Deep Dish Pizza

Why this recipe works If you’re from the Northeast, or if you haven’t been to Chicago, you may dismiss deep-dish pizza out of regional pride. That would be a mistake. Real Chicago-style pizza is certainly thick, but its texture and flavor are something special: Instead of being bread like, the crust offers the contrast of a good biscuit—airy inside, lightly crisp outside, and flaky throughout—and boasts a rich taste that holds its own under any topping. We wanted to achieve such results at home. Deep-dish pizza crust includes a fair amount of fat. Some recipes rely on oil, but we thought the rich flavor of butter was unbeatable in this crust. We found cornmeal in just about every ingredient list we reviewed, and it indeed added good earthy flavor and crunch. To achieve maximum flakiness, after mixing the dough and letting it rise, we employed a technique called laminating, which involves layering butter and dough through a sequence of rolling and folding to create ultraflaky pastries. Adding melted butter to the pizza dough and spreading the rolled-out dough with softened butter before folding did the trick in our crust. Moving the dough into the refrigerator for its second rise ensured that the butter remained in distinct layers and didn’t get too soft. For the finishing touch on our crust, we oiled our cake pans, which made the crust crisp and even more flavorful. Following Chicago tradition, we covered the dough with shredded mozzarella before topping it with a thick tomato sauce. The cheese formed a barrier between the crust and the sauce, which prevented sogginess. A sprinkle of nutty Parmesan over the sauce provided a second layer of cheesy bite. We do not recommend mixing this dough by hand. Use the large holes of a box grater to grate the onion.

MAKES: two 9-inch pizzas

RISING TIME: 1½ to 2½ hours

BAKING TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 3 to 4 hours

KEY EQUIPMENT: stand mixer, medium saucepan, rolling pin, two 9-inch round cake pans

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE DOUGH

• 3¼ cups (16¼ ounces) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (2½ ounces) cornmeal
• 2¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1¼ cups (10 ounces) water, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) softened
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ¼ cup (1¾ ounces) extra-virgin olive oil

FOR THE SAUCE AND TOPPINGS

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup grated onion
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 pound whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (4 cups)
• ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, cornmeal, yeast, and salt. In a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together water, melted butter, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Using the dough hook attachment on low speed, slowly add the water mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and clears the sides of the bowl, about 8 minutes.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead it by hand to form a smooth, round ball, for about 30 seconds. Place the dough seam side down in a lightly greased large bowl or container, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise until doubled in size, for 1 to 1½ hours. If you prefer, you can refrigerate the dough for at least 8 hours or up to 16 hours. In that case, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping in step 4.
3. For the sauce and toppings, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, oregano, and ½ teaspoon of salt and cook until the onion is softened and lightly browned, for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and sugar, bring to a simmer, and cook until the sauce measures 2½ cups, for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in basil and remaining oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and let it cool completely before using.
4. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Press down on the dough to deflate it and transfer it to a clean counter. Press and roll the dough into a 15 by 12-inch rectangle, with the short side parallel to the counter edge. Spread softened butter over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border along the edges.
5. Roll the dough away from you into a firm cylinder, keeping the roll taut by tucking it under itself as you go. With the seam side down, flatten the cylinder into an 18 by 4-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half crosswise.
6. Working with one half at a time, fold the dough into thirds like a business letter, then pinch the seams together to form a rough ball. Return the dough balls, seam side down, to the greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let them rise in the refrigerator until nearly doubled in size, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
7. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons of oil each. Press and roll one dough ball into a 13-inch round of even thickness, sprinkling the dough and the counter with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Loosely roll the dough around a rolling pin and gently unroll it into the prepared pan. Gently press the dough into the pan, working it into the corners and 1 inch up the sides. If the dough resists stretching, let it relax for 5 to 10 minutes before trying to stretch it again. Repeat this process with the remaining dough ball.
8. For each pizza, sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella evenly over the surface of the dough, spread 1¼ cups of tomato sauce over the cheese, and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the sauce. Bake the pizzas until the crusts are golden brown, for 20 to 30 minutes. Let the pizzas cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cutting board with a metal spatula. Slice and serve.

VARIATION:

DEEP-DISH PIZZA WITH SAUSAGE  

• Cook 1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into ½-inch pieces with wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towel–lined plate. Sprinkle half of cooked sausage over mozzarella in each pizza before continuing with additional toppings in step 8.