Best Deep Dish Pizza Recipes

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.,

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!

THE REAL CHICAGO DEEP DISH PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a bowl. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam.
• Combine yeast mixture, flour, corn oil, and kosher salt in a large stand mixer with a hook attachment; knead until dough holds together but is still slightly sticky, about 2 minutes.
• Form dough into a ball and transfer to a buttered bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with a towel and allow dough to rise at room temperature until double in size, 6 hours.
• Punch down dough and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Press dough into a 10-inch deep dish pizza pan.

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.

DEEP DISH PIZZA RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• For the pizza sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the onion, salt, red pepper flakes, and oregano, and sauté until golden brown.
• Add the garlic, sugar, and crushed tomatoes, and simmer for roughly 20 minutes or until sauce thickens.
• For the dough, combine the active dry yeast, sugar, and warm water together and let sit for one minute.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, and salt.
• Add the yeast mixture and butter into the dry ingredients and stir until dough forms.
• Bring dough to floured surface and knead until dough forms into a ball.
• Move dough to large bowl drizzled with olive oil. Coat dough in oil and cover. Let rest for 1 hour.
• Remove dough and bring onto floured surface.
• Cut dough in half and begin working dough out, ensuring that it is at least 2 inches (5 cm) wider than your deep dish pan.
• Double wrap the remaining dough with plastic wrap and place in a resealable freezer bag. Freeze for up to a month.
• Preheat your oven to 425°F (215°C).
• Bring your dough into your oiled and floured deep dish pan.
• Using your hands press dough into sides of your dish making it as even as possible.
• Lay slices of mozzarella across the dough, covering the entire bottom.
• Add pieces of uncased italian sausage on top of the mozzarella and top with tomato sauce.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust starts to lightly brown and the cheese is melted.
• Garnish with parmesan, cut and serve.
• Enjoy!

QUICK & EASY DEEP DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. In a large skillet, cook beef, pepper and onion over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking beef into crumbles; drain. Stir in pizza sauce and Canadian bacon; remove from heat., Prepare dough for pizza crust according to package directions. Press dough to fit bottom and 1 in. up sides of a greased 13x9-in. baking pan., Spoon meat sauce onto crust. Sprinkle with cheese; top with pepperoni. Bake, covered, 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until crust and cheese are golden brown. Freeze option: Cool meat sauce before assembling pizza. Securely cover and freeze unbaked pizza. To use, bake frozen pizza, covered with foil, in a preheated 425° oven 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until golden brown and heated through.

PIZZERIA UNO CHICAGO DEEP DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl and dissolve the yeast with a fork.
• Add 1 cup of flour, all of the cornmeal, salt, and vegetable oil, and mix well with a spoon.
• Continue stirring in the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. Flour your hands and the work surface and knead the ball of dough until it is no longer sticky.
• Let the dough rise in an oiled bowl, sealed with plastic wrap, for 45-60 minutes in a warm place, until it has doubled in size.
• Punch it down and knead it briefly.
• Press it into an oiled 15-inch deep dish pizza pan until it comes 2 inches up the sides and is even on the bottom of the pan.
• Let the dough rise 15-20 minutes before filling.
• Preheat the oven to 500°F.
• While the dough is rising, prepare the filling.
• Cook the sausage until it is no longer pink and drain the excess fat.
• When the dough has finished its second rising, lay the cheese over the dough shell.
• Distribute the sausage and garlic over the cheese.
• Top with the tomatoes.
• Sprinkle on the seasonings and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 500°F, then lower the temperature to 400°F and finish baking for 25-35 minutes longer.
• Lift up a section of the crust from time to time with a spatula to check its color. The crust will be golden brown when done.
• Serve immediately.

COPYCAT PIZZERIA UNO "CHICAGO DEEP DISH" PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• OLD SCHOOL METHOD: Mix the yeast and water together in a large mixing bowl with a fork until totally dissolved.
• Blend in 1 cup of flour, and all the cornmeal, salt, and oil. Mix well with a large spoon.
• Continue stirring in the rest of the flour in 1/2-cup increments until the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl.
• Put some flour on your hands and knead the dough until it is no longer sticky, about 5-10 minutes.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm, dry, draft-free area for 45-60 minutes to rise until doubled.
• Punch it down and knead briefly. Go to Step #8. Didn't want to do all that just to have another rise later? Check out the bread machine instructions!
• BREAD MACHINE INSTRUCTIONS: Put all the ingredients into your bread machine according to your manfacturer's directions and do a 1.5-lb or 2-lb dough cycle, kick back and let it do its work.
• Press the dough into an oiled 15-inch deep dish pan. Let it rise for another 20 minutes before pre-baking.
• After the rise in the pan is finished, bake at 450F for 10 minutes. Then add the sauce, cheese, toppings, etc, and whatever else you like and bake at 400F according to how much you put on (ie, meat toppings require longer.) I like cheese and veggie toppings which only take about 15-20 minutes, then turn on the broiler for 5 minutes to get a nice crispy edge and cheesy crunch.
• Don't have a deep-dish pan? Can probably split this up among casserole dishes and large pie pans.

