Chicago Deep Dish “Pizza”

Ingredients

• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 2¼ cups all-purpose or bread flour
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 cup water, warm from the tap
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Extra flour and cornmeal for dusting

• 1 cup canned pureed tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ¼ lb whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
• ¼ lb bulk Italian sausage, sweet or spicy, cooked
• ¼ cup black olives, halved
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Basil leaves for garnish

1. To make the crust, in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together yeast, flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugar. With the dough hook attached, on the slowest speed, mix in the water and 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the flour is fully incorporated into the dough, increase the speed by one.
2. When the dough begins to come away from the sides of the bowl, stop the mixer. Dust the countertop or board with additional flour, and pour the dough from the mixing bowl atop the flour. Briefly knead the dough to form a smooth ball. Place the dough ball back into the mixing bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to ferment on the counter for 2 hours. The dough will become bubbly and much larger in size.
3. Generously dust the countertop or board with flour and transfer the now very loose dough on top of the flour. Try to keep the ball shape as much as possible. Once it’s on the counter, gently reshape into a circle. Dust the top of the dough with additional flour. Using your fingertips, flatten the dough evenly to maintain a circle. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle.
4. Coat the bottom and sides of the skillet or baking dish using the 1 remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
5. Transfer the dough to the vessel, and allow the dough to fall to the bottom and cover the sides, stretching it a bit if necessary. Cut away any dough that falls over the rim of the vessel. Dust the dough with cornmeal, and cover with plastic wrap for 15 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove the plastic wrap and transfer the dough-lined vessel to the oven and bake the crust alone for 10 minutes.
7. In a small mixing bowl, stir together tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
8. Remove the crust from the oven. Lower the temperature to 375°F. Spread the mozzarella over the crust. Next, form a layer of the sausage, olives, and bell peppers. Then, pour the tomato purée mixture over all the fillings. Finally, evenly sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and transfer the vessel back to the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is deep reddish gold and starting to crisp.
9. Remove the “pizza” from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before garnishing with basil and serving sloppy wedges of joy.