Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza: Two Fantastic Recipes Combined

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Make the Dough:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the warm water. Add the sugar and 1/4 cup of the flour and stir with a rubber spatula to combine.
• Cover dough with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
• Add the remaining 1 cup warm water and 3 cups flour, cornmeal, salt, and 3/4 cup olive oil.
• Mix in mixer with bread hook on the lowest setting, level 1, for 1 minute. Then mix on low to med, level 2-4 setting for 2 minutes. (If you do not have a mixer you can mix by hand, see Food Network recipe & reviews).
• Lightly oil a large bowl with olive oil. Add the dough and turn to coat on all sides.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place a clean, damp, kitchen towel over the top.
• Set the bowl in a warm spot and let rise until doubled in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• When the dough has doubled in volume, dust flour or cornmeal (we used cornmeal) on a work surface and punch the dough down and knead it for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut dough in half.

Make the Sauce:

• In a bowl, crush the stewed tomatoes with a potato masher and add the can of tomato sauce.
• Add your favorite seasonings. Do not heat the sauce. (I added garlic, basil, Italian seasoning mix, salt, and pepper)

Make the Pizzas:

• Grease the pans with olive oil and real butter. ( I used butter and Olive oil so I would get that heavy moist crust, you can skip the butter if you do not want the extra calories).
• Dust the pans with cornmeal. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of a 14-inch round deep-dish pizza pan. (I used two 12 inch spring form pans). Press the dough until it comes 2 inches up the sides and is even on the bottom and at the corners of the pan. Let the dough rise in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the mozzarella first as the bottom layer. Next layer your toppings, then the sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan. To a lot of people this may sound reversed if you have never made this kind of pizza before, but the “Chicago Way” is cheese the bottom and sauce on the top. 
• Bake 30-40 minutes. Let it cool and remove the springform side of the pan and serve. 

Making the Dough Ahead of Time:

• Make the dough ahead and skip the whole rising part, dust with flour and place in zip lock bag. Freeze up to 1 month. To thaw~ Put in the refrigerator the night before, 10-12 hours. Thaw on the counter for up to 3 hours in an oiled bowl.