Homemade Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza
Ingredients
**For the Dough:**
– 1 teaspoon oil (for greasing)
– 1 pound pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
**For the Filling:**
– 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
– ⅓ pound Italian sausage (bulk or removed from casing)
– ⅓ cup pepperoni, diced
– ⅔ cup pizza sauce (store-bought or homemade)
– ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
1. **Preheat Oven:**
– Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. **Prepare the Pan:**
– Lightly oil the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan. This will help prevent sticking and ensure a crispy crust.
3. **Prepare the Dough:**
– Roll out or stretch the pizza dough to fit the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Press the dough evenly into the pan. If the dough is too elastic, let it rest for 10-15 minutes to relax.
4. **Layer the Ingredients:**
– **Cheese Layer:** Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the bottom of the dough-lined pan. This layer acts as a barrier, helping to keep the crust from becoming soggy.
– **Sausage Layer:** If you prefer, you can pre-cook the Italian sausage to ensure it’s fully cooked and reduce excess grease. Crumble the sausage and evenly distribute it over the cheese layer.
– **Pepperoni Layer:** Spread the diced pepperoni evenly over the sausage.
– **Sauce Layer:** Carefully spread the pizza sauce over the pepperoni. You can use store-bought or homemade pizza sauce.
– **Top Layer:** Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and the grated Parmesan cheese evenly on top.
5. **Bake:**
– Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The pizza is done when the crust is deeply golden brown and the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned.
6. **Cool and Serve:**
– Allow the pizza to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before slicing. This cooling period helps the layers set and makes it easier to cut and serve.
7. **Enjoy:**
– Slice and enjoy your homemade Chicago-style deep dish pizza!
Feel free to adjust toppings to your taste, and remember, the key to a great deep dish pizza is layering and baking it long enough for that perfect crust and melty, flavorful filling.