Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

 Photo Credit: http://penniesonaplatter.com

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

Original Recipe: http://penniesonaplatter.com/2011/01/24/chicago-style-deep-dish-pizza/

Ingredients:
Yield: One 9-inch deep dish pizza (3-4 servings)

For the dough:

• 1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons grated onion
• Pinch of dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can petite-diced tomatoes
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste

For assembling and topping:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces Mozzarella, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 tablespoons)

Directions:
To make the dough:

1. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer, until well blended.  Attach the dough hook and mix in the water and melted butter on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes.  Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.  Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is glossy and smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes.
2. 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 to 60 minutes.
3. Once dough is risen, turn it out onto a dry work surface and roll into an 8- x 6-inch rectangle.  To laminate the dough, spread the softened butter over the surface, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge.  Starting at the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder.  With the seam side down, flatten the cylinder into a 9- x 2-inch rectangle, then fold into thirds like a business letter.  Pinch the seams to form a ball, and return to the oiled bowl.  Cover tightly again with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator for 40 to 50 minutes.  (Mine did not double in size, but it rose to about size and a half.)

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Stir in the onion, oregano and salt.  Saute until the liquid has nearly evaporated and the onion is golden brown, stirring often, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomatoes and sugar, then increase the heat to medium-high.  Bring the mixture just to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the basil and oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble and top the pizza:

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.  Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with olive oil.  Move the dough to a dry work surface and roll out into a 13-inch disk about 1/4-inch thick.  Carefully transfer the dough to the pan and lightly press to line the bottom of the pan and 1 inch up the sides.  If the dough resists stretching, wait 5 minutes before trying again.
2. Sprinkle the shredded Mozzarella over the surface of the dough, then layer the sauce over the cheese.  Top with Parmesan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until crust is golden brown.  Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Note: This recipe is for one 9-inch deep dish pizza, whereas the original is for two.  I altered some of the steps as I found I didn’t need as much time for kneading the dough, cooking the sauce, or baking the pizza.  These changes are reflected in my version above.  If you double this recipe, your times may increase significantly for cooking the sauce, and slightly for kneading and baking.

To Make Ahead: Prepare the dough up until the time of baking.  Store in fridge overnight, or freeze and thaw in fridge.  When ready to bake, place pan in oven while preheating so that it warms up slowly.  Once oven is preheated to 425˚F, bake for 20 more minutes, until crust is golden brown.