Week #13: Illinois - Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

State:  Illinois

I have only been to Illinois once and I visited Chicago for 2 days, for a work-related function.  I walked all throughout downtown on Michigan Avenue and went shopping, which was a lot of fun.  I bought a Chicago umbrella, but I have no idea where it is....lol.  What I do remember about the food in Chicago, was the influence of Italian food.  I walked through an Italian neighborhood and ended up eating dinner at Mike Ditka's restaurant. 

Ingredients Needed:

Pizza Crust (Makes 1)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup yellow cornmeal

1 tsp of salt

½ a packet of yeast

1 cup slightly warm water

1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided (1/4 cup melted, 1/4 cup softened) – DID NOT USE FOR MINE

1 TBSP of Olive oil for coating

Sauce:

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 can of organic or regular plum tomatoes

Toppings:

1 package of mozzarella cheese or 1 cup of freshly grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ lb of chicken Italian sausage in bulk or removed from casings

½ of green pepper – diced

½ of onion - diced

½ of mushrooms – diced

½ cup of Kalamata olives

Crust:

This is for 1 pizza and I used a round cake pan for this pizza.

Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and yeast in a very large bowl.  Toss ingredients together and add the warm water and 1/4 cup of melted butter (if using). Make sure water and butter are not too hot or it will kill the yeast and burn your hand if mixing by hand.  If you melt it in the microwave, let it sit for 5 minutes before adding. Knead dough until soft and falls off of the fork.   Let dough sit for 15 minutes.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  After dough has rested, place into the deep dish pan and start making the sides rise to the top when fixing dough.  Put dough in for 10-15 minutes or to allow crust to brown.  Remove from heat.

PLEASE NOTE:  I am not the best baker and since this is my first time making this crust, so take warning on the instructions for the crust.  I would Google a good recipe to make the crust.  That’s what I did to find a crust.  I actually did not like the recipe I found, so I would try to Google another recipe for this. 

Sauce:

Process the tomatoes until they are crushed.  I choose whole tomatoes, because it makes them fresher than having them sit in a can crushed and sitting next to the aluminum.  It helps keep the flavor more intact.  Add into a medium sauce pan and add spices.  Cook to boiling and remove from heat.

Meat:

Tear ground chicken into little pieces and cook on medium heat until browned.  Ensure all chicken has been cooked and then add onions.  Allow onions to cook until they become transparent and then set aside. 

Pizza:

After the dough has been cooked or browned, it should be puffy.  Press down on the middle of the dough and place slices of mozzarella cheese on top of it, covering all of the bottom.  Then add the sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and olives.  Then add the sauce on top of the toppings and sprinkle the grated cheese on top.  Cook for 15 minutes or so at 425.  Once cheese is browned on top and pizza is bubbling a little, you know it has cooked through.  Allow pizza to cool and then cut, serve and eat. 

Pairing:

For this pizza, I would go with one of the beers from Two Brothers or Goose Island.  I have sampled a few of the craft beers from Goose, but I didn't like them all that much.  I have not had any of the beers from Two Brothers, but I hear they are a good company.  I would say a pale ale or a lager would be great for this pizza, since the flavors are so rich in the pizza.  Pairing a wine, I would consider the same thing.  Unless you are like me and drink a Red wine with any type of food.  LOL.

Learning Moments:

The biggest challenge for me in this pizza creation was making the crust.  I am not a great baker and for some reason, even if I follow the instructions, it doesn't work out like I want it to.  I made the best with the situation as usual and the pizza tasted good, but I realized I need to work on that crust a little better.  Baking is an art form and it is something I will continue to work out.  With that said, the pizza was really good.  It tasted like it was from Chicago, but maybe some dive restaurant that you would buy a pizza for like $5....Lol.  No, in all seriousness, the pizza was really good.  The tastes was spot on, because I cook by taste and using the right ingredients that blend well with each other.  It is all about the harmony of the ingredients!   I just need to work on my baking skills.  Either way, Illinois is over and we are on to the next.  Cheers and I hope you enjoy this blog!