Family Pizza Party

When we were in Illinois we made Chicago Style Deep Dish pizza for dinner. It was so much fun. The whole family got in on the action! My dad makes the best pizza ever! He normally does a regular thin crust pizza, but this time he did his regular AND deep dish! What a treat for us!!

He made the deep dish pizza in his cast iron skillet that he has had forever. It is a family heirloom. It was the perfect dish for the pizza! The dough took four hours to rise, but it was well worth it! So plan ahead when you want to make this style of pizza!

The guys adore their meat, so my dad did an “All Meat, All the Time” pizza…and a veggie for me:) I didn’t sample the meat version, but I am guessing it was fantastic since it was gobbled up in no time! The crust was extra thick..it had to be to hold all of the meat, sauce, and cheese! My dad doesn’t hold back when it comes to toppings!

If you haven’t tried Chicago Deep Dish pizza…either go to Chicago or make this version at home! It is ultra thick and ultra delicious!

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

Dough

• 4 Cups Flour
• 1 Cup Milk
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 Tbsp. Sugar
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 Package Instant Dry Yeast
• About 1 cup of water-add a little at a time until you get the right dough consistency
  

Scald milk. Add butter, sugar and salt. Allow milk mixture to cool to “warm.” Add yeast and mix thoroughly.

In a heavy-duty mixer (e.g., KitchenAid), add milk mixture. Slowly add flour until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and forms a ball. Add water, a little at a time, until the dough combines. Knead dough for 5-10 minutes. Cover and allow dough to rise for 2 hours. Punch down the dough, knead briefly, and allow to rise and additional 2 hours until approximately doubled in bulk.

Sauce

• 1 Can (16 ounces) Tomato Puree
• Salt to taste
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Black pepper
• Sweet basil
• Garlic

Simmer sauce for ½ hour.

Cheese

Using a coarse grater, grate mozzarella cheese. I am not sure how much we used, I just know it was a lot! My family likes their cheese!

Toppings

My Dad used Italian sausage. He seasons it with fennel, salt, and pepper. You can use Whatever topping you like. I used mushrooms, peppers, and zucchini for the veggie pizza!

Assembly & Baking

Grease a 10″ deep-dish pizza pan or cast iron skillet. Roll the crust to fit the pan. The edges should come to the top of the pan. Take the sliced cheese and layer it on the bottom. Take some of the sauce and spread it on the cheese. Take more of the cheese and spread a layer. Continue, but try to end up with mostly sauce on top. (The cheese will overcook if it’s exposed on top.)

Bake 45 minutes at 425 degrees F or until bubbly!