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes reducing the temp to 450 and continue to bake for approximately another 20-30 minutes.
This is a super time consuming recipe but it is well worth it. I make it about once a year and it can be a fun project when you stuck inside with the kids on a blustery winter day.
You should end up with something that looks like this:
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