Chicago Style Deep Dish Sausage Pizza Recipes

CHICAGO STYLE DEEP DISH SAUSAGE PIZZA - REAL DEEP DISH

Steps:

• MAKING THE DOUGH: In a mixing bowl, dissolve sugar and salt into the lukewarm water.
• Add yeast, corn oil, and a small amount of the flour.
• Mix until you have a thick batter, then add the rest of the flour and continue mixing until combined.
• Knead until the dough comes together into a smooth ball, then STOP. DON'T OVER-KNEAD. Total mixing/kneading time should be no more than 2 - 3 minutes (This step can also be done in a mixer with a dough hook in 1 - 2 minutes. If it looks smooth, but doesn't form a ball, just take it off the hook and form into a ball).
• Place the dough in a bowl (or keep it in your mixing bowl), lightly oil/spray the dough ball.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place. Let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours (or until dough has doubled).
• After the rise, you can use the dough immediately OR punch down the dough and let it rise again until you're ready to use the dough OR place it into a plastic zip-top bag and into the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours.
• ASSEMBLING YOUR PIZZA AND BAKING: Place a pizza stone in the bottom rack of your oven and place a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil across the top rack. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees (F). It should take about 40 minutes to an hour to preheat your stone, so you may want to do this while your dough is rising. If you refrigerated your dough, take it out of the fridge while your oven is preheating.
• Using a fine mesh strainer over a bowl, drain any excess liquid from your tomatoes, if necessary.
• Lightly grease the bottom (not the sides) of your pan with oil or high-heat cooking spray.
• Press out the dough in the pan from center to the edge, as flat and even as possible. Pinch up the sides into a paper-thin lip about 1 to 1-1/2 inches high.
• Lightly press sliced mozzarella cheese into the dough, overlapping the slices until the entire bottom is covered (If making an all-cheese pizza, you can add extra cheese if you want, then skip to the part where you add the tomatoes).
• Add the Italian sausage: For traditional patty, add small bits of sausage on top of the cheese, connecting the bits together into a loose web, until the entire bottom is covered.
• Add any other ingredient that you want to protect from burning.
• THE PART WHERE YOU ADD THE TOMATOES: With a large spoon or ladle, top the pizza with the crushed tomatoes, spreading the sauce from the center out to the edge until the other ingredients are completely covered with sauce. You should need between 14 and 16 oz of tomatoes.
• Sprinkle grated Romano (and/or Parmesan) Cheese over the top of the sauce.
• Turn oven down to 450 and place the pizza pan directly on top of the pizza stone on the lower rack.
• Bake for approximately 35 minutes. If your crust or toppings start to char on top, place a loose sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the pizza for the remaining baking time.
• Remove from oven, let pizza rest for 5 minutes, then cut & serve on a real plate with a knife & fork.

DEEP-DISH SAUSAGE PIZZA

Steps:

• For the pizza dough: Whisk together the lukewarm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, until the yeast begins to bubble and foam.
• Add the flour and kosher salt to a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix until just combined. With the mixer off, add the yeast mixture. Turn the mixer back on and knead, gradually increasing the speed from low to medium, until the flour and yeast are combined and the dough looks shaggy. Turn the mixer off again and add the melted butter. Mix, slowly increasing the speed to medium, until the dough holds together and the butter is completely incorporated, about 30 seconds. With the mixer on the lowest speed, knead the dough for 3 minutes. If the dough moves too high up the hook and is no longer being kneaded, turn the mixer off and push the dough back down.
• Coat a large bowl with the olive oil. Remove the dough from the stand mixer, form into a ball and place in the greased bowl. (The dough will feel tacky when it comes out of the mixer but should come out in one piece. If necessary, knead additional flour into the dough, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.) Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• For the marinara sauce: Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepot. Add the onions and saute until softened, 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the tomato paste, oregano, crushed red pepper and salt; cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the stewed tomatoes, breaking up any large pieces. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt to taste. Let cool. (Makes 1 1/4 cups.)
• For the sausage pizza: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the sweet Italian sausage and hot Italian sausage and cook until browned, breaking up the sausage into small pieces. Remove to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
• Combine the mozzarella and Asiago in a bowl and reserve in the refrigerator.
• Place the proofed pizza dough on a lightly-floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour and roll into a 14-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer to a 10-inch nonstick springform pan. As evenly as possible, unroll the dough over the springform pan and guide the dough into the pan, pressing it evenly into the bottom and working it gently all the way into the edges. Next, lift the sides of the dough up and press against the sides of the pan, making sure the dough doesn't fold over itself at any point. The dough should come 2 inches up the sides of the pan.
• Add half of the cheese to the bottom of the crust, top with half of the sausage and then cover the sausage with the marinara sauce. Add the remaining cheese, followed by the rest of the sausage. Fold the top of the pizza dough over so that it sits evenly on top of the filling.
• Place the pizza on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate, cover with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven when the crust is a deep golden brown and the cheese is melted. Let rest for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan. Serve with torn basil scattered over the top.

