Just in time for national pizza day, a meat lovers Chicago-style deep dish sourdough pizza, the whole family will be begging you to make every Friday night!
I’ve been on a sourdough kick lately. Trying all the different recipes. Including bread, bagels, coffee cake, chocolate chip cookies, focaccia, you name it. Although it was the focaccia loaf that really stood out to our family! “This would make the perfect deep dish pizza crust.” It reminded me of a short trip I took to Chicago, where I had the opportunity to try real Chicago pizza!
The trip was such a fun experience as I got to meet so many Instagram accounts I followed from the crochet and knitting world. And eat all the Chicago pizza my stomach could hold! Coming home from that trip, I talked a lot about how different the pizza was there, compared to California, but I never even thought to try making it for my family!
That was until we had focaccia! This bread makes the perfect Chicago-style deep dish pizza crust and today I am sharing how I make a Chicago-style sourdough deep dish meat loaves pizza. A copycat recipe of sort or the best representation I can create in my own kitchen to mimic the amazing experience I had in Chicago at Giordano’s.
This recipe makes 2 medium pizzas! Use whatever toppings your family loves. If you’re looking for a Chicago style meat lovers, I added bacon, sausage and pepperoni. I would have added Canadian bacon as