SWEET HOME CHICAGO STYLE DEEP DISH PIZZA

Sweet Home Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza image

Why travel to Chicago for authentic deep dish pizza when you can make it at home?! The pizza crust has so much flavor from the garlic and basil and the homemade sauce really shines through. All the toppings really pair well together with the Italian sausage being the star. You will feel like you stepped into a Chicago pizzeria...

Provided by Kelly Williams

Categories Pizza

Time 1h30m

Number Of Ingredients 27

Ingredients

PIZZA DOUGH:
1 (1/4 oz.) packet fast-rising yeast
1 c warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 c vegetable oil
3 Tbsp ground Parmesan cheese
3 c flour
PIZZA SAUCE:
1 can(s) (6 oz.) Contadina Italian herb tomato paste
1 can(s) (14.5 oz.) Del Monte stewed tomatoes, mostly drained
1/4 Tbsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp sugar
PIZZA INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground mild Italian sausage, i always use Johnsonville, it's the best
1 (8 oz.) container fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced or julienned
1 medium shallot, halved and sliced very thin
36 slice pepperoni
1 can(s) (2.25 oz.) sliced black olives, drained
1 2/3 c homemade pizza sauce, recipe above
3 tsp ground Parmesan cheese
2 lb shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps:

1. For pizza dough: In large mixer bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar and salt. Let sit til foamy on top. Beat in oils, basil, garlic powder and half of the flour. Beat for 10 minutes. Add remaining flour and cheese. With dough hook, pulse til incorporated. Continue kneading on medium for 10-12 minutes til smooth and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Transfer to large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place for 1 hour or til doubled in size. Punch down, rise again. Roll out onto floured board or freeze to store. Makes 2-12" pizzas or 1 deep dish.
2. For the sauce: In blender or food processor, pulse til combined and coarse chopped.
3. To make pizza: Break up sausage into nickel-sized pieces and saute til done. Remove to paper towel-lined bowl. In small bowl, place cut up peppers and shallots, sprinkle with water, cover with paper towel and nuke about 1 minute til softened a little. In 9" wide, 3" deep oiled cast iron skillet, place thinly rolled out dough. (Across bottom, up sides and overhang an inch.) *Save aside 3/4 lb. mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup sauce for top. Cover bottom with 1" deep layer of mozzarella. Sprinkle with 1 tsp Parmesan cheese, then half of pizza topping ingredients of choice sprinkling with a little more mozzarella after each ingredient. Drizzle evenly with about 2/3 cup pizza sauce. Cover with 1" layer of mozzarella. Press gently. Sprinkle with 1 tsp Parmesan. Repeat ingredients adding in last of cheeses except top amount. Drizzle with 2/3 cup sauce. Top with 3/4 lb. mozzarella. Roll up overhang of dough to inside of skillet around edge. Brush dough with oil. Bake in 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove, top center with last 1/3 cup sauce, bake 5 minutes longer. Let rest before cutting.