Deep Dish Pizza

I have always wanted to make Deep Dish Pizza, and I am so glad I did and I get to share it with all of you! I was born in a small town just outside of Chicago called Hammond, Indiana. One of my best memories as a child was going into the city for pizza. I loved their deep dish pizza. All the layers and the crust ... oh so delicious! There is something about it that just so much tastier than a "normal" Papa John's pizza! :o) Not that I have anything against a good ole Papa John's Pizza, I just love me some deep dish!


I was always a little nervous about trying to master the deep dish, because of the crust. I know that deep dish pizza has a special crust that is hard to master! But thanks to all the deep dish I have had in my past, I know what good crust should taste like!

So, when I finally decided to conquer this task, I did A LOT of research on recipes! And trust me there are a lot out there to choose from. I really didn't have much to go by other than the list of ingredients, so I kinda just picked one that sounded like it would taste good (pictures helped me too!) I really did like this dough. It had the texture that I remember so well as a kid. The only thing I would have done differently about this crust was rolled it out a little thinner. It got a little thick in the creases and was somewhat difficult to cut through. But remember...Deep Dish is not meant to be a delicate pizza! You need a fork and knife to eat it! Enjoy!!

Deep Dish Pizza

(adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod)

For the Crust:

4 Cups Flour
1 Cup Milk
1 Tbsp. Butter
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 Package Instant Dry Yeast
About 1 cup of water-add a little at a time until you get the right dough consistency

Scald milk. Add butter, sugar and salt. Allow milk mixture to cool to "warm." Add yeast and mix thoroughly.

Using a Kitchen Aid mixture with your dough hook, add milk mixture. Slowly add flour until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and forms a ball. Add water, a little at a time, until the dough combines. Knead dough for 5-10 minutes. Cover and allow dough to rise for 2 hours. Punch down the dough, knead briefly, and allow to rise and additional 2 hours until approximately doubled in bulk.

For Pizza:

Your favorite Pizza Sauce (if you use jars you probably want 2)

I pack of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (next I will use fresh!)

Whatever toppings you choose...we did spicy sausage, mushrooms, and pepperoni

To assemble:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray a 10 inch springform pan with non stick cooking spray (you could use a cast iron skillet which may taste better, but I thought it would be easier in a springform). Roll the crust to fit the pan. The edges should come to the top of the pan. Take a little bit of sauce and put it on the bottom. Put some cheese on the bottom. Take some of the sauce and spread it on the cheese. Add whatever toppings you like. Take more of the cheese and spread a layer. Add a lot of sauce to the top. Sprinkle with extra cheese if you wish. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until crust is cooked and cheese is bubbly!

This pizza was so delicious! I actually can't wait to make it again! It had the perfect combination of sauce and cheese and toppings! I really hope you give it a try...IT IS SO WORTH IT!

**I have send out a great big THANK YOU to Kristen Wiltse for taking photo's of my food! I don't have a great camera and she is always so willing to be at my mercy :o) for great photos! But have no worries...I always feed her!**