Deep Dish Pizza

Having grown up in the Chicago burbs, there is nothing better than a deep dish pizza. My husband and I are partial to Giordano's and my sister-in-law loves Lou Malnati's. Whatever your preference, there's no beating that first bite into cheesy, saucy, doughy goodness. I made my own version, using my pizza dough recipe from my Pizza Margharita recipe and an awesome sauce recipe. It wasn't as good as Giordano's (not sure any pizza really could be), but it was still extremely tasty, so try this recipe and get a taste of Chicago today!

You will need:
For the dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1/2-1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 teaspoons of oregano

cornmeal, for sprinkling

For the sauce:

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
6 fluid ounces warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
salt to taste

Toppings:

8 oz. mozzarella cheese

4 oz. parmesan cheese

Pepperoni, sausage, or veggies of your choosing

First, make dough according to Pizza Margharita pizza recipe (see here).

Make your sauce by combining and simmering all ingredients in a small sauce pan for 20-30 minutes to give the flavors a chance to meld.

Finally, sprinkle cornmeal into a deep dish pizza pan (I used a spring form cheesecake dish) and roll out your pizza dough into the pan, pressing the dough an inch and a half up the sides of the dish and pressing firmly into the bottom. Prick the dough with a fork to prevent dough from bubbling.

Layer the following on top of the dough:

-Mozzarella cheese and 3 oz. of the parmesan cheese

-Meat/veggie toppings

-Sauce

-Sprinkle last oz. of parmesan cheese on top

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then cut and enjoy!