deep dish style pizza

Source: America’s Test Kitchen 2008. Yield: 2-9” rounds, serves 4

Equipment:

• Stand mixer fitted with dough hook, or someone willing to knead. A lot.
• 2 – 9” round pans with 2” sides

Ingredients

Dough

• 1/2 C olive oil
• 200ml milk (approx 3/4 C)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 330g flour (approx 2 1/3 C)
• 2 1/4 tsp yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Topping: pepperoni, defatted (see below)

Directions

1. * Adjust racks in oven so your mixing bowl will fit into it comfortably, but so the top is not too near a warm heating element. Usually the next-to-lowest setting is adequate.*
2. Preheat oven to 200 F. When it reaches temperature, TURN OFF OVEN & DO NOT OPEN DOOR.
3. Combine flour, yeast, salt in mixing bowl, install dough hook. Stir to combine.
4. Combine 1/4 C olive oil, milk, sugar in a saucepan. Heat to no more than 110 deg F (approx 3 min on low on my stove)
5. With mixer running on low, slowly pour milk into flour mixture. Run mixer on low until dough forms, then increase speed to med-high. Knead approx 8-10 min, until dough is smooth and elastic and passes windowpane test.
6. On countertop, briefly work dough to form smooth ball. Spray a bowl lightly with oil, place dough in bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warmed oven to rise for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make sauce:

Sauce

• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 – 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1. Heat oil in saucepan, add garlic to bloom for ~30 seconds.
2. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain simmer and cook approx 15 mins, until sauce is thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Sauce listed here is per original recipe but I have since formulated my own version.

Get back to your dough.

Dough, round 2:

1. Divide remaining olive oil in the bottom of each round pan (approx 2 Tbs each)
2. Divide dough into 2 equal balls. Place 1 ball under plastic to avoid drying out. Roll dough out to 7-8” round, place in pan and gently press out to the edges. Repeat with second dough ball.
3. Cover each pan with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.
4. Set rack to lowest position in oven. Heat oven to 400 deg F.

Final dough prep:

1. Remove plastic wrap and discard.
2. Sauce, cheese, and top pizzas.
3. Bake on lowest rack position for 20 minutes.
4. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Slice and serve.

Notes:

• Pepperoni should be defatted before application. Spread a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate, spread pepperoni. Cook on high about 20 seconds, blot off excess oil. Repeat at 10 second intervals if desired, or if pepperoni are still overly oily.
• Dough recipe can be doubled as long as you weigh everything.