You do not have to travel all the way to Chicago to have a taste of this incredible Chicago style deep dish pizza when you can make it at home. Every little detail about this pizza is special. First, this pizza clearly doesn’t look like a pizza you are used to.

It is baked in a deep dish cake pan. The cheese goes directly on top of the crust and the sauce is piled on top. An upside-down pizza pie of sorts.

Ingredients;

  • 4 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 2 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or salad oil
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
    Filling;
  • 3/4 lb. mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 1 pound Italian sweet or hot sausage, cooked and sliced; or about 3 cups of the sautéed vegetables of your choice
  • 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, lightly crushed; or 28-ounce can diced or chopped tomatoes
  • 2 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced, optional
  • 1 tablespoon sugar, optional
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons Pizza Seasoning or mixed dried Italian herbs (oregano, basil, rosemary), to taste
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, to drizzle on top

Instructions;

  1. To make the crust: Mix the dough ingredients, and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a smooth crust.
  2. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl or 8-cup measure, cover, and let rise till very puffy, about 60 minutes.
  3. While the dough is rising, ready your 14″ deep-dish pizza pan. Grease it with non-stick vegetable oil spray, then pour in 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, tilting it to cover the bottom of the pan, and partway up the sides.
  4. Lay the dough in the pan, and stretch it towards the edges till it starts to shrink back. Cover, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
  5. Start preheating the oven to 425°F while the dough rests.
  6. Stretch the dough to cover the bottom of the pan, then gently push it up the sides of the pan. Let the crust rest for 15 minutes or so, as your oven comes up to 425°F.
  7. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until it’s set and barely beginning to brown. While it’s baking, prepare the filling.
  8. Drain the tomatoes thoroughly. Combine them with the Pizza Seasoning or herbs, and the garlic and sugar (if you’re using them).
  9. Add salt to taste; you probably won’t need any additional salt if you’ve used the Pizza Seasoning.
  10. Cover the bottom of the crust with the sliced mozzarella, fanning it into the crust. Add the sausage (or sautéed vegetables), then the tomato mixture.
  11. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan, and drizzle with the olive oil.
  12. Bake the pizza for about 25 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and carefully lift it out of the pan onto a rack.
  13. Allow the pizza to cool for about 15 minutes before cutting and serving.