Chicago Style Deep-Dish Pizza

"An easy to fix deep-dish pizza cooked in a cast-iron skillet. To be sure pizza doesn't stick, I give it a shot of non-stick spray. For pizza sauce, I recommend Steve's Recipe #8497 and I haven't used refrigerated store-bought dough since."
 
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photo by Jonathan Melendez photo by Jonathan Melendez
photo by Jonathan Melendez
photo by deevajones photo by deevajones
photo by Mean Bean photo by Mean Bean
photo by Jonathan Melendez photo by Jonathan Melendez
photo by Jonathan Melendez photo by Jonathan Melendez
Ready In:
40mins
Ingredients:
13
Serves:
6
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ingredients

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directions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Remove skins from sausage and cook in heavy skillet, crumbling as you cook.
  • Remove sausage to plate covered with paper towel to drain.
  • Remove fat from skillet.
  • Sauté sweet pepper and onion in olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
  • Add pepperoni, basil, oregano and black pepper; cook another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Unroll pizza dough and place in well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet.
  • You may need to stretch slightly so dough comes up about 1 inch on the sides.
  • Spread dough with 2 tablespoons of the pizza sauce.
  • Spread half the vegetable filling evenly over and top with half of the sausage.
  • Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and dot with 3 tablespoons sauce.
  • Top with half of the mozzarella cheese.
  • Repeat layering again.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

Questions & Replies

  1. Can you use a springform baking pan?
     
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Reviews

  1. Made it on a regular cookie sheet with everything except the Italian sausage. Next time I might use two cans of pizza crust because it was a little thinner than I like. One of the best pizzas I've tasted from here to Chicago!
     
  2. This was pretty good although I used Italian Spice rather than the basil and oregano. I also made Steve Sickenberger's pizza dough (a whole lot of it) #8497. I diced up a tomato as well as some black olives. And added a little garlic. Like I said, it was pretty good.
     
  3. Good recipe, but the pan needs quite a bit of oil to make a proper deep-dish crust. It's almost as if the outside of the crust is fried in the oil, but you need that texture for authenticity. Otherwise, this recipe is great!
     
  4. I followed the recipe for the topping, but I assembled the pizza differently because the method described in the recipe isnt' how a TRUE deep dish pizza is made. Anyone who has ever had a real Chicago deep-dish pizza knows that the first thing you put down is the cheese, and then any toppings - in this case the mixture outlined in the recipe - and then you top it off with crushed tomatoes instead of regular pizza sauce. If you make those changes, then you will have a real deep-dish Chicago-style pizza on your hands.
     
  5. Superb! This recipe's versatility is equally matched with its deliciousness. I used Steve's Dough recipe as recommended and it worked perfectly. I just sauteed all the meats with the spices and didn't include the veggies. Also, the bake time was increased to ensure the bottom was browned. For the last 5 minutes of baking, I took the pizza out briefly and coated the top in a think layer of sauce, just like Giordano's or Gino's East in Chicago ;) Wonderful overall! It brings out my nostalgia for Chicago like no other recipe can. Bravo.
     
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Tweaks

  1. I followed the recipe for the topping, but I assembled the pizza differently because the method described in the recipe isnt' how a TRUE deep dish pizza is made. Anyone who has ever had a real Chicago deep-dish pizza knows that the first thing you put down is the cheese, and then any toppings - in this case the mixture outlined in the recipe - and then you top it off with crushed tomatoes instead of regular pizza sauce. If you make those changes, then you will have a real deep-dish Chicago-style pizza on your hands.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I live in the San Francisco area and love it here. I discovered Recipezaar (then Food.com..Genius Kitchen) in 2001 and have been so happy to have my favorite recipes stored safely here. I am mother to 7 and grandmother to 7. I love to knit, smock, sew, etc., but my favorite hobby of the moment is traditional rug hooking. This is a sample of what I do.? It's called "November".? I dyed most of the wool myself. It is made from wool flannel, cut into strips a little less than 1/4" and then worked into a linen backing. This is my 3rd rug.
 
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