Pizza is a traditional Italian fare that was introduced by immigrants to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In America it has evolved to unique variations, including this Deep Dish Pizza variety. What makes this pizza special is the thicker raised crust which is baked with the pizza. The pizza itself is filled with sauce, cheese, and other ingredients. It is served hot from the oven, cut in triangular pieces and served along with a salad, garlic knots, garlic bread, mozzarella sticks, and/or onion rings. Many in the midwest also call it Chicago style pizza.
This recipe has many variants, which are found at the end of the recipe.
Deep Dish Pizza Crust
Ingredients
1 tsp active dry Yeast (fast rising yeast is acceptable)
3/4 cup warm water (about 90 degrees F)
1 cup flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups additional flour
~1 cup warm water
4 tbsp cornmeal (optional)
Preparation
In a mixing bowl or dough mixer, mix the yeast and 3/4 cup warm water. Let this stand for a few minutes to activate the yeast.
Add and mix the 1 cup flour, oil, sugar, salt into a smooth batter. Add the remaining flour and water. Mix this until the dough has a slightly sticky consistency. Add additional water or flour to adjust the consistency. Mix and knead the dough until the dough springs slightly when touched.
Let this rise in a warm location in a greased bowl until double. Punch down the dough in the bowl. Pour it onto a floured flat surface. Roll or shape the dough to the shape of a pizza pan and make an edge up the side of the pan for the crust. Roll the dough thicker for Deep Dish Pizza and thinner for a crisper and more traditional pizza crust.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F., add the toppings and bake as noted below.
Toppings
Ingredients
1 or more 6-8 oz. can(s) of prepared pizza sauce, or make your own pizza sauce
1 lb shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese (optional)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Procedure
Spread the pizza sauce on the dough which was previously prepared, leaving the edge crust uncoated. Add any optional ingredients (pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, etc.). Spread the grated mozzarella cheese evenly across the pizza, leaving the edge crust untouched. If desired, sprinkle the grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses evenly over the toppings.
Bake the pizza in the preheated 425 degree F. oven for 25-30 minutes or until the crust and cheese are lightly brown. If the pizza is browning on the crust and not in the middle, line the edge crust with aluminum foil to prevent burning. This rarely happens except on larger diameter pizzas of 16″ or more.
When removing from the oven, cut into about 8 triangular, pie shaped slices for serving. A pizza cutter with a circular wheel does this nicely.
Notes, Tips and Variations
There are a variety of options in the crust, baking and especially in the toppings. The baking of the deep dish pizza described above is a cheese pizza in a round pan baked on an oven rack.
Baking Options
Use a heated baking stone. This is a flat stone which sit in the oven and preheats to the oven temperature. It accelerates the baking and makes the crust more consistently brown. Decrease the baking time by removing the pizza when the crust and cheese center is light brown.
A black pan will cook the crust faster and crisper.
Use a professional pizza oven or wood fired stone hearth. This is generally a professional pizza kitchen option.
Crust Options
Cornmeal is specified to flour the pan. It provides a unique characteristic to the crust and dries it a bit. It may omitted, or substituted with flour.
The olive oil may be substituted by vegetable oil or butter for a different crust characteristic or for oiling the pan. Olive oil makes an Italian bread type of raised crust.
If the crust is left to rise 15-30 minutes before it is baked, it will be thicker and more like an Italian bread crust
If a mozzarella cheese stick or rolled slice of cheese is rolled and sealed into the outer crust with a pinch of the dough, it adds a unique filling of melted cheese to the otherwise bready crust. Some commercial pizza restaurants offer cheese filled crust.
Brush some melted butter on the crust after it has baked.
Pinch, slice or form the outer crust into a design before baking, just for the visual appearance.
Pizza Pan Options
A round aluminum or steel deep dish pizza pan is generally used. It is 12-16 inches in diameter and 1-3 inched deep. Optionally the side removes to facilitate the cutting and serving. See this link for an example.
Any flat pan may be substituted by rolling up the crust to form the edges. The edge crust tends to be like an Italian bread and less thick however. A rectangular pan tends to bake uneven.
A special wheeled pizza cutter or deep dish pizza pan grip may facilitate handling and serving
Deep Dish Pizza Optional Toppings
Consider adding or mixing the following. Many institutions in Chicago will add everything on their toppings option list and call it garbage pizza.
1 lb pepperoni, sliced as thick or thin as one likes
1 lb bulk (or casing removed) Italian sausage (browned and crumbled)
1 green pepper, cleaned and sliced
1 medium or large onion, sliced or diced
1 lb ground beef (skillet browned and crumbled)
1/4 cup mushrooms (fresh sliced or canned sliced)
1 lb cooked bacon
1 lb ham, prepared any way
1 lb salami, sliced as thick or thin as one likes
1/2 cup pineapple, diced or in rings
1/2 cup cooked chicken pieces
1/4 cup anchovies
1/4 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
any other ingredient
The Order of the Toppings
The order of the toppings on the pizza is an option as well. The photo above shows pepperoni placed on top of the cheese instead of under it.
By changing the order of placement of the toppings, the same ingredients make a pizza that looks and even tastes different. Of course, the crust always is at the bottom for a base. For instance, these variants will make different pizza styles.
Chicago Style Type Deep Dish (standard recipe noted above)
– Crust on bottom
– Add the mozzarella cheese
– Add the toppings (pepperoni, sausage, etc.)
– Add the sauce
– Add the grated cheeses
– Serve with shakers of red pepper flakes and extra grated cheese
Boutique Deep Dish (some “upper crust” restaurants do this)
– Crust on bottom
– Add the toppings (pepperoni, sausage, etc.)
– Add the mozzarella cheese
– Add the sauce over the cheese (may require more sauce to cover the ingredients)
– Add the grated cheeses
Deep Dish Old World Style
– Crust on bottom
– Add the sauce
– Add most of the toppings (sausage, green pepper, etc.)
– Add the mozzarella cheese
– Add the grated cheeses
– Add pepperoni or other decorative topping
Enjoy and feast on your experiments.
Warnings
– Pizza from the oven is hot. Warn the diners when served.
– Any meats added to the toppings must be cooked before baking. Raw meat or fish will not adequately cook in the pizza.
Photo courtesy PDPhoto.org
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