Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Dough Recipe Cast Iron
Chicago-style deep-dish pizza is a delicious and filling meal that has been around for decades. The pizza dough is the foundation of this iconic dish, and making it from scratch is easier than you might think. In this article, we will share our favorite Chicago deep dish pizza dough recipe that you can make at home using a cast-iron skillet.
Ingredients
To make the perfect Chicago-style deep-dish pizza dough, you will need the following ingredients:
- 3 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup of yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons of instant yeast
- 1 1/4 cups of water at room temperature
- 1/3 cup of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
Instructions
Now that you have all the ingredients, let's start making the dough:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and yeast. Mix them well.
- Add the water and melted butter to the dry ingredients. Mix everything until the dough forms a ball.
- Place the dough on a floured surface and knead it for 5 to 7 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Grease a 12-inch cast-iron skillet with the olive oil and place the dough in it. Press it down with your fingers until it covers the bottom and sides of the skillet.
- Cover the skillet with a plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Remove the plastic wrap and poke the dough with a fork to prevent it from bubbling up during baking.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes or until it becomes golden brown.
Adding the Toppings
Now that you have made the crust, it's time to add the toppings. Here are some popular toppings for Chicago-style deep-dish pizza:
- Tomato sauce
- Mozzarella cheese
- Italian sausage
- Pepperoni
- Mushrooms
- Green peppers
- Onions
- Garlic
Add the toppings in the order listed above, starting with the tomato sauce. Spread the tomato sauce evenly on top of the crust, leaving some room around the edges. Add the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce. Then, add the rest of the toppings in the order listed above. Make sure to distribute them evenly.
Baking the Pizza
Once you have added all the toppings, it's time to bake the pizza:
- Place the pizza in the preheated oven and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Conclusion
And there you have it – a delicious Chicago-style deep-dish pizza that you can make at home using a cast-iron skillet. The dough is the foundation of this iconic dish, and making it from scratch is easy and fun. You can experiment with different toppings to make your own unique version of this classic pizza. We hope you enjoy making this recipe as much as we do!