Learn to make Chicago style pizza
The great city of Chicago is known for its top of the line deep-dish pizza. The pizza style consists of thick, right-angled crust filled with a bevy of sauce, cheese and additional toppings (see image below). Thankfully, Chicago Style Pizza has expanded beyond the city and all throughout the U.S., including North Texas. You can find fantastic Chicago style pizza in Irving, TX and you can even make one at home…
If you do want to make a Chicago style pizza in the comfort of your own home, you will need the following supplies, ingredients, and recipe:
Ingredients & Supplies
- Multiple mixing bowls
- 2 9×2 inch deep dish pans
- Mixer or mixing spoon
- Spatula
Dough
- 1 ½ cups warm water (about 95° F)
- 1 Package active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup semolina flour
- ½ cup vegetable oil, plus 2 teaspoons to grease bowl
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup melted butter
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
Let’s make the dough first
You’ll want to add the flour, salt, sugar and dry yeast to a mixing bowl. A stand mixer would work best; however, you can mix by hand with a large wooden spoon and a large bowl. If you have a stand mixer, you can mix on low power.
Then, add the warm water, the melted butter and mix again. Again, low mixing speed should do the trick. You’ll know when to stop once the mixture moistens. You’ll notice it falling from the edges of the bowl or from the dough hook.
Take the dough from the mixing bowl and form it into a ball. Once formed into a ball, take mixing bowl #2 and grease the base with a coding of olive oil. Roll the ball of dough in the bowl to where all of the dough is covered with a layer of olive oil.
Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and place it in a warm environment. If you’re cooking on a hot summer day then placing the covered bowl by the window sill should do the trick. If it’s not sunny or hot outside, try placing the bowl in an oven preheated to 250°. The goal is for the dough to double in size while warming. It should take 1-2 hours.
When the dough is ready, pour a layer of flour onto your countertop and place the dough atop it. Massage the dough to remove air bubbles and then take your roller and roll the ball of dough into a completely flattened rectangle. Once flattened, roll the dough again, but this time from the shorter side of the rectangle. It should like a burrito once rolled up.
Cut the dough burrito in half, place each half back into the olive oil bowl, cover with aluminum foil and let them sit for about an hour.
Next, make the sauce
Pour the two tablespoons of butter into a sauce pan and let melt on medium heat. When melted, add whatever ingredients you like in your pizza sauce, whether it be onions, garlic, red pepper, salt, oregano…
Of course, the tomato sauce is most important. Add the tomato sauce and cook in saucepan on medium heat for about 20-30 minutes, until you have about 2 ½ cups worth of sauce.
The sauce and the dough have been prepared, now let’s compose the pizza! Give it a Chicago style!
Place the spread-out dough into the deep-dish pan and firm the edges to where the dough is completely flat across the base and the edges. Cut off the excess dough that is protruding beyond the edges. Complete the same process with the other dough burrito.
Add and spread your half cup of parmesan cheese as the first layer. Then add pepperoni, sausage, bacon, vegetables…whatever you like on your pizza. Pour half of you sauce onto each pizza and spread.
Finally, once the oven is preheated to 425°, place the deep-dish pan into the oven and cook it for 20-30 minutes or until you see that traditional golden-brown crust.
Tada! Your Chicago style deep-dish pizza is complete! Slice it up and it will hopefully taste amazing!
Classic Chicago Gourmet Pizza
Of course, not everyone is a cook. Either that, or folks would much rather go out or order a pizza in order to save time and put the faith of making a high-quality deep-dish pizza in the hands of someone else. If you are one of those people, rely on Classic Chicago Gourmet Pizza to satisfy your pizza needs! We’re located in Irving, TX and you can reach us (972) 717-7770. Please visit our website—www.classicchicagogourmetpizza.com—to view our menu and visit our blog for additional tasty Chicago Style Pizza news!