Recipe: Deep Dish Pizza of Chicago

Summary: This has become a family tradition. The original recipe came from a Sargento Advertisement

Ingredients

  1. - 1 lb load frozen Bread Dough – thawed.  I make mine in a bread machine.
    - 4 Cups Mozarella
    - 1½ lbs lean Sausage – I often use Bob Evans regular Breakfast Sausage
    - 1½ tsp dried Oregano
    - 1½ tsp Fennel Seeds
    - 3 cans (14½ oz ea) Plum Tomatoes – chopped & drained. – I will generally use just one can.
    - ½ Cup fresh Mushrooms – sliced. – I have also used canned.
    - fresh Basil for garnish – I often skip this.

Instructions

  1. preheat oven to 500°F.
  2. Chop tomatoes; drain well and squeeze to remove excess moisture; reserve.
  3. Brown, drain & crumble sausage; reserve.
  4. Grease one 14×2-inch (deep dish) pizza pan or two 9 x 2-inch round cake pans; sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. – I use a regular 14×2 glass baking dish.
  5. Press dough into bottom of baking dish(es) and 1-1/2-inches up side of pan(s).
  6. Evenly sprinkle 3 Cups of Mozzarella cheese in bottom of dough-lined pan(s).
  7. Crumble sausage over cheese.
  8. Top with reserved tomatoes, oregano, fennel, remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Place pizza(s) in 500°F oven; immediately reduce heat to 400°F. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  This has been taking 25 minutes when I use the Italian Bread  recipe in the Bread Machine.  Remove from oven; cool on wire rack 10 minutes before serving.  Serves 8.

CulinaryTradition: Italian

My rating: 5.0 stars
*****

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