Taste of the Nation: Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizza

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

1. 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
2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12-24 hours
3. Prepare the sauce: in a blender, puree the tomatoes, carrots onion, garlic, basil, salt and pepper
4. Heat the oven to 260 C (500 F)
5. Divide the dough in half and form each into a ball (each ball will make one pizza); the dough should be slightly sticky
6. Grease a 23-centimetre (9-inch) cast iron skillet and/or a springform pan with olive oil
7. Stretch and/or press a ball of dough into the pan and an inch up the side
8. Bake each until dough is set and beginning to brown (3-5 minutes), and then remove from oven
9. Top each with half the toppings, half the cheese and 250 mL (1 cup) of the sauce
10. 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

1. 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.
2. 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!