Lunch / Dinner
Deep-Dish Pizza Dough
If you want to get a debate going, ask people their preferred style of pizza. But ask anyone from Chicago and you know the answer — deep dish. Some say it’s more of a casserole encased in a buttery, flaky crust with layers of fillings. Regardless, it’s definitely big, bold, and hearty. And after trying these renditions of the city’s culinary icon you’ll likely profess the same.
These versions start with a crust that’s sturdy enough to hold the fillings, yet light, flaky, and flavorful at the same time. One of the best parts about the dough, besides the amazing flavor it lends, is how easy it is to make and work with. Because of lots of fat and rest time built in, it’s pliable and rolls out beautifully (especially if you make it a day ahead). This all-purpose and semolina flour crust is so good, you’ll find yourself eating every last morsel — there will be no bits of crust left on any plate!
Ingredients
STIR:
WHISK:
ADD:
Instructions
Stir together all-purpose flour, butter, oil, and semolina in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Whisk together water, honey, and yeast in a measuring cup with a pour spout; stir into flour mixture just until a shaggy dough forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let dough rest at room temperature 30 minutes.
Add salt to dough. Fit mixer with dough hook; knead on low speed (#2), 4 minutes. Let dough rest 4 minutes, then continue kneading on low speed, 4 minutes more.
Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat; arrange seam side down. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
Punch down dough, divide in half, and shape into balls. Return dough balls to oiled bowl, seam sides down; cover with plastic wrap and let rise again in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour more. Dough can be refrigerated (or frozen) at this point; bring to room temperature (or thaw) before using.
To fill and bake pizzas, make the Sopressata & Fennel Deep-Dish Pizza with cherry peppers or the Margherita Deep-Dish Pizza with pesto.
For a tender, flaky crust, mixing the fats into the flours, before the water, coats the proteins in the flours, preventing too much gluten formation.
Once a shaggy dough forms, let the dough rest for 30 minutes. This allows the dough to hydrate before it’s kneaded.
Salt can retard yeast, slowing its fermentation, so add it to the dough at a different time than the yeast, after the dough has rested.
Kneading the dough on a low speed and resting it helps develop structure, but ensures the crust will still be tender and flaky.
To prevent the dough from drying out while proofing, coat the dough ball on all sides with oil before covering the bowl with plastic wrap.
When halving the dough, use a scale to ensure it’s evenly split. Then shape each half into a ball and pinch the bottom for a taut surface.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per dough ball
Calories: 1326
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 68g 104%
Saturated Fat 24g 120%
Cholesterol 81mg 27%
Sodium 1754mg 73%
Carbs 158g 52%
Protein 23g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.