Deep Dish Pizza

Deep Dish Pizza

I'm talking about the kind you can only get in Chicago. Thick and gooey with loads of cheese and calories. After a weekend trip with my college roommates to Chicago, I thought it was only fitting to have a tribute to the best pizza in the country. We went to Bacino's and had a great pizza filled with mushrooms and spinach. I will give you my version which I think is pretty darn authentic. The key is a deep dish pizza pan. I have had my pan for about 15 years and it is good and seasoned. It gets better with each use. The recipe I use is an adaption of the one that came with the pan. It includes Parmesan cheese, egg yolks, onions, and melted butter.

Deep Dish Pizza

4 1/2 cups flour
1 TB salt
1 TB sugar
1 egg
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup dehydrated onions
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 package active fast-acting dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water

Dissolve yeast and sugar in water and let sit for about 5 minutes in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add flour and salt and mix thoroughly. Add eggs, melted butter, onions, and cheese and mix for about 7 - 9 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour.

Putting it all together....

about 2 cups chunky marinara sauce
risen pizza dough
cornmeal
1 pound grated mozzarella cheese
any fillings you want -- pepperoni, sausage, vegetables, etc.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Divide dough in half. Roll out 1 piece of dough to a circle slightly larger than the pan. My deep dish is about 16 inches across. Sprinkle a little cornmeal in the bottom of the pan and lay rolled out dough in it. Spread about 3/4 of the cheese over the dough and any other fillings you want. It is best to precook and vegetables because it cooks out the water and keeps your pizza from being soggy.

Roll out the remaining dough the same as the first piece and lay it over the cheese and fillings. Roll the edges of the dough together to keep the filling from spilling out. Spread about 1+ cup of the sauce over the top of the pizza and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes until nice and golden brown. Let your masterpiece cool for about 5 minutes before cutting.

Serve with the remaining marinara sauce.