My first try at a Chicago Pizza - pics

[derbow]

Hi guys,

I made my dough yesterday using a conglomeration of several recipes I found on this site.  Here is the recipe I came up with for a 14x2 pan:

Flour HKAP            387 g
Yellow Cornmeal       55 g
Water                     199 g
Corn Oil                   66 g        4 ¾ T
Olive Oil                   35 g         2 ½ T
ADY                          3 g          3/4+ t
Salt                        3 g             3/4+ t

Combine ingredients just until they form into a dough ball and then stop the kneading after about 30 seconds.  Oil the outside of the dough and place it in an airtight container for at least 24 hours.  Allow to proof to room temperature for about 2 hours.  Roll the dough out into a large circle and place it in the pan.  Form the dough in the pan pressing it against the sides of the pan.  Top it and bake in preheated 500* oven for 25 minutes.  I place my Deep Dish pan directly on a pizza stone.

Here is the sauce I will use for this:

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (I use Cento)
Garlic (fresh mashed)   2-3 cloves
Salt                          ¼ tsp
Black pepper         ¼ tsp
Oregano               1 ¼ tsp
Basil                         1 ¼ tsp
Marjoram                  ¼ tsp
Rosemary                  ½ tsp
Thyme                       ¼ tsp
Fennel                      ½ tsp
Brown sugar              1 Tbsp
 
Put all the dry herbs and spices (not salt or garlic) in a microwave safe bowl and add 1-2 tsp of water.  Microwave on 50% power for about 30 seconds.  Add those ingredients to the tomatoes, and stir in the salt and garlic.  I don’t cook the sauce at all.  Just spoon it right onto the pie and bake.  The sauce will cook in the oven.


I got my pan in the mail today.  It is a14x2 American Metalcraft with the Anodized coating.  I still seasoned it a bit this afternoon.  I put about 3 Tbs. of corn oil in the pan and let it sit in a 375* oven for about 25 minutes.  Right now, my dough in on the counter proofing.  Dinner is in about 3 hours.

I hope things turn out well.  I will be posting pictures later on tonight and let you all know the results.

Derrick

[canadianbacon]

Hi Derrick,

can't wait to see what your results are !

Good luck with the pizza bake !

[derbow]

OK Guys, here are the results.

Everything turned our great, but I think next time I will change just a few things.  First, I will try using a little less cornmeal and replace it with extra flour.  It was just a little too cornbreadesque.    I will also cut down some of the spices in the sauce.  My wife said it had too much of a bite to it.  I actually used 1 1/2 tsp of fennel instead of only 1/2 tsp.  Maybe that was the problem.  She also suggested less oregano.

I used a Polly-O part skim / Sargento Provolone mixture - 8 oz. of each.  The rest of the toppings were mild Italian Sausage, Canadian Bacon, and Pepperoni.

I have never had a real Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, but this one tasted like what you guys describe here in the forums.  I do have some questions I hope some of you can help we with.  My wife said the crust tasted line a biscuit from Hardee's (like the ones with the bottoms fried in butter).  Is that a normal characteristic for DD Pizza?  I would not say the crust was "crunchy" like a cracker, but it was ridged enough o pick a slice up after it cooled down.  Is that a good characteristic, or could the dough have been cooked too much?  I cooked it for 24 minutes at 450*.

Loowaters, these pictures don't look as good as yours, but I am pleased since it is my first try.  Enjoy!   

[canadianbacon]

Your first try ? - damn, pat yourself on the back, - I think you did an awesome
job.  You can just keep getting better at this point I think.

Provolone cheese - that's something I used to get on my sub in Boston when I used to visit a highschool friend
there in the late 70s.  You just do NOT see provolone cheese up here in Canada like you do in the States, it is NEVER
sliced, and you have to ask them for it, and then they have to search for it in their glassed in counter....then
they slice it on the spot, and it's very expensive compared to other cheeses.

It's almost like it's a speciality item up here.  No places put it on their pizzas, and nobody uses it in their subs either.
It's mozz cheese and that's about it for Canadians for the most part.

I could go to 10 of my friend's houses here, and I'd bet money on none of them having it in their fridge, and I'd even
bet none of them had eaten this cheese in the last 6 months.  I just wish it was more popular up here, because it's
a great cheese.

