By: Wendy Kalen
Skip the pizzeria and make delicious deep-dish pizza at home. Made famous as the iconic pizza of the city of Chicago, deep-dish is served with the sauce on top and eaten with a fork and knife.
Deep-dish Pizza Recipe
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes, plus optional cooling overnight
Cook time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
Dough
1000 mL (4 cups) all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
5 mL (1 tsp) kosher salt
15 mL (1 tbsp) olive oil
Sauce
1 large can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, or other crushed or chopped tomatoes
2 carrots, cut in 1 1/2-centimetre (1/2-inch) chunks
1/2 small onion, cut in 1 1/2-centimetre (1/2-inch) slices
3 cloves garlic, smashed
5 mL (1 tsp) dried basil
5 mL (1 tsp) kosher salt
2 mL (1/2 tsp) dried oregano
2 mL (1/2 tsp) ground black pepper
Topping
340 grams (12 ounces) fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced or grated
125 mL (1/2 cup) of each of your favourite toppings
Instructions
Dough
- In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix the flour, yeast, salt, 300 mL (1 1/4 cups) water and olive oil until well combined
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12-24 hours
- Prepare the sauce: in a blender, puree the tomatoes, carrots onion, garlic, basil, salt and pepper
- Heat the oven to 260 C (500 F)
- Divide the dough in half and form each into a ball (each ball will make one pizza); the dough should be slightly sticky
- Grease a 23-centimetre (9-inch) cast iron skillet and/or a springform pan with olive oil
- Stretch and/or press a ball of dough into the pan and an inch up the side
- Bake each until dough is set and beginning to brown (3-5 minutes), and then remove from oven
- Top each with half the toppings, half the cheese and 250 mL (1 cup) of the sauce
- Bake until crust is browned, about 20 minutes
Tip: Try another spin on pizza night with tasty homemade calzones.
Tips
- Making the sauce when you make the dough will give it time to meld its flavours; it is nice but not required.
- You can keep the dough wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let it get to room temperature before using it.
- A dark-surfaced pan will yield a crisper bottom crust.
- If the dough springs back into place when you stretch or pat it, let it relax 5 minutes before trying again.
3 Easy Ways to Speed up the Process
- Purchase the pizza sauce
- Ask your local pizzeria if they will sell you some dough
- Some grocery stores sell pizzeria-style dough in the refrigerated section of the store
Variations
- You may spice up the crust by adding any herbs or spices you like. Here are some good candidates: ground cayenne pepper, basil, oregano, marjoram, ground fennel seed or chopped fresh herbs.
- Just like pizza from a pizzeria, you may top yours with lots of toppings such as: pepperoni, meatballs, Parmesan cheese, salami, fried eggplant, sliced tomatoes, lightly cooked vegetables and the like. Experiment and enjoy!
Tip: Satisfy a pizza craving with simple pepperoni bread or taco pizza.
Where do you come out on the New York vs. Chicago-style pizza debate? Weigh in in the comments below!
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