Description
A hearty Chicago-style deep-dish pizza featuring a thick buttery cornmeal crust layered with mozzarella cheese, halal beef sausage, vegetables, and topped with a rich chunky tomato sauce. This iconic pizza is baked in a deep pan for a tall, savory pie-like slice packed with flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 1/4 cups warm water
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 300 g halal Italian-style beef sausage, cooked and crumbled
- 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup sliced beef pepperoni
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast.
- Add warm water, melted butter, and olive oil. Mix until a soft dough forms.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise for about 1 hour until doubled in size.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté the minced garlic for about 30 seconds.
- Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer for about 15 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
- Grease a deep-dish pizza pan or cast-iron skillet.
- Roll the dough into a large circle and press it into the pan, pushing it up the sides to form a deep crust.
- Layer shredded mozzarella directly onto the crust.
- Add the cooked beef sausage, mushrooms, spinach, and sliced beef pepperoni evenly.
- Spread the prepared tomato sauce over the toppings.
- Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.
- Allow the pizza to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Placing cheese directly on the crust helps prevent it from becoming soggy.
- A cast-iron skillet works very well for deep-dish pizza if you don’t have a deep pizza pan.
- Let the pizza rest before slicing so the layers can set.
- You can customize toppings with vegetables like bell peppers, onions, or olives.
- Adding cheeses like provolone or fontina can enhance flavor and creaminess.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