Anyway beautiful looking pie, I'd love to dig into that right now 

Mark

[derbow]

Thanks Mark,

Where are you in Canada?  I lived in Vancouver for almost 2 years.  It's beautiful up there.

Derrick

[Ian]

Your first try ? - damn, pat yourself on the back, - I think you did an awesome
job.  You can just keep getting better at this point I think.

Provolone cheese - that's something I used to get on my sub in Boston when I used to visit a highschool friend
there in the late 70s.  You just do NOT see provolone cheese up here in Canada like you do in the States, it is NEVER
sliced, and you have to ask them for it, and then they have to search for it in their glassed in counter....then
they slice it on the spot, and it's very expensive compared to other cheeses.

It's almost like it's a speciality item up here.  No places put it on their pizzas, and nobody uses it in their subs either.
It's mozz cheese and that's about it for Canadians for the most part.

I could go to 10 of my friend's houses here, and I'd bet money on none of them having it in their fridge, and I'd even
bet none of them had eaten this cheese in the last 6 months.  I just wish it was more popular up here, because it's
a great cheese.

Anyway beautiful looking pie, I'd love to dig into that right now 

Mark

Bacon, come on, you're perpetuating the myth that we live in Igloos, only eat round bacon and drink beer out of stubbies eh?!! Even Superstore has their own brand of provolone - and it's sliced!

I use sliced provolone often on my pies - assuming there's some left after my 12 year old daughter learns there's some in the house  .

Derrick, nice pies and, please, just ignore Mark - he's obviously brain damaged from too many cheese curds from the poutine in Hull.

Ian (from Winnipeg - Provolone capital of Canada!!)

[BTB]

Derrick, when I first saw your posting I thought that you had used way too much spices.  That may be just me, however.  When I first started a month ago making my own pizzas, I too put waaaaay too much spices on, especially the powerful basil, oregano, and fennel seed (which is one of my favorites).  I suggest "pinches" rather than spoonfuls of any size.  Also, I've been turned off from using Rosemary as a spice on pizza (altho I like it on other things).  I bought a small bag of homemade Italian spices from my local Italian Specialty Market and have learned to just put a pinch or two on my pizzas.  It only includes parsley, basil, oregano and thyme and that is more than enough.  I like a pinch or two of minced garlic and occasionally sugar, too.

One spice that I sometimes use is also great for pizza, but you must be careful not to put too much on as it is fairly powerful.  Anise seed was included in pizzas that I grew up on.  I just take out a pinch or two and crush them on a hard surface with a spoon and pinch it on equally around the pizza.  Great unique flavor that many will love and will always ask "what is that flavor" they're tasting.

You hadn't mentioned whether or not you put the dough in the refrigerator after the two hour rise.  That seems to be the SOP among many here and it's worked great for me.  Also, I think 3 T of oil is too much and after much trial and error, I have come to greatly prefer putting crisco or shortening on the bottom of the pan instead (altho I love the flavor of oo).  My pizza crust has usually turned out lightly crisp and lightly crunchy, but not like a cracker.  And I don't use any cornmeal in my dough.

Apart from the spices, your pizza looked fantastic, however.  Great job and "many more." 

[derbow]

BTB,

Thanks for your comments.  I agree that the spice is way too much.  I was using a conglomeration of several sauce recipes that I found.  Some had even more ingredients, and some had less.  I am normally a fan of "If a little is good, a lot is better," but that obviously does not always work.  Tomorrow, I am having some friends over, and I am making a Chicago and a NY for the same meal.  I am going to cut down the spices in the sauce, and I am going to use 6 in 1 tomatoes instead of Cento.  I discovered that Cento got last place in America's Test Kitchen's crushed tomato tasting.

You asked about putting the dough in the fridge.  I refrigerate it for 24+ hours after I make it.  I do not give it a room temperature rise until about 2 hours before I form the crust for the pan.  My dough is in the fridge right now for tomorrow.  I did knead it a little longer this time.  I am going for a little more "pizza crust" feel rather than "Hardee's Biscuit," but I do still want a little of the flaky biscuit texture.  This time, I used 20g less cornmeal than last time and increased the four by 20g.  I think the feel of the dough was much nicer.  We will see how it turns out tomorrow.

Derrick