CHICAGO STYLE DEEP-DISH PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in1/4 cup of the warm water. Add the sugar and 1/4 cup of the flour and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to combine.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
• Add the remaining 1 cup warm water and 3 cups flour, the cornmeal, salt, and 1/2 cup olive oil.
• Using a wooden spoon, mix the dough, incorporating as much of the flour as possible.
• Turn the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and elastic, 10 to 12 minutes. It will be a little sticky, but shouldn't stick to your hands.
• Add only a minimum amount of flour to the work surface to keep the dough from sticking.
• Lightly oil a large bowl. Add the dough and turn to coat on all sides.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place a clean, damp, kitchen towel over the top.
• Set the bowl in a warm spot and let rise until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (For a slow rise, place the covered bowl in the refrigerator and let rise for 10 to 12 hours, returning dough to room temperature before using).
• When the dough has doubled in volume, punch it down and knead it for 2 to 3 minutes. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of an oiled 14-inch round deep-dish pizza pan.
• Let the dough rise in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Press the dough until it comes 2 inches up the sides and is even on the bottom and at the corners of the pan.
• Proceed with any deep-dish pizza recipe.

SAUSAGE, PEPPERS AND ONION DEEP DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Add the water and oil and mix to combine (you may have to get in there with a spatula to help everything incorporate). Turn the mixer to medium-high and knead the dough until it is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl without sticking, adding more flour 1 tablespoon at a time if needed, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Coat a large bowl with oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Toss a few times to coat the dough. Cover and let sit at room temperature until it has doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• Once the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Liberally coat two 10-inch cake pans with the softened butter. Divide the dough into two balls and place each one in a pan. Cover loosely and let sit for about 20 minutes while the oven preheats and you prepare the other toppings.
• Place the tomatoes in a strainer and sprinkle on a couple good pinches of salt; let drain for 10 minutes. Flatten out the dough all over the bottoms of the pans and about 1 1/2 inches up the sides. Top with cheese slices, overlapping them. Tear the sausage into golf ball-size pieces, then press on top of the cheese and flatten, leaving little holes for the cheese to poke through. Top with the tomatoes, peppers and onions. Sprinkle over the Pecorino-Romano and oregano.
• Bake until the crust is a deep golden brown, the cheese on top is turning golden and the sauce has begun to bubble, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper, if desired.

CHICAGO STYLE ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PEPPER DEEP DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 12-inch circle, about 1/2-inch thick. Press the dough into 2 greased 12-inch deep-dish pizza pans. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt and pepper and saute for 2 minutes. Add the peppers, season with salt and pepper, and continue to saute for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• In the same pan, over medium heat, add the sausage and render for 4 to 6 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.
• Lay 1/4-pound of the sliced provolone on the bottom of each pizza. Spoon 1/2 the onion and pepper mixture over each pizza. Sprinkle 1/2 of the sausage over the onion mixture on each pizza. Scatter 1 cup sliced mushrooms over sausage. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce over the top of each pizza. Layer 1/4-pound mozzarella slices over top of each pizza. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Bake the pizzas for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove the pizza from the oven and cut into individual servings.
• In an electric mixing bowl, whisk the yeast, sugar, water and lard together to make a paste. Add the flour and salt and mix, using a dough hook, until the dough comes away from the sides and crawls up the dough hook. Remove the dough from the bowl. Grease the bowl with olive oil and place the dough back in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide dough in half. Roll the dough into balls, cover, and let the dough rest for 15 to 20 minutes. The dough is ready to be shaped.

DEEP-DISH PIZZA WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the broccoli rabe and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and run cold water over. Drain well again and squeeze out excess liquid.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil, chili flakes and garlic in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook for 1 minute. Add the broccoli rabe, salt and pepper and cook until slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
• In a separate large saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the sausage links and using a wooden spoon, gently break up the meat into coarse pieces. Cook until deep golden brown. (You do not need to cook all the way because it will continue to cook in the oven.) Combine the sausage and the broccoli rabe and let cool slightly.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and oregano, bring to a boil and cook until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly.
• Dissolve the yeast and water in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the oils and mix for 30 seconds. Add the cornmeal, 3 cups of the flour and salt and beat for 5 minutes. Switch to the dough hook and mix in the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour and knead, using the dough hook for 2 minutes. Add the butter and knead until incorporated. The dough is a very moist dough so do not add more flour unless absolutely needed.
• Place the dough in a large bowl lightly oiled with vegetable oil, cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towels and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Punch down the dough and allow to double in size again.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place 2 pizza stones into the oven to preheat as well. Generously oil 2 (9 or 10-inch) deep dish pie pans with olive oil (about 2 tablespoons for each pan).
• Divide the dough in half and press the dough out slightly on the counter top. Place the dough in the prepared pans and push out to cover the bottom and up the side of the pans. (If using the 9-inch pans, pinch a 2-inch ball off each dough to make a better fit.)
• Combine the cheese in a bowl. Place half of the cheese of the bottom of each pie crust. Divide the sausage filling over the cheese and then top with the remaining cheese, patting the cheese firmly down over the filling. Spoon some of the sauce over the top of the cheese to cover completely. Place the pans into the oven on the pizza stones and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with Parmesan. Let the pizza rest on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before slicing.

