Indulge in the delectable flavors of Chicago's iconic deep-dish pizza, a culinary masterpiece that has captivated taste buds worldwide. Embark on a journey to uncover the secrets behind its remarkable taste, from the buttery, flaky crust to the rich, flavorful fillings. Discover the essential ingredients and techniques required to create an authentic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza that will transport you to the heart of this vibrant city's culinary scene. In this comprehensive guide, we'll provide step-by-step instructions, tips, and tricks to help you achieve that perfect deep-dish pizza experience at home.
Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!
CHICAGO STYLE DEEP DISH PIZZA RECIPE
Here's a Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza recipe you can make at home. Try this easy, detailed recipe with step-by-step directions for a thick and buttery, flaky crust and a rich, chunky tomato sauce, with plenty of gooey cheese.
Provided by RecipeGirl.com (adapted from The Cooks Illustrated Cookbook)
Categories Main Course
Time 3h51m
Number Of Ingredients 25
Steps:
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, cornmeal, yeast, sugar, salt on low speed until blended. Add the water and melted butter. Mix until combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again until well blended. Increase speed to medium and knead until the dough is shiny and smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Coat the sides and bottom of a large mixing bowl with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Transfer the pizza dough to the clean, oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- While the dough rises, prepare the pizza sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add the minced onion crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and sugar and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce has reduced to about 2 1/2 cups, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the fresh basil and olive oil. Check the seasoning and add salt if needed. Cover and set aside.
- Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Turn the dough out onto a clean countertop. Roll the dough into a 15 by 12-inch rectangle. Using an off-set spatula, spread the softened butter over the dough leaving a 1/2-inch border along the edges. Starting at the short end, tightly roll the dough into a cyclinder. With the seam-side down, flatten the dough into a 18 by 4-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half crosswise. Working with one half at a time, fold the dough into thirds like a business letter. Pinch the seams together to form a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough and transfer the balls to the oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator until nearly double in size, 45 to 50 minutes.
- While the dough rising, cook the Italian sausage in a large non-stick skillet. Break the sausage up into chunks and sauté until cooked through. Drain well and set aside.
- Coat two 9-inch cast iron skillets or cake pans with 1½ tablespoons of olive oil each.
- On a clean countertop, roll one of the dough balls into a 13-inch round disk about 1/4-inch thick. Roll the dough loosely around the rolling pin and transfer to the prepared skillet. Unroll the dough and lightly press into the pan, making sure you work it into the corners and 1-inch up the sides. If the dough resists, allow it to rest for 5 minutes before trying again. Repeat with the remaining dough ball.
- Sprinkle each pizza with 2 cups of the shredded mozzarella. Divide the sauce between the two pizzas, spreading with the back of a spoon until evenly distributed over the cheese layer. Divide the cooked Italian sausage between the two pizzas, scattering to cover the sauce. Top with the olives, then the Parmesan cheese.
- Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. If over-browning, tent the pizza with foil until cooked through. Remove the pizza from the oven and cool for 10-minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 slice, Calories 525 kcal, Carbohydrate 33 g, Protein 20 g, Fat 34 g, SaturatedFat 14 g, Cholesterol 75 mg, Sodium 1129 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 1 g
TRUE CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP-DISH PIZZA
Provided by Jeff Mauro, host of Sandwich King
Time 7h25m
Yield 8 slices
Number Of Ingredients 12
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
Home cooks will find deep-dish pizza, with its unique buttery cornmeal crust, more forgiving than its New York counterpart. No need to worry about having the hottest oven or too many toppings - just make sure your sauce is very thick and flavorful! I garnished mine with parsley and more Parmesan cheese.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pizza Recipes
Time 2h30m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 16
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 612.5 calories, Carbohydrate 52.6 g, Cholesterol 74.5 mg, Fat 32.4 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 25.4 g, SaturatedFat 14.2 g, Sodium 1486.6 mg, Sugar 4.8 g
THE REAL CHICAGO DEEP DISH PIZZA DOUGH
I have it on good authority that this is the real deep dish pizza dough that's used in Chicago. The real thing is nothing like bread, or even pizza, dough. It is a buttery, flaky crust that is achieved by: 1) using corn oil (not butter) and 2) minimal mixing and kneading times. The pizza itself is built with cheese, toppings, and sauce, in that order. I suggest you use 6-in-1® tomatoes which are far superior to other brands. Classico® ground tomatoes are very similar. Contrary to popular opinion, cornmeal is not used in the dough by Chicago pizzerias.
