Loaded Spicy Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes + 1 hour rise time
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Italian, Pizza
- Cuisine: Dinner
Description
I have lived in both Chicago and New York City and their pizzas couldn’t be more different than night and day. Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of NYC pizza. I find the crust to be like cardboard and the flavors lacking. Chicago pizzas, on the other hand, are usually delicious. Light and flaky crusts filled with all sorts of goodies.
Although I have made tons of traditional pizzas, I have never made a Chicago style deep dish. So, I’m going to say three things: 1. it came out deliciously, 2. it was much easier than I thought it would be, and 3. I learned a lot that I’m going to now break down for you.
So, I had the forbidden soggy bottom. And, there’s not really any good method to reduce liquid because, well, it’s a deep dish pizza! The mistake I made, I realized, is that I should have blind baked it before adding the filling. So you’ll see in the photos that the crust hasn’t been baked, but you’ll note in the instructions that I have modified it! The pie was still amazing, but I want it to be perfect for you!
I used a quiche pan to bake the pizza in. The bottom is removable, which made it easy to pop the pizza right out and onto a cutting board! Cake pans with removable bottoms work just as well!
Normally I make two balls of dough for two pizzas, but with a deep dish, one pie is more than enough to satiate your family. So, I halved the usual quality of dough to make a single pie. Adding in butter gives the crust a light flakiness. I will tell you, though, that the dough likes to pull back in. Take your time and have patience. Just keep working it and it will start to be more pliable and hold its form. It probably took me close to five to ten minutes of pulling the dough up the edges of the pan… constantly rotating and gently stretching the dough up.
I made this nice and cheesy by adding both mozzarella and provolone. Then to make it spicy, I used hot sausages, spicy salami, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. And it is gooood! We paired this with a Caesar salad and after one slice, we were full and happy.
Chicago style deep dish over on the east coast. How cool is that? Easy to make anywhere in the world!
Grab a knife and fork cause that’s the easiest way to eat this and enjoy!
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
250 g all-purpose flour
½ TB salt
2 tsp sugar
1¼ tsp active dry yeast
½ cup + 1½ TBs warm water (about 110°)
1 TB olive oil
3 TB butter, room temperature
Filling
1½ – 2 – 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
¼ lb deli sliced mozzarella
¼ lb deli sliced provolone
1 lb hot sausage, casings removed
3 oz hot and spicy salami (salame calabrese)
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsps dried oregano
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 TB balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Make the Dough
Whisk together the yeast and sugar with the warm water in a measuring cup or small bowl. Let sit for about 5 minutes, or until it gets about an inch of froth. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the cup or bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine.
In a standing mixer with the dough hook attached, mix together the flour and salt. With the speed on low, slowly add in the yeast water. Raise the speed to medium until a ball forms. You may have to stop the mixer and mix by hand to get the flour on the bottom fully incorporated. With the mixer on high, add the butter in 1 tablespoon at a time until each tablespoon is fully incorporated. Continue to mix on high for 7 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and form it into a ball. Return it to the bowl and cover with a towel. Leave in a warm space to double in size ~ about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425°
Roll the dough out into a a 9 to 10” circle. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Using a 10” cake pan or deep dish quiche pan with a removable bottom, place the dough on the bottom. Stretch the dough up the sides, being careful not to rip the bottom. The dough will shrink back. Keep turning the pan and continue to gently stretch the dough up the sides until the dough holds form close to half an inch from the top.
Place parchment paper over the dough and lay baking beans or pie weight on the bottom. Blind bake for 8 to 10 minutes. While it’s baking, prepare the filling.
Make the Filling
In a a large saucepan, cook the hot sausage over medium heat, breaking it up with the spatula or wooden spoon. Cook about 5 minutes then remove and place on paper towels to absorb the excess grease. Leave the grease in the pan.
Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Add the canned tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, dried oregano, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Take the blind baked crust and layer the bottom evenly with mozzarella and then provolone. Spread out the spicy salami and top with the hot sausage. Pour in the tomato sauce. It should come to about a quarter inch to half inch below the top of the crust. Sprinkle the top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Place it in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Check the top of the crust. If it’s a dark golden, cover the edges with aluminum foil. Continue to bake another 10 minutes, or until the filling is hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and slide the pizza onto a cutting board. Slice and serve.
This is great paired with a Caesar salad. Enjoy!
Keywords: Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza, Deep Dish, Deep Dish Pizza, Hot Sausage Deep Dish
