Hearty Chicago-style dish with thick crust, melted cheese, tomato sauce, and savory toppings for a satisfying meal.
# What You Need:
→ Dough
01 - 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
03 - 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
04 - 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
05 - 1 1/4 cups warm water (approximately 110°F)
06 - 1/4 cup olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
→ Cheese & Toppings
08 - 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni or cooked Italian sausage (optional)
11 - 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
12 - 1/2 cup sliced bell peppers
13 - 1/2 cup sliced black olives
→ Tomato Sauce
14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
15 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
16 - 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
17 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
18 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
19 - 1/2 teaspoon sugar
20 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Combine warm water and yeast in a large bowl; let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add flour, cornmeal, salt, olive oil, and melted butter. Mix until a dough forms, then knead for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
02 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
03 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 12-inch deep-dish pizza pan or round cake pan evenly with olive oil.
04 - Press the dough into the prepared pan, ensuring it extends up the sides to form a high edge suitable for thick layering.
05 - Evenly sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the dough base. Arrange desired toppings such as pepperoni, mushrooms, bell peppers, and black olives atop the cheese layer.
06 - Pour the prepared tomato sauce evenly over the toppings, then sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the sauce layer.
07 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the crust turns golden brown and the sauce bubbles. If the crust edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil to prevent burning.
08 - Allow the pizza to rest for 10 minutes to set before slicing and serving.
