Deep Dish Pizza

 I've been wanting to try my hand at a deep dish skillet pizza for a long time.  This past weekend I gave it a try and boy was it worth it!  America's Test Kitchen shared a cheese version of this recipe.  I made it with extra toppings, which included: Italian sausage, pepperoni, red/green pepper and onion. 

*The dough comes together very easily and uses a cold rise, so you want to make it a day ahead of the day you plan to eat your pizza.  Also the "day of " you need to add lead time in prior to baking (more details in the directions).  It's not a big deal, it's just important to know that so you're sitting down to eat when you plan on doing so.  

INGREDIENTS: 

DOUGH

2 cups bread flour

1 tsp table salt

1 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast

1 cup warm water (105-110 degrees)

TOPPINGS

7 oz. whole milk mozzarella, shredded

4 oz. Monterey Jack, shredded

1/2 cup pizza sauce (I used a jar version)

DIRECTIONS:

*Place all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.  Add in the warm water.  Use your hands to bring it all together into a nice dough.  Place it in a pie plate sprayed with cooking spray (you don't even need to spread it out).  Spray the top of the dough with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap.  Place in the fridge for 12-24 hours.  It will spread during the cold rise to fill the pie plate. 

Remove the dough from the fridge 30 minutes prior to working with it....also keeping in mind you need 90 minutes of room temperature rising time before placing your pizza in the oven to bake. 

Remove the dough from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes.  Add a skim coat of olive oil to your skillet.  Oil your fingertips with olive oil and spread the dough to within 1/8" of the edge, deflating any large bubbles.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 90 minutes.  

Add 1/2 cup sauce to the center of the pizza.  Spread it to within 1/2" of the side of the pan.  Add the shredded jack cheese to the perimeter pressing it into the sides (this creates a nice crisp cheesy outside edge) of the skillet.   Add your mozzarella all over the top.  

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes placing it on the lowest rack of your oven.  Let sit for 3-4 minutes after removing from the oven.  Use a bread knife to loosen the edges.  Look underneath.  If you'd like the bottom crispier, place the skillet onto a burner (I did this...it took about 4-5 minutes to brown).  Cool 10 minutes prior to slicing. 

I think you'll agree that his pizza has a wonderful flavor.  I would suggest it also is a perfect recipe for a deep dish cheese pizza.  

Here's some thoughts I have for the next time.....

As I mentioned, I also topped mine with 2 meats and some veggies.....I found there really wasn't enough "real estate" on the surface to really make it the way I wanted to.  So, my next attempt will be to use a rimmed baking sheet.  I loved the flavor of the dough, so I will use that again.  I'll probably make 1.5x the dough recipe, since I enjoyed the height of the dough, but by having more room to work with as a rectangular pizza, I can really top it generously the way we like our pizzas.  I think the crust will still crisp with olive oil on the bottom of the baking sheet and baking it on the lower rack of the oven.   Can't wait to try it again!!!