Provided by owensjo
Categories Bread Pizza Dough and Crust Recipes
Time 6h25m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a bowl. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam.
- Combine yeast mixture, flour, corn oil, and kosher salt in a large stand mixer with a hook attachment; knead until dough holds together but is still slightly sticky, about 2 minutes.
- Form dough into a ball and transfer to a buttered bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with a towel and allow dough to rise at room temperature until double in size, 6 hours.
- Punch down dough and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Press dough into a 10-inch deep dish pizza pan.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 298.5 calories, Carbohydrate 37 g, Fat 14.3 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 5.3 g, SaturatedFat 1.9 g, Sodium 361.5 mg, Sugar 0.9 g
CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP-DISH PIZZA
My husband and I tried to duplicate the deep-dish pizza recipe from a popular restaurant, and I think our Chicago-style deep-dish pizza turned out even better. The secret is baking it in a cast-iron skillet! -Lynn Hamilton, Naperville, Illinois
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h
Yield 2 pizzas (8 slices each).
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, cornmeal, yeast, sugar and salt. In a saucepan, heat water and oil to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add remaining flour to form a stiff dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes., Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each portion into an 11-in. circle. Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of two greased 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillets. Sprinkle each with 2 cups mozzarella cheese., In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and seasonings. Spoon 1-1/2 cups over each pizza. Layer each with half of the sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms; 1 cup mozzarella; and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. , Cover and bake at 450° for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake until lightly browned, about 5 minutes longer.,
Nutrition Facts : Calories 407 calories, Fat 23g fat (9g saturated fat), Cholesterol 49mg cholesterol, Sodium 872mg sodium, Carbohydrate 32g carbohydrate (4g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 20g protein.
CHICAGO DEEP DISH PIZZA
I developed a love for Chicago's deep-dish pizzas while attending college in the Windy City. This simple recipe relies on frozen bread dough, so I can indulge in the mouthwatering sensation without leaving home.-Nikki MacDonald, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 45m
Yield 8 slices.
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle over dough. Top with mozzarella cheese., In a skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in oil until onion is tender. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, salt, fennel seed and garlic powder. Spoon over mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350° for 25-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 786 calories, Fat 38g fat (15g saturated fat), Cholesterol 97mg cholesterol, Sodium 2110mg sodium, Carbohydrate 75g carbohydrate (14g sugars, Fiber 8g fiber), Protein 42g protein.
Tips for Making Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza
- Use a cast iron skillet: This will help create a crispy crust and evenly distribute the heat.
- Don't overwork the dough: Overworking the dough will make it tough. Just mix it until it comes together, then let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Use a generous amount of cheese: This is what makes Chicago-style deep dish pizza so special. Use a blend of mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan cheeses.
- Layer the toppings carefully: Start with a layer of cheese, then add the toppings, and finish with another layer of cheese.
- Bake the pizza in a hot oven: This will help create a crispy crust and melted cheese.
- Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before slicing: This will help the cheese set and make it easier to slice.
Conclusion
Chicago-style deep dish pizza is a delicious and unique pizza that is perfect for any occasion. With its crispy crust, melted cheese, and generous toppings, it's sure to be a hit with everyone. So next time you're looking for a new pizza recipe, give Chicago-style deep dish pizza a try. And remember, these recipes are just guidelines. Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and techniques to create your own unique Chicago-style deep dish pizza.
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