Deep Dish Pizza

Difficulty: Medium - experience needed
Serves:

Preparation time:
Cooking time:

Ingredients

Dough:

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt 

1/4 ounce active dry yeast

1/2 cup Canola oil

Sauce: 

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon Italian herbs

Toppings:

1 ball of dried Mozzarella

handful of frozen spinach

Pamesan cheese

Method

 
Toss the flour, water, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl.  Attach the dough hook to the Kitchen aid.  Mix on a low speed until roughly combined, about 2 minutes.  


Slowly drip in the canola oil.  Mix for 7 more minutes until it is a a shiny ball.  If you don't have a Kitchen Aid, it's okay.  Just mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix the ingredients around with your hands.  Then knead the ball until it becomes shiny and smooth. 

Originally found at http://thepauperedchef.com/2009/03/digging-into-deepdish.html


Pour a little bit of oil into a large bowl, and coat the sides and bottom.  Then dump in the ball of dough and cover with plastic.  Let sit on the counter for a few hours until it doubles in size.


Meanwhile, mix together the tomatoes, herbs and cheese.  It's pretty easy. 

  

Brush an iron skillet or pizza pan with about a tablespoon of Canola oil. 

 
Remove the dough from the bowl and gently pat it down.  Form it roughly into the of the pan.  Unlike regular pizza, it doesn't need to be tossed around stretched.  It's good to go. 

 
Drop it into the pan.  Crimp the edges around the sides. If any dough is sticking too far out, just remove it. 

 
First spread a layer of cheese.  Don't be shy.

 
Spread any toppings on next.  I used spinach.  Though you could use some of my freshly made Italian sausage. 

 
Ladle on some of the sauce, though I would use less than I did here.  Top with a sprinkling of Parmesan. 

Place in a preheated oven set at 450 degrees.  Cook for 25 or minutes or until the edges start to brown.  Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before digging in.