Sometimes there is just no substitute for a thick Chicago-style pan pizza. Unfortunately, if you don't live in Chicago you may not have a local restaurant that knows how to make that perfect pan pizza crust that is chewy on the inside and flaky on the outside. If you can't fly to Chicago, you will have to learn to make it yourself. Fortunately, making pan pizza crust does not require any more preparation than a regular pizza crust.
Step 1
Heat the milk in the microwave for one minute. The milk should be very warm but not boiling, or about 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2
Combine the milk, yeast, flour, sugar and salt in the bowl for your stand mixer. Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and mix the dough on low speed. When the ingredients have blended and a dough has begun to form, add the olive oil. Turn the speed on the mixer to medium and mix the dough for two more minutes, or until it has a smooth, uniform consistency.
Step 3
Grease a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it somewhere warm and without drafts, like a warm kitchen. Leave the dough to rest for four hours. The dough should double in size during this time.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 5
Dust a deep-dish pizza pan with the cornmeal. Place the dough in the pan and stretch the dough with your fingers until it is evenly distributed across the pan. Spread the dough up the sides of the deep-dish pan similar to a pie crust. When the dough is spread in the pan it should be approximately 1/2-inch thick.
Step 6
Spread the mozzarella cheese at the bottom of the pan, then add the pizza sauce; Chicago-style pizzas add the majority of the cheese before the sauce. Add the rest of the toppings. Finally, dust the top with the Parmesan cheese.
Step 7
Bake the pizza for 30 minutes, or until the crust turns golden-brown and the toppings are cooked.
Step 8
Remove the pizza from the oven and allow it to rest for five minutes before you slice it. This allows the sauce and cheese to cool slightly, which helps them stay on the pizza crust when you slice the pizza and serve it.
Step 9
Slice the pizza into eight even pieces and serve it hot.
Tips and Warnings
- If your pizza looks too oily, sprinkle some cornmeal on top. This absorbs some of the grease. Serve this pizza with knives and forks. Chicago-style pizza is often too messy and thick to eat with your hands.
- If your kitchen is not warm enough or if it is drafty, the dough will not rise. Turn the oven on to warm. When the oven has preheated on the warm setting, turn it off and place the covered dough in the oven to rise.
Things You'll Need
- 2 cups skim milk
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup cornmeal plus more for dusting the top
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Large bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Pizza pan for deep-dish pizza
- 2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups toppings of your choice
- 1 cup Parmesan
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