CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP-DISH PIZZA- one 8 to 9-inch diameter deep-dish pizza, 6 to 8 servings
Below is a traditional recipe for Chicago Bears fans. Chicagoans (my home town) love deep-dish pizza....not low in calories or fat.....but oh so-o-o good tasting! Ike Sewell is credited with creating this dish in 1943 at his bar and grill, Pizzeria Uno, (still in existence) in Chicago. During the lean years of the 1930s and first half of the 1940s, Americans learned to stretch their food and food budgets with one-dish meals such as casseroles ..... hence a deep-dish pizza with mozzarella cheese placed on the bottom and then loaded with topping ingredients which oozed together while baking.
GO BEARS GO!!!
- Original Recipe Deep-Dish Pizza Crust or Classic Pizza Crust
- or 1 (10-ounce) package refrigerated pizza crust (see note)
- 6 to 8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
- 1 (14 to 16-ounce) can Italian-style plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely crushed
- 1 tablespoon finely snipped fresh basil leaves (no stems) or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon finely snipped fresh oregano leaves (no stems) or 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed or minced
- Salt to taste
Optional Additional Toppings
- Crumbled lightly sauteed mild or hot-spiced Italian sausage, drained and casing removed, as desired
- Thinly sliced pepperoni as desired
- Chopped peeled onions as desired
- Thin slices or strips green pepper (core and seeds removed) or coarsely chopped green pepper as desired
- Thinly sliced mushrooms as desired
- Thinly sliced black/ripe olives, drained, as desired
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese as desired
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Prepare desired pizza crust and fit into a lightly oiled (extra virgin olive oil) deep-dish pizza pan or 8 to 9-inch diameter baking pan. Arrange the mozzarella cheese over the bottom of the crust. In order, add tomatoes, basil, oregano and garlic, spreading evenly. Sprinkle lightly with salt as desired. In order, may add any or all of the additional topping ingredients as desired. Liberally sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and then 1½ tablespoons olive oil. Bake in a preheated very hot oven (475 degrees F.) for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden in color and gooey and the crust is a light golden brown. With a pizza wheel cutter or kitchen shears, cut pizza into wedges and serve immediately. ( A fork is recommended for eating!)
Note: No time to prepare pizza crust? Use commercial refrigerator pizza dough. Press out dough with oiled fingers to fit pan. Original Recipe Deep-Dish Pizza Crust
- 1 package dry yeast (quick-acting/rise)
- 1 cup tepid water (90 degrees F.)
- 1 /4 cup salad oil (corn, canola, or safflower oil)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 2 3/4 cups sifted flour
(You will need an electric mixer or food processor with a dough hook for this recipe.) In a large bowl or food processor container, dissolve yeast in tepid water. Add salad oil, olive oil, cornmeal, and 1 cup flour; beat or process for 10 minutes at medium speed. Add the dough hook to mixer or food processor and mix in the remaining flour. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board or flat surface and knead by hand for 10 to 15 minutes. Cover dough with a deep large metal bowl; allow dough to rise (room temperature should be about 80 degrees F.) until double in bulk. Punch dough down, cover with bowl, and allow to rise again until double in bulk. Punch dough down again. Lightly coat a deep-dish or 8 to 9-inch diameter baking pan with olive oil. Put a small amount of olive oil on your fingers and push the dough over the bottom and up the sides of the pan; the dough should be about 1/8-inch thick throughout.
