Lou Malnati's Chicago Stylepizza Crust - Dough

Submitted by Kasha

"From FoodTv, one of the Malnati brother's gives this recipe. I use it for both deep dish and thin crust pizza. Makes a lot. I make the recipe, split into 4 pieces, freeze three then use one. The cornmeal makes it special and it is very very close to a real Lou Malnati's pizza. Sometimes I put the cornmeal on the bottom of the pan before putting in the dough, sometimes I mix it right into the dough. * I just noticed a 1 star review, the only review, complaining there was no corneal in the recipe written by someone who must not have read the last ingredient in the recipe...cornmeal. Please don't let the one star review stop you from trying this pizza crust."

 

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 6
• Yields: 4 pizzas
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 16 ounces water
• 1⁄8 ounce yeast
• 1⁄2 ounce salt
• 2 lbs flour
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup cornmeal

directions

1. In a mixer combine the water and the yeast and allow the yeast to dissolve.
2. Add the remaining ingredients except for the cornmeal and begin to mix the dough using a dough hook on low speed.
3. Once a ball is formed mix on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until the dough becomes elastic and smooth.
4. Remove from the mixer and place in a bowl coated with olive oil. Allow the dough to rest for approximately 4 hours.
5. Once the dough is rested, place on flat surface and dust with some flour.
6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a deep baking dish or deep dish pizza pan, or cookie sheet for a thin crust pizza, oïl the bottom and sides of the pan with your fingers, spread in the cornmeal and spread the dough using your fingers at the bottom of the pan and make sure to have enough dough to come up the sides of the pan approximately 1/2-inch high.
7. Begin by placing a layer of the mozzarella cheese on the bottom of the crust. Cheese goes first on a Chicago Style pizza. Add the tomato sauce and all of the toppings. Place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes until golden and crispy. If you want a regular pizza, use toppings of your cjhoice in the order of your choice.
8. Serve pizza straight from the oven to the table.
9. Good cold for breakfast too!

Reviews

[slsl60514]

The recipe is not correct. Use AP flour only; there is--and never has been--cornmeal in Chicago deep dish pizza. Butter isn't used except to 9sometimes) grease pans--the buttery taste comes from corn oil. More oil is needed (2.5-3 Tablespoons per cup of flour). Proof the yeast first, then mix for 1 minute and knead for 2. You don't need to laminate it or keep it in the fridge (although you can, if you want to). Let rise for at least 4 hours, then roll out and drape into deep dish pan.<br/><br/>Use either hand-crushed whole tomatoes (a la Malnati's)or premium crushed or ground tomatoes, like 6-in-1 (a la Giordano's). No butter in the sauce, no fire-roasted tomatoes, and do not cook the sauce.

 

[Marie Nixon]

This is a good pizza dough recipe but mine did not turn out similar to Lou Malnati's. I eat Lou Malnati's as often as I can since I am fortunate to live in the Chicagoland area. I noticed that the real Lou Malnati's pizza did not have corn meal on the bottom of the crust. My pizza dough turned out chewy rather than crispy. I decreased the recipe by 1/4th to make one pizza. By doing that, I got 12 ounces of dough, which was a good amount to make the pizza in a 10 inch cast iron skillet.

 

[Italian.girl]

There is no corn meal in Lou Malnati's pizza. I have spent years developing what, in my estimation, is the closest to the actual crust. I get rave reviews from both people who have lived in Chicago their entire lives and people who have never had authentic "Lou Malnoti's" style Chicago pizza. The list of ingredients in my recipe (which are very much in line with the ingredients list on the box of a Lou Malnoti's pizza) are as follows: 7/8 cup (3/4 cup + 2 Tbl) 90 – 100 degrees Filtered Water ½ cup Dark Corn Oil 2 Tblsp Olive Oil ¾ tsp Salt (Mediterranean seal salt or Kosher Salt is preferred) 3 cups AP Flour 1 tsp Sugar 1/8 tsp Active Dry Yeast - I do add white corn meal to the bottom and sides of the cake pan to give it that extra crunch but not in the dough itself. Good luck in your quest!!!

 

[gary_traub_12565646]

I'm pretty sure a Malnati's brother would have not forgotten to add the corn meal.

 

[Diane G.]

Not right. Turned out too bready for a Lou's crust. Not right flavor either.