Creative Chicago-style pizza toppings
Chicago-style pizza dough pressed into a pan and filled with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. Pizza is baked in a hot oven for 30-40 minutes until the crust has cooked through and the cheese has melted.
 |
| Chicago-style pizza |
Ingredients -
- Chicago-Style Pizza Dough:
- 2 cups Water
- 1 teaspoon Yeast
- 3 teaspoons Salt
- 5 ½ to 6 cups Flour
- 1/3 cup Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Cornmeal
Filling:
- 2 cups Diced Tomatoes, drained
- 2 teaspoons Dried Basil
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1-2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1/2 pound Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Preparation:
- Mix water and yeast in a large bowl and allow yeast to dissolve. Add remaining dough ingredients except for the cornmeal and mix together thoroughly.
- Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
- Place dough in olive-oil coated bowl, turning once to coat. Allow to rise for 2 to 4 hours.
- After the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and put it on a floured surface. Dust dough with flour.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Mix tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and garlic in a large bowl.
- Grease a 9 or 10-inch pie pan or cast iron skillet with the olive oil and sprinkle cornmeal in the bottom. The skillet or pan should be at least 2 inches deep.
- Press the pizza dough into the bottom and sides of the skillet. The pizza dough should be at least 1/8th inch thick all the way around the pan and up the sides.
- Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese directly on the pizza dough. Top with a layer of tomato sauce mixture, then top the pizza with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake pizza at 450 degrees F for 30-40 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown and comes away from the sides of the pan.
Pizza Making Tips
High-Quality Canned Tomatoes
Use high-quality canned tomatoes for the best flavor. If diced tomatoes are not available, use canned whole peeled tomatoes, drained of their liquid, and diced into 1-inch cubes.
Pizza Toppings
Chicago-Style pizza can contain any number of fillings. For variations, try adding precooked sliced Italian sausage, slices of pepperoni, or sliced green bell peppers. For a white Chicago-Style pizza, eliminate the tomato sauce and add 1 cup Alfredo sauce, 1 cup chopped cooked chicken, and 3 cups cooked spinach.
