Recipe: Chicago Deep Dish Pizza (and variations)

CHICAGO DEEP DISH PIZZA

Crust
2 pkg. quick-rise dry yeast
2 C. tepid water (90 F)
1/2 C. vegetable oil
4 T. olive oil
1/2 C. cornmeal
5 1/2 C. flour, divided

Dissolve yeast in water. Add oils, cornmeal, and 3 cups of the flour. Beat for 10 minutes with a mixer. Mix in the additional 2 1/2 cups flour. Knead for several minutes. Pour the dough onto a plastic countertop and cover with a very large metal bowl. Allow to rise until double in bulk. Punch down and allow to rise again. Punch down a second time and you are ready to make pizza. Oil round cake pans with olive oil. Put a bit of dough in each and push it out to the edges, using your fingers. Put in enough dough so that you can run the crust right up the side of the pan. Make it about 1/8 inch thick throughout the pan.

Filling
1/3 lb. sliced Mozzarella cheese
2 C. canned plum tomatoes, drained and squished
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Salt, to taste
3 T. grated Parmesan cheese
3 T. olive oil

Place the cheese in tile-like layers on the bottom of the pie. Next put in the tomatoes and the basil, oregano, garlic, and salt, reserving the Parmesan cheese for the top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the pie and you are ready to bake at 475 F until the top is golden and gooey and the crust a light golden brown. This should take about 35 or 40 minutes.

Additional variations
Before you put on the Parmesan cheese and olive oil drizzle you might like to add Italian sausage, yellow onions, peeled and diced, pepperoni, sliced thin, mushrooms, sliced, green sweet bell peppers, cored and sliced thin.