Deep dish chicago pizza

Deep Dish Pizza vs Thin Crust
Every once in a while someone will get all wound up about which is better: deep dish vs. thin crust.  But let's face it, the answer is that they are both awesome.  Pizza is possibly the greatest food ever created.  It may not appeal to the keto people who are trying to look like fit starving people, but it is one of the reasons that life on this planet orbiting a cold indifferent sun is worthwhile.  If you feel like indulging in a true pizza pie where every bite is a little slice of heaven, then look no further.
Ingredients

The Dough
  • 3 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 tsp table salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 1/4 cups water (room temperature)
  • 3 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 tsp olive oil

The Sacred Sauce
  • 2 TBSP unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup grated onion
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 medium garlic cloves (minced or pressed)
  • 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 TBSP coarsely chopped basil leaves
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • Ground Black Pepper

Toppings
  • 1 pound shredded mozzarella
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan
  • Meat as you see fit 

Heat oven to 425 degrees when the time is right.
Directions
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The Dough
  1. Mix the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, yeast in a mixer with a dough hook on low speed until it's all mixed up.  About a minute or so.
  2. Add the water and 3 TBSP of melted butter and mix on slow for a minute or two, then increase the speed and mix for four or five minutes until it pulls away from the sides.
  3. Coat the sides of a large bowl with the 1 tsp of olive oil.
  4. Transfer the dough from the mixer to the bowl, cover tightly with a plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for about an hour.
  5. Make the sauce while you are waiting.
  6. Turn dough out onto flat work surface.
  7. Roll into 16 by 12 inch rectangle (more or less)
  8. Spread the softened butter over the dough leaving a little border around the edges without any butter.
  9. Starting with the short end, roll the dough into a little log.
  10. With the seam side down, flatten the log into a 18 by 4 inch rectangle.
  11. Cut rectangle in half.
  12. With one of the halves, fold into thirds like a letter.
  13. Pinch the seams together to make a ball.
  14. Do the same with the other half, then put them both back in the oiled bowl, cover it tightly and then put it in the fridge for 45 minutes.

The Sauce
  1. Heat the butter in a medium to large saucepan until the butter is just barely melted. 
  2. Add the onion, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt and cook until the onion is golden brown.  Usually take three to five minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
  4. Add the crushed tomatoes, increase the heat to high, and then bring it to a nice simmer.
  5. Lower heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes.
  6. Once down to about 2 1/2 cups of sauce, take it off the heat and add the oil and basil.
  7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The Pizza
  1. Coat two 9 inch spring form pans (or cake pans if you don't have spring form) with two tablespoons of olive oil each.
  2. Roll one of the dough balls out into a disk about 1/4 inch thick.  
  3. Put it in the pan and lightly press it in the pan working it into the bottom corner.
  4. If it doesn't seem very stretchy, let it relax a bit.  
  5. Do the same thing with the other ball of dough.
  6. Plan two cups of mozzarella in the bottom.
  7. Then spread the sauce over the top of the cheese.
  8. Springs two tablespoons of Parmesan over the top (I often do more mozzarella too....I mean, it's all about the cheese).
  9. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
  10. Let it rest 5-10 minutes before serving so it isn't so messy.
Keep It Deep
The two secrets to this recipe are to get spring form pans (the same pans we use to make ice cream cake) and to drape the dough on the sides and then crimp it at the top so it doesn't shrink back down.  The spring form pan makes delivering the deep dish pizza once it is baked much easier.  If you try to dig it out of a traditional pan, it will be somewhat difficult and could get messy fast.  If you don't drape it on the sides and crimp it to the top of the pan, then invariably, one of the sides droops back down. You want to keep it deep so that you can fill it with goodness.  Plus, when it's done baking and you release the springform pan to reveal the deep golden buttery crust you will see people start weeping with joy.