Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

This was our delicious Superbowl dinner! We have loved Deep Dish pizza since we visited Chicago in April! The crust was really buttery and delicious and the sauce was definitely a keeper. I won't be buying sauce now because I have this recipe.

Recipe and picture from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1½ cups plus 2 tbsp. (8 1/8 oz.) all-purpose flour

¼ cup (1 3/8 oz.) yellow cornmeal

¾ tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1 1/8 tsp. instant yeast

½ cup plus 2 tbsp. (5 oz.) water, at room temperature

1½ tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For the sauce:

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. grated onion

Pinch of dried oregano

¼ tsp. salt

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes (I used diced and then blended the sauce after it was cooked)

Pinch of sugar

2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

1½ tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Ground black pepper

For assembling and topping:

2 tbsp. olive oil

8 oz. mozzarella, shredded (about 2 cups)

¼ oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 tbsp.)

Directions: To make the dough, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook on low speed. Mix until blended, about 1 minute. Add the water and melted butter and continue mixing on low speed until fully incorporated, 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is glossy and smooth, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 4-5 minutes. Using your hands, coat a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, turning once to coat with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled, about 45-60 minutes.

While the dough is rising, prepare the sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and sugar and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until reduced to about 1¼ cups, about 25 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To laminate the dough, turn the dough out onto a dry work surface and roll into a 8- by 6-inch rectangle. Using an offset spatula, spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Starting at the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. With the seam side down, flatten the cylinder into a 9- by 2 inch rectangle. Fold into thirds like a business letter, pinch the seams to form a ball, and return to the oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator until nearly doubled in size, 40-50 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.

To assemble, coat a 9-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Transfer the dough ball to a dry work surface and roll out into a 13-inch disk about ¼-inch thick. Transfer the dough to the pan. Lightly press the dough into the pan, working into the corners and 1 inch up the sides. If the dough resists stretching, let rest 5 minutes before trying again.Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the surface of the dough. Spread the tomato sauce over the cheese and top with Parmesan. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 20-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Yield: 1 9-inch deep-dish pizza