Healthier Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Food

TRUE CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP-DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• Mix sugar, yeast and 11 ounces room temperature water (about 80 degrees) in a bowl and let bloom for 15 minutes. Combine flour, salt and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Once yeast has bloomed, add to dry ingredients along with corn oil. Gently combine with a rubber spatula until a rough ball is formed.
• Knead on low speed with the dough hook for 90 seconds. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and proof until doubled in size, about 6 hours. Punch down and let dough settle for 15 more minutes.
• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Coat bottom and sides of a 12-inch cake pan or traditional Chicago style pizza pan with melted butter. Using your hands, spread out about three-quarters of the dough across the bottom and up the sides of the pan (save the remainder for another use). Cover entire bottom in mozzarella, all the way up to the edge. Cover half with a thin, even layer of raw sausage. Cover the other half with the pepperoni. Top with a couple handfuls of crushed tomatoes. Spread out with hands to the edge. Sprinkle top evenly with grated Parm.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden around the edge, about 25 minutes. Let rest for about 5 minutes, then either gently lift pizza out of pan or just cut your slice out of the pan like a pie!

CHICAGO DEEP-DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• Pour 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons warm (90-110 degree F) water into a bowl, then stir in the sugar and yeast.
• Let sit until the yeast begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, cornmeal, and salt on low to combine.
• Pour in the yeast mixture and the olive oil to combine while still mixing.
• Once the dough comes together, switch to the dough hook, and knead on med-high speed to make a smooth dough, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add a little more water or flour as needed to make a soft dough.
• Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, from 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400°; punch down the dough, and press it into a 14 x 10 inch oiled baking pan or an oiled 12 inch cast iron skillet, gently pressing the dough up the sides to make a shell.
• Fill the shell with an even layer of provolone and mozzarella, then spread the sauce to cover the cheese completely.
• Top with the pepperoni, and sprinkle with the grated cheese and oregano.
• Cover with foil, and bake 45 minutes.
• Then uncover, and bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the pizza is bubbly, about 20 minutes.
• Let sit about 5-10 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

HEALTHY DEEP DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• For Crust: Stir water, sugar and yeast together until dissolved. Add the olive oil and the salt. Stir in the flour until well blended. Let dough rise for an hour.
• For Sauce: Mix tomatoes, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, bay leaf and sugar in a saucepan. Simmer for 30 minutes or longer.
• Pizza: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Spray Pam or another cooking spray on a 9 inch round baking dish.
• Split whole-wheat dough into two sections, one section larger than the other. Roll out larger (about 1/4 inch thick) section and place in round baking dish. Leave about 1 inch hanging over the sides.
• Roll out smaller dough section (1/4 inch thick) and reserve for the top.
• Fill crust in dish with topping: green pepper, pepperoni, onion, mushrooms, and any other toppings desired. Use enough toppings to fill the dish 3/4 the way full, leave room for the sauce. Top with Mozzarella cheese.
• Pour sauce over the top of vegetables. (Depending on topping all the sauce may not fit in dish.).
• Place remaining crust over the sauce, cheese and topping mixture.
• Trim to fit the shape of the 9-inch dish. Pinch sides together with bottom crust.
• Cut slits in top to create air vents.
• Cook covered with foil for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook the rest of the way till crust on top is brown and center is warm.
• Cut into pie piece shape and serve. (You may have remaining liquid at bottom from vegetables, just spoon out into sink to prevent the crust from getting soggy.).

CHICAGO DEEP-DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• Pour water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Sprinkle in yeast and let dissolve, about 10 minutes. Add olive oil, melted butter, sugar, salt, cornmeal, and most of the flour. Knead, stopping to scrape down the sides occasionally and adding more flour as needed, until smooth and elastic.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead in extra flour if needed. Roll into a ball and place in a bowl greased with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Cover with a plate and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, let pizza sauce simmer in a pot over low heat until very thick, 60 to 90 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Poke dough to deflate and turn out onto your work surface. Press and stretch out dough into a round shape 3 to 4 inches larger than a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Brush skillet with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place dough in the skillet; stretch and pull to evenly distribute it over the bottom and sides.
• Lay provolone cheese over the bottom of the crust. Scatter fresh mozzarella on top. Add Italian sausage and firm mozzarella. Ladle pizza sauce generously on top. Grate Parmesan cheese on top. Fold the edges of the crust in towards the center to seal in the sides. Drizzle crust and center with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until crust sounds hollow and pizza is beautifully browned, about 35 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.