Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza Recipe

This recipe is based on the Lou Malnati's Chicago deep dish pizza. I'll show you how to make the dough and sauce to make a world class pizza pie.

Needed

Two 9 or 10 inch deep dish pizza pans
Two pizza stones

Tomato Sauce

1 28-32 oz can plum tomatoes coarsely chopped, no juice from can
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp dry basil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Dough

2 packages quick rise dry yeast
2 cups warm water (90 degrees F)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more to oil pans
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp kosher salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter, slightly softened

Topping

1 lbs mozzarella slices
1 lbs ground sausage
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano

Step One

Dissolve yeast and water in mixer bowl. Use paddle attachment. Add oil and mix for 30 seconds.

Add cornmeal, 3 cups flour, and salt, beat for 5 minutes.

Switch to dough hook and mix in remaining 2 1/2 cups flour. Knead for 2 minutes.

Add butter and knead until incorporated. Dough will be very moist, do not add more flour unless absolutely needed. Place dough in a large bowl lightly oiled with vegetable oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Punch down dough and allow to double in size again.

Step Two

Combine all ingredients for the tomato sauce together and stir. You may add more salt and black pepper to your liking.

Step Three

Preheat oven to 450 F. Place two pizza stones into the oven to preheat as well. Generously oil 2 deep dish pizza pans with olive oil (about 2 tbsp per pan). Divide dough in half and press dough out slightly on counter top. Place dough in prepared pans; push out to cover pan bottom and about halfway up pans sides - about 3/4". (If using 9" pans pinch a 2" ball off each dough to make a better fit.)

Step Four

Put sliced cheese over dough, overlapping. Put thin layer of sausage over cheese. Spoon some sauce over sausage to cover it. Sprinkle Romano cheese on top. Place pans in oven on pizza stones and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Let pizza rest for 5 minutes before cutting.