Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza

Tomato sauce layered on top of mozzarella cheese and a biscuit-like crust distinguish this fork-and-knife pizza from other styles around the country. You can prepare the dough the night before and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight, if you prefer.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 1  teaspoon  sugar
• 1  package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1  cup  warm water (100° to 110°)
• 3  cups  all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces), divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• Cooking spray
• 
  Topping:
• 1/2  pound  turkey Italian sausage (about 2 links)
• 1  cup  finely chopped onion
• 1  (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  olive oil, divided
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  tablespoon  tomato paste
• 1  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 1/4  teaspoon  fennel seeds, crushed
• 2  (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1  tablespoon  cornmeal
• 1 1/4  cups  (5 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2  tablespoons  grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

To prepare dough, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 cup flour and salt to the yeast mixture, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Stir in 1 3/4 cups flour, stirring until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare topping, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage and onion; cook for 5 minutes or until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain; set sausage mixture aside.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook 5 minutes or until moisture evaporates, stirring frequently. Remove mushrooms from pan, and set aside.

Return pan to medium heat; add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds or until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in oregano, fennel, and tomato sauce; simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce mixture is slightly thickened.

Coat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet with remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil, and sprinkle cornmeal over oil. Place dough in skillet, gently stretching edges to evenly coat bottom and sides of pan. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over the bottom of dough; top evenly with sausage mixture and mushrooms. Top mushrooms with sauce mixture; sprinkle Parmesan over sauce. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until crust browns and topping is bubbly. Let pizza stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

323 (22% from fat)

Fat:

8g (sat 3g,mono 2.8g,poly 1.4g)

Protein:

16.7g

Carbohydrate:

46.1g

Fiber:

2.9g

Cholesterol:

35mg

Iron:

3.6mg

Sodium:

694mg

Calcium:

156mg