Will Chicago Style Pizza Taste Just As Good When Made In California?

If you don’t live in Chicago but have enjoyed a Chicago style deep dish pizza in Chicago, then you might be missing the flavor and enjoyment you had the first time you ate a deep dish pizza. Well you don’t have to miss it anymore if you follow this recipe to make your own delectable deep dish pizza right in your own home. It can satisfy your craving without needed to spend the extra money to travel to Chicago. And people will try to tell you that if you only want 1 pizza, just freeze the dough and use the second dough later. Don’t believe them. It’s better just to make 2 pizzas and eat the leftovers during the week. The second dough isn’t as good after frozen. I’ve tried.

Ingredients:

Crust for 2 Pizzas

2¼ tsp yeast (¼ oz package) $0.83
1¼ cups (300ml) 120°F – 130°F warm water $0.00
1 tablespoon (12g) honey $0.12
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted $0.46
½ tablespoon salt $0.06
½ cup (60g) yellow cornmeal $0.27
3¼ cups (406g) all-purpose flour $0.81
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened $0.46
olive oil for coating $0.04

Tomato Sauce for 2 Pizzas

2 tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter $0.23
1 onion, finely chopped $0.33
3 garlic cloves, minced $0.08
4 14.5-ounce cans (794g) diced tomatoes $3.12
1 teaspoon salt $0.04
½ tablespoon dried basil $0.40
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended) $0.08
1 tablespoon sugar $0.02

Toppings for Pizza 1

2 cups (about 8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese $2.50
3 ounces prosciutto $3.99
10 ounces fresh spinach $2.79
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms $2.79
1/4 cup (23g) grated parmesan cheese $0.15

Toppings for Pizza 2

2 cups (about 8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese $2.50
3 ounces ham $1.76
3 ounces hard salami $3.59
3 slices cooked bacon chopped $0.63
8 ounces pineapple chunks $1.69
1/4 cup (23g) grated parmesan cheese $0.15

Total: $29.90

Full Video Tutorial

Preparation:

For the crust: Combine the yeast, water and honey in a bowl and wait 5 minutes until the yeast mixture is frothy. If it’s not frothy, then check your method for activating the yeast and try again. Combine the flour, cornmeal, and 1/4 cup of melted butter in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. On low speed, beat (or stir) the dough ingredients until everything begins to be moistened. Continuing on low speed, beat the dough until it is soft and supple and gently pulls away from the sides of the bowl and falls off of the dough hook- about 4-5 minutes. If the dough is too hard (it will be textured from the cornmeal), but if it feels too tough, beat in 1 teaspoon of warm water. Alternatively, if it feels too soft, beat in 1 Tablespoon of flour.
Remove the dough from the bowl and form into a ball. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with olive oil and place the dough inside, turning it around so that all sides of the dough are coated in the oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm environment for 1-2 hours or until the dough doubles in size.
Once the dough is ready, lightly flour a large work surface. Remove dough from the bowl, set the bowl and plastic wrap aside (to use later). Gently punch down the dough to remove any air bubbles and roll the dough into a large 15×12 inch rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup of softened butter on top of the dough. Roll it up lengthwise. Cut the dough log in half. Form the two pieces of dough into balls and place back into your greased bowl. Cover with aluminum foil and allow to rise in the refrigerator until they are puffy as you make the sauce.
For the sauce: Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and allow it to melt. Once melted, add the onion. Once the onion has slightly browned after about 5 minutes, add the garlic and brown for a minute more. Add the tomatoes, salt, basil, red pepper flakes and sugar. Turn the heat down to low-medium and allow it to simmer until thick for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
Assemble the pizzas: After the dough balls have risen in the refrigerator, they should be puffy. Roll it out one on a lightly floured work surface, working it into a 12-inch circle. place over a 9×2 inch deep springform pan. Using your fingers, press the dough into the pan. Make sure it is nice and tight fitting inside the pan. Trim any excess dough off the edges with a small knife. Repeat with the 2nd dough. Brush the top edges of the dough with a little olive oil, which gives the crust a beautiful sheen. Fill each pizza with the cheese (about 2 cups/8 oz per pizza), then your desired toppings. Pour about half of the sauce evenly on top of each. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup (22g) of grated parmesan cheese.
Place the springform pans in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove the pizzas from the oven and allow to cool in the pans placed on a wire rack for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, slice, serve, and enjoy. Place any leftover pizza in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.