Deep Dish Pizza
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2¼ teaspoons instant/rapid-rise yeast
- ½ cup corn oil
- 1 cup warm water (see note)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
For the Sauce
- 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
For the Toppings
- 12 oz sliced whole-milk mozzarella (not part-skim)
- ½ lb (8 oz) raw Italian sausage
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of salt
- Heaping ¾ cup (3 oz) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Make the Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, cream of tartar, and yeast. Add the oil and water and stir with a spoon until the dough comes together into a shaggy mass.
- Knead briefly by hand—about 30 seconds, just until the dough comes together. It will be sticky. Do not overmix. Lightly oil a large bowl (you can clean and reuse the same bowl if you like), add the dough, flip it to coat the top with oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled, 5 to 6 hours (this dough rises slowly because of the high oil content). Don’t worry if the dough looks spotty or uneven; that’s normal for this high-oil dough.(Alternatively, for a make-ahead option, let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight. If chilled, let it sit at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour before shaping so it’s easy to press into the pan.)
- Preheat the Oven: Set an oven rack in the lowest position and preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Generously grease two 9-in cake pans or one 12-in deep-dish pizza pan with the softened butter, coating the bottom and sides well. (Do not use oil, as the soft butter helps the pizza dough cling to the pan, making it easier to press out.)
- Make the Sauce: Place a colander in the sink and add the tomatoes and their juices. Let the juices drain. Crush the tomatoes by hand, allowing their excess liquid and seed gel to drain away. Set aside while assembling the pizza(s).
- Assemble: Divide the dough as needed (one portion for a 12-in pan, two for 9-in pans). Dust your hands with flour and press the dough evenly into the pan(s), working it across the bottom and about 1½ in up the sides, keeping the sides thinner than the base (aim for about ⅛-in thick around the sides and ¼-in thick on the base). Flour your hands as needed; this is an oily dough.
- Cover the dough evenly with the sliced mozzarella. Pinch off small pieces of the raw sausage and scatter them over the cheese. Scatter the crushed, well-drained tomatoes into an even layer over the sausage, then sprinkle with the oregano and salt. Finish with the Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Bake on the bottom rack for 25 to 35 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden and the top is lightly browned. If needed, rotate the pan once for even baking.
- After baking, let the pizza(s) rest in the pan(s) for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the cheese to set and the crust to firm up. Run a thin spatula around the edge to loosen it, then carefully lift the pizza out of the pan and transfer it to a cutting board before slicing. A serrated knife works best. Serve with a knife and fork, if you like.
Notes
- Warm water helps activate yeast. The temperature should be about 110°F (43°C), but it doesn't need to be exact; just try to get it about the temperature of bath water.
- Don’t be tempted to overload the toppings or reduce the oil in the dough, or the crust won’t crisp properly.
- Freezing Instructions for Dough: After the first rise, divide it (if making two pizzas), wrap each portion tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour before shaping so it’s soft and easy to press into the pan.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.