Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP DISH PIZZA

This recipe makes a great Chicago-style deep dish pizza. But you can also use it for a more traditional thin crust pizza. Just roll out the dough, add your choice of toppings, and cook in a pizza pan or slide directly on a preheated pizza stone.)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup warm water

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

2 cups unbleached flour, plus more for kneading

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

Pizza Sauce (recipe follows)

2 cups mozzarella cheese, or Italian cheese blend

1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed, cooked and drained

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped

Pour warm water into a small bowl; stir in yeast to dissolve. Let stand about 5 minutes. Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil. Set aside

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix 2 cups flour, sugar and salt together. Add yeast mixture and the olive oil, and mix well until a sticky dough is formed. Form into a smooth ball. (If making by hand, mix with a wooden spoon, and transfer to a floured surface. Knead until smooth, about 6 turns.) Place in oiled bowl, and turn to coat dough with oil. Cover and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down dough.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. (If you have one, place a pizza stone on the lowest rack to preheat along with the oven. This allows you to mimic a pizza oven.)

Cover the outside of a springform pan with heavy duty foil. Brush inside with at least a tablespoon of olive oil. Using oiled hands, press the dough evenly into the pan, coming up the sides about an inch. Cover with a towel and let rise for about 30 minutes. Lightly press dough up the sides.

Spread mozzarella cheese over the dough. Arrange the crumbled cooked sausage over the cheese, covering the bottom of the pan. Evenly top with pizza sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and basil.

Place pan on the preheated stone or baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges of crust are crisp and golden brown. Check for over-browning, and cover with foil during the last 10 minutes of cooking if necessary. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove sides of springform pan and slide pizza on a wooden board. Cut into wedges. Serves 4 generously.

DEEP DISH PIZZA SAUCE

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add garlic to pan, and cook for 1 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Use as directed above.