CHICAGO DEEP-DISH SAUSAGE PIZZA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch square pan with cooking spray. Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage and bell pepper in skillet 7 to 9 minutes, stirring frequently, until sausage is no longer pink. Stir in mushrooms and pizza sauce. Keep warm over low heat.
• Unroll dough in pan. Press in bottom and up side of pan, folding edge under to form crust. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese evenly in bottom of crust. Spoon hot sausage mixture over cheese. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese, the tomatoes and olives.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with onions. Let stand 5 minutes. To serve, cut pizza into wedges with serrated knife.

TRUE CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP-DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• Mix sugar, yeast and 11 ounces room temperature water (about 80 degrees) in a bowl and let bloom for 15 minutes. Combine flour, salt and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Once yeast has bloomed, add to dry ingredients along with corn oil. Gently combine with a rubber spatula until a rough ball is formed.
• Knead on low speed with the dough hook for 90 seconds. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and proof until doubled in size, about 6 hours. Punch down and let dough settle for 15 more minutes.
• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
• Coat bottom and sides of a 12-inch cake pan or traditional Chicago style pizza pan with melted butter. Using your hands, spread out about three-quarters of the dough across the bottom and up the sides of the pan (save the remainder for another use). Cover entire bottom in mozzarella, all the way up to the edge. Cover half with a thin, even layer of raw sausage. Cover the other half with the pepperoni. Top with a couple handfuls of crushed tomatoes. Spread out with hands to the edge. Sprinkle top evenly with grated Parm.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden around the edge, about 25 minutes. Let rest for about 5 minutes, then either gently lift pizza out of pan or just cut your slice out of the pan like a pie!

CHICAGO DEEP-DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• Pour water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Sprinkle in yeast and let dissolve, about 10 minutes. Add olive oil, melted butter, sugar, salt, cornmeal, and most of the flour. Knead, stopping to scrape down the sides occasionally and adding more flour as needed, until smooth and elastic.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead in extra flour if needed. Roll into a ball and place in a bowl greased with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Cover with a plate and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, let pizza sauce simmer in a pot over low heat until very thick, 60 to 90 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Poke dough to deflate and turn out onto your work surface. Press and stretch out dough into a round shape 3 to 4 inches larger than a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Brush skillet with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place dough in the skillet; stretch and pull to evenly distribute it over the bottom and sides.
• Lay provolone cheese over the bottom of the crust. Scatter fresh mozzarella on top. Add Italian sausage and firm mozzarella. Ladle pizza sauce generously on top. Grate Parmesan cheese on top. Fold the edges of the crust in towards the center to seal in the sides. Drizzle crust and center with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until crust sounds hollow and pizza is beautifully browned, about 35 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP-DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, cornmeal, yeast, sugar and salt. In a saucepan, heat water and oil to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add remaining flour to form a stiff dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes., Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each portion into an 11-in. circle. Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of two greased 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillets. Sprinkle each with 2 cups mozzarella cheese., In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and seasonings. Spoon 1-1/2 cups over each pizza. Layer each with half of the sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms; 1 cup mozzarella; and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. , Cover and bake at 450° for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake until lightly browned, about 5 minutes longer.,

CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP-DISH SAUSAGE PIZZA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F.
• Dissolve yeast in warm water; let stand 5 min. Add flour, oil and salt; stir until mixture forms ball. Place on lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and no longer sticky. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. Parmesan onto bottom of 12-inch deep-dish pizza pan sprayed with cooking spray. Press dough onto bottom and 1 inch up side of prepared pan.
• Brown sausage in large skillet; drain. Add onions; cook and stir 5 min. or until tender. Drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste and oregano; simmer 15 min., stirring occasionally.
• Place half the mozzarella on bottom of crust; cover with half the meat sauce. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
• Bake 30 min. or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 min. before cutting to serve.

DEEP-DISH SAUSAGE PIZZA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1 cup flour, oil and crust seasonings; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down; roll out into a 15-in. circle. Transfer to a well-greased 12-in. heavy ovenproof skillet or round baking pan, letting crust drape over edges. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. , In a skillet, saute the green peppers, onion and topping seasonings in oil until tender; drain. Layer half the mixture over crust. Layer with half the Parmesan, sausage and tomatoes. Sprinkle with 2 cups mozzarella. Repeat layers. Fold crust over to form an edge. , Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with pepperoni and remaining mozzarella. Bake until crust is browned, 10-15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.