Homemade Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

📋 Ingredients:

For the Dough:

3¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup yellow cornmeal

1½ teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons sugar

2¼ teaspoons instant yeast

1¼ cups water, room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon + 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

For the Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup grated onion

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

¼ teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

For the Toppings:

1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)

Pepperoni (optional)

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

👩‍🍳 Directions:

1️⃣ Make the Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast. Add water and melted butter. Mix on low speed with a dough hook (or by hand) until fully combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and knead until the dough is glossy, smooth, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 4 to 5 minutes. Coat a large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil, transfer the dough to the bowl, and turn to coat it in oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume, about 45 to 60 minutes.

2️⃣ Make the Sauce: While the dough rises, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add grated onion, dried oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in crushed tomatoes and sugar, then increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce is reduced to about 2½ cups, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped basil and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3️⃣ Laminate the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a dry work surface and roll it into a 15×12-inch rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough, leaving a ½-inch border along the edges. Roll the dough tightly into a cylinder, starting from the short end. Flatten the cylinder into an 18×4-inch rectangle with the seam side down. Cut the rectangle in half crosswise, then fold each half into thirds like a business letter. Pinch the seams together to form two balls. Place the balls in the oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let them rise in the refrigerator until nearly doubled in volume, about 40 to 50 minutes.

4️⃣ Bake the Pizzas: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and coat two 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons of olive oil each. Roll out one dough ball into a 13-inch circle and transfer it to a pan by rolling it loosely around a rolling pin and unrolling it into the pan. Press the dough lightly into the pan, working it into the corners and 1-inch upsides. If the dough resists stretching, let it relax for 5 minutes before trying again. Repeat with the remaining dough ball. Sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella evenly over the surface of each pizza. If desired, add any meat or veggie toppings on top of the cheese. Spread 1¼ cups of tomato sauce over the cheese (or toppings) and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the sauce. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.