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.

GINO'S EAST CHICAGO DEEP DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475.* This recipe mkes enough dough for a 12" round deep dish pizza, preferably cooked in a seasoned cast iron skiilet.
• One secret to making Gino's East pizza is getting the cornmeal ground up fine enough so that you don't have a grainy texture to the crust. To do this, take 3/4 cup corn meal and grind it up in a coffee grinder. You have to grind it as fine as is possible. Then take the ground corn meal and sift it into your mixer bowl.
• Another secret to Gino's East pizza is to get the cornmeal dissolved as well as possible (again, to prevent the grainy crust.) To do this, put the warm water in the mixing bowl with the corn meal, and add the yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil, and melted butter. Using the whisk attachment (if you have a KitchenAid mixer), stir the mixture for 10 minutes.
• Add one cup of flour to the mixer and use the dough hook to mix it up well. Add the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until you can handle and kneed the dough without it sticking to your hands. You may not need the whole 2 1/2 cups of flour, or you may need a little more. You will have to use your judgment. Just remember not to let the dough get too hard, or to have it too soft (will stick you your fingers).
• Take the dough out of the KitchenAid mixer and kneed it by hand on a countertop. If you have made the dough right you will not have to put any flour down, or you will only need a minimal amount. Kneed the dough for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Oil the inside of your mixer bowl. Place the dough ball in the bowl and cover the bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap or a warm damp towel. Let the dough rise until doubled in size. This might take anywhere from 1/2 to 1 1/2 hours.
• After the dough has risen, punch down the dough into a ball. Place the ball of dough on the counter and flatten it with your hand. Then use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a uniform circle 1/4 inch thick.
• Oil the bottom of the skillet, with CANOLA oil and not olive oil, and then take your dough and carefully place it into the skillet. Form the crust by stretching the dough about 1-1/2 to 2 inches up the side of the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise again until your oven is preheated to 475ºF.
• Melt 2T of butter and use a basting brush to coat the crust surface with melted butter. The first thing you will put into the pan will be the cheese. Place an even layer of cheese 1/2 to 3/4 inches deep in the pan. The next thing you will put into the pan will be the meat. Layer the meat spaced evenly over the top of the cheese. Next spread a layer of tomato sauce or crushed tomates on top of the meat. Don't put too much sauce on or you will end up with a soggy pizza. The last thing is to sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top of the sauce.
• Bake the pizza at 475 for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 400ºF and bake the pizza an additional 10 to 25 minutes until the crust is golden brown, and areas of browned cheese start to poke up through the sauce. Let the pizza cool 5 minutes and then 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.

DEEP-DISH PIZZA DOUGH

Steps:

• Combine water and yeast in a bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add flour, salt, sugar, and butter, stirring until a ragged dough forms. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead with floured hands until elastic and tacky but no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl brushed with oil, turning dough to evenly coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours; or refrigerate until doubled in volume, at least 12 hours and up to 3 days (return to room temperature before using, 1 to 2 hours).

