Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza with Italian Sausage

I am a pizza lover living in New York. When I first moved here, I attempted to find a pizza that I would like and ended up, unfortunately, with just one disappointing place. It was not what I was looking for as I was used to Chicago-style deep dish pizza. After a few years, I read about a few places online and went out for some Deep Dish Pizza dinner. I have found my favorite one after trying it several times. From that time on, when I crave some Deep Dish Pizza dinner, I make my own recipe at home and I think that it’s a great one! If you’re craving a deep dish pizza with a bit of zing to it, read on.

Ingredients:

For the dough

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 tsp instant yeast
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
Vegetable oil sprinkles (for cake pan)
Flour (for rolling the dough)

For the filling

1 pound sweet or hot sausage, without the wrappers, or hot dogs
8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
¼ cup shredded cheese (for the top of the pie)

For the sauce

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Pinch or two red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Instructions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed, mix flour, cornmeal, salt, yeast, and sugar until combined. Combine 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of room temperature water in a mixing bowl and stir until well blended. Add a tablespoon or two of water if the dough appears to be dry. The dough should be wet, not stiff or dry.
Switch to the dough hook and knead the dough on low speed for 5
to 7 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil into a clean bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl, turning to coat completely with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and leave for an hour or until it swells.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 9″ by 12″ rectangle. Spread two tablespoons of butter on the surface of the dough. Then roll the dough into a cylinder.
Lay the roller with the seam side up, press it flat, and fold the dough into thirds
Form into a ball and return it to the bowl. Cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until not pink, breaking up with a fork or rubber spatula to break it up. Transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels.
In the same skillet, you used to cook the sausage, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onions are softened. Add the tomatoes, salt, and sugar to the skillet and continue to cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the flavors have blended together and the sauce has thickened. Set aside to cool.
Set the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the cake pan generously with vegetable oil.
Place the dough in a circle on a lightly floured surface. Put it in a cake pan, pressing it into the corners and the tops of its sides. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
Then press the dough back into the sides of the pan to prevent it from shrinking when baked. Lay the cheese slices on the bottom, put the cooked and crumbled sausage on top spread the sauce over the pie, and finally, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes, until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbling.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes to allow the sauce to settle, then cut into slices and serve from the skillet. To remove one piece, pass a knife around the perimeter of the pan. Gently slide a wide spatula under the dough and lift it out of the pan. Transfer it to a large plate.

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza with Italian Sausage