Every year during the homeschool convention, my sister Tracie, my daughter Tiffany, and I go eat at Savastano’s the first night for dinner (this year Lauren and Tracie’s husband Mike joined us too). They serve a deep dish Chicago style pizza. It’s not a pretty pizza but it is delicious and CHEESY!!!! Mmmm Mmmmm!!! This pizza is along those lines.
First make the dough.
In a large bowl, combine 1 and 1/2 cups of the flour, cornmeal, yeast, sugar, and salt.
Add oil and the hot water.
Combine.
When combined, add in the remaining flour; I usually use two cups whole wheat flour and one and a half regular white all purpose flour.
The directions say to turn the dough out onto a floured surface but I just knead it in the bowl.
Cover and let the dough rise for about 30 minutes. Of course the directions say to place it in a greased bowl and turn it once to coat both sides of dough in oil.
Next it is divided and put into two greased pans. It is supposed to be two 10-inch deep dish pans but I only have one 10-inch pan. I also have a 12-inch pan and a 6 or 8-inch pan. So I use the big one and the little one. 
Because my pans are different sizes I have to adjust the amounts of ingredients I put into each pan but in the directions below I’ll list the directions for the 10-inch pans.
Next put in some of the mozzarella cheese. I use real, whole milk mozzarella NOT part skim.
Add sauce but only add the amount listed because otherwise it will get soupy.
Add pepperoni.
This time we added chicken sausage too. I bought about 3/4 of a pound of links, which was two links this time, from the fresh meat case at Sprout’s. We take it out of the casing, brown, and crumble it. Then add it to the pizza.
Add the rest of the mozzarella cheese and the bit of parmesan (we use freshly grated, not the shaker stuff).
Cover with foil and bake at 450º for 35 minutes. Then uncover and bake 5 minutes longer until slightly browned.
This one was a little bit soupy and stayed in the oven just a bit too long but it was still delicious!
Ingredients
- 3½ cups flour (I usually use 1½ cups white all purpose flour and 2 cups whole wheat flour)
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1 package (1/4 ounce) quick-rise yeast
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup hot water (I just use really hot tap water)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Toppings:
- 24 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (I use whole milk mozzarella)
- Your favorite spaghetti sauce, I use either Delmonte Traditional can or Hunt's Traditional can or I make my own.
- 48 slices pepperoni (we use turkey pepperoni)
- 1/2# - 1# bulk Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled (I use sweet Italian chicken sausage links)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 1½ cups flour, cornmeal, yeast, sugar, and salt.
- Add in oil and hot water and combine.
- Add remaining flour to form a stiff dough.
- Knead until smooth and elastic, place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes
- Grease two 10-inch pans (I use cast iron skillets)
- Divide dough and press into and up the sides.
- Sprinkle each with 2 cups mozzarella.
- Spoon 1½ cups sauce over each pizza.
- Layer with meats and any veggies you choose.
- Finish with 1 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake at 450º for 35 minutes.
- Uncover and bake 5 minutes longer or until lightly browned.
Until next time, God bless,
Michele ºÜº