Deep dish sauce

[stss95]

I don't like the chunks of tomatoes in my pizza sauce but want to try making my own sauce. Can anyone suggest what type of tomatoes to start out with. I was thinking of using puree, i used canned sauce on my last pie and it was to overpowering.

[vcb]

I don't like the chunks of tomatoes in my pizza sauce but want to try making my own sauce. Can anyone suggest what type of tomatoes to start out with. I was thinking of using puree, i used canned sauce on my last pie and it was to overpowering.

I recommend Crushed or Ground tomatoes for deep dish.
If either of those styles is still too chunky for you, you can use any kind you want.
I think you're correct that puree is the next step down in tomato texture.
Just make sure you don't overload your pizza with sauce.
Start with a little in the center, and then work it out to the edges until you have the pizza covered.
If you don't have enough for a complete layer of sauce, then add a little more.

At some point in the future, I hope to have some video demos produced so you guys can see how I do it.
 

[dmcavanagh]

Ground tomatoes such as 6 in 1 or it's close cousin Classico are great for deep dish. They are not very chunky, I think you'd like their consistency.

[skunker]

At some point in the future, I hope to have some video demos produced so you guys can see how I do it.
 

That would be awesome! Let us know when it's available.

[ayoob]

I read somewhere... can't remember where right now.... but the pizza maker used tomato PASTE instead of crushed tomatoes, puree, or any other kind of SAUCE.  I thought to myself, now there's an interesting idea, maybe I'll give that idea a try. 

His reasoning was that if you put vegetables in your pizza, you're adding moisture.  The sauce is already wet.  It's pretty easy to wind up with a soggy pizza that way.

So I gave it a shot.  Guess what?  That one change really made my crust hold together better, made it a little drier and easier to handle, and the leftovers kept longer.

After experimenting with a couple of recipes I started mixing the plain tomato paste with pesto.  My favorite so far is a Napa Valley Chardonnay pesto I picked up at Safeway.  Yesterday, i made my sauce with some no-name pesto and got a satisfactory result, but not quite as good as the Napa stuff.

[goosen1]

I would recommend the Escolon 6 in 1 crushed tomatoes. But seriously if you went to Walmart and picked up a can of their crushed tomatoes, You would be happy with that also. Also, I would drain the tomatoes in a strainer to take out some of the extra water. Your deep dish pizza won't be as soggy.

[ayoob]

I'm gonna go ahead and repeat my tomato paste comment.  Two cans of tomato paste plus half a jar of pesto makes a really great pizza sauce that won't make your pizza all soggy and limp like a Cubs fan after a Pennant loss.  For thin crust I think you'd want a sauce with more water because it would evaporate more quickly.

Structurally, a Chicago deep dish is kind of like a lasagna, and you want to keep the water in both to a minimum.  I try to keep the vegetables to a minimum, too.  No green peppers or red peppers.  I use fresh mushrooms because they soak up moisture.

The bottom cheese layer is supposed to stop water from leaking down into the crust, but you still have the side crust to deal with.  OK, maybe you layer a little bottom cheese on the side crust, but it's just going to melt and flow down for the most part.  In any case, think of your pie like a soupy mixture that's buffered by melted cheese all the way around.  Any way you can reduce the moisture is a good way.

A couple times I've thought about burying some croutons in the pie specifically to soak up water and dry out the pie.  I might try that next time.  Fresh mushrooms might serve the same purpose, though.

[moose13]

This makes a great deep dish sauce.

2-28 oz cans whole peeled tomatoes, italian style if you can find them.
Dump juice and all into pan and smash tomatoes with potato masher or wooden spoon.
Cook down on med-low till juice is gone. (45 mins)
Add salt, oregano and garlic to taste.

Sauce will be fairly thick and will not sogg up your pizza.

[jeffereynelson]

I like the Pomi brand a lot. The strained box of pomi has no clumps and IMO is very delicious and fresh. Give it a try.

[Garvey]

Mushrooms, which are 90% water, act as a sponge???  Never seen that happen in a home oven.  They release water in my pizzas, not absorb it.  Anyone else have success using fresh mushrooms to soak up moisture in a pizza?

[Chicago Bob]

Mushrooms, which are 90% water, act as a sponge???  Never seen that happen in a home oven.  They release water in my pizzas, not absorb it.  Anyone else have success using fresh mushrooms to soak up moisture in a pizza?

of course not.....they only sorta "look" like a sponge! But ya gotta love em, eh!    I'm holding out for the other "hot tip".....what type of crouton to use !!

Bob

[Cr8z13]

I only have a couple of pies under my belt so far but I've become quite pleased with using a 28 ounce can of brand-non-specific crushed tomatoes, though I first saute finely chopped onions until browned, with some minced garlic at the end before adding the tomatoes. I then cook off much of the moisture until thickened on medium low for about 20-30 minutes. I also add a little dried oregano and basil with a teaspoon of sugar. Both of my crusts remained intact and weren't soggy.