SKILLET DEEP DISH PIZZA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cook the sausage rounds until they turn brown on each side, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Grease the inside of a 12-inch cast-iron skillet with the butter. Place the pizza dough in the center and spread evenly towards the bottom edge and 1 1/2 inches up the sides.
• The order of topping layers is very important to achieving a crisp bottom pizza crust. Begin with the sausage. Evenly lay the sausage on the dough, followed by the mozzarella and marinara. Sprinkle the garlic and oregano on top. Finish with the Parmesan and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Place the skillet pizza on the bottom rack of the oven and cook until the edge of the crust is golden brown and crusty, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN DEEP DISH PIZZA RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• For the Dough: Mix flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add water and melted butter and mix on low speed until fully combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is glossy and smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, 4 to 5 minutes. (Dough will only pull away from sides while mixer is on. When mixer is off, dough will fall back to sides.) Using fingers, coat large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil, rubbing excess oil from fingers onto blade of rubber spatula. Using oiled spatula, transfer dough to bowl, turning once to oil top; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume, 45 to 60 minutes. For the Sauce: While dough rises, heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add onion, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and sugar, increase heat to high, and bring to simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and oil, then season with salt and pepper. To Laminate the Dough: Adjust oven rack to lower position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Using rubber spatula, turn dough out onto dry work surface and roll into 15- by 12-inch rec-tangle. Using offset spatula, spread softened butter over surface of dough, leaving 1/2-inch border along edges. Starting at short end, roll dough into tight cylinder. With seam side down, flatten cylinder into 18- by 4-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half crosswise. Working with 1 half, fold into thirds like business letter; pinch seams together to form ball. Repeat with remaining half. Return balls to oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in refrigerator until nearly doubled in volume, 40 to 50 minutes. Combining them all: Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons olive oil each. Transfer 1 dough ball to dry work surface and roll out into 13-inch disk about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to pan by rolling dough loosely around rolling pin and unrolling into pan. Lightly press dough into pan, working into corners and 1 inch up sides. If dough resists stretching, let it relax 5 minutes before trying again. Repeat with remaining dough ball. For each pizza, sprinkle 2 cups grated mozzarella evenly over surface of dough. Spread 1 1/4 cups tomato sauce over cheese, add whatever toppings you want to use and sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmesan over sauce. Bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Feing someone who cooks as rare as a Sade concert, I decided I would take a stab at making a Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza recipe found on America's Test Kitchen website. The recipe seemed somewhat simple and being a visual person, I appreciated the detailed instructions and the illustrations showing how you roll out the dough. It started out simple and I followed the instructions to a tee. But, by not reading the instructions from beginning to end when I started, I accidentally put all the butter in when making the dough. It called for "3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and plus 4 tablespoons, softened". When I first read it, I thought it was asking to put in all the butter in at once. I know is sounds ridiculous, but that is what happens when you never cook. Needless to say, the dough didn't rise and just stuck to the counter when I tried to roll it out. Strike 1! The sauce on the other hand came out perfectly. At least I got that one right on the first try. After realizing how I screwed up the dough, I decided to try again. With correct amount of butter, the dough came out perfectly. It rolled out smoothly, didn't stick and fit perfectly into the pan. When applying the toppings, I first applied the Mozzarella cheese. What I thought I read was to apply 2 cups of cheese which I couldn't believe how much cheese there was. I went ahead and applied the sauce, pepperoni and black olives, my favorite toppings. It cooked as described and came out with a golden brown crust. When it came time to cut a slice, the cheese just oozed out. It looked like you were cutting into a lemon custard pie, the cheese was so thick. I tried eating a few slices but it was so rich with cheese it made me nauseous and had to throw it out. After reading the recipe again, it dawned on me that it was two cups AFTER you shred the cheese, not two cups (read: 1 lb) of pre-graded cheese. Strike 2! I still had another dough role from the second time, so I give it another try. This time I only used 1 cup of shredded cheese, pepperoni, ground sausage and caramelized onions. Finally, after all the stress I finally had a good pizza that was actually edible. Notes from the ATK folks: This recipe makes two 9-inch pizzas, serving 4 to 6 each. Place a damp kitchen towel under the mixer and watch it at all times during kneading to prevent it from wobbling off the counter. Handle the dough with slightly oiled hands, or it might stick. ATK prefers Dragone Whole Milk Mozzarella; part-skim mozzarella can also be used, but avoid pre-shredded cheese, as it does not melt well. ATK preferred brands of crushed tomatoes are Tuttorosso and Muir Glen. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater.

DEEP-DISH CAST IRON PIZZA

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast and brown sugar over warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam.
• Turn mixer to the lowest setting and slowly add 2 cups flour 1/2 cup at a time. Add garlic salt and 1/4 cup butter. Integrate remaining 2 cups flour and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Coat a large glass bowl with 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil. Shape dough into a ball and place in bowl, turning to coat all sides with oil. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray and loosely cover bowl. Cover bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm area until dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Punch down dough and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
• While dough is resting, heat a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir bulk sausage until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Transfer cooked sausage to a bowl with a slotted spoon, retaining drippings in the skillet. Fry Italian sausage link in drippings until browned and no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. Slice sausage.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet with 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil.
• Press dough into and up the sides of the prepared skillet. Poke holes in dough with a fork to prevent air bubbles. Spread pizza sauce around the base of the crust. Sprinkle 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese over sauce; layer half the bulk sausage, half the sliced sausage, and half the pepperoni over cheese. Repeat the layers of meat. Top with remaining 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven on the bottom rack until crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Brush crust with 1 tablespoon butter; season with Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Remove pizza from skillet and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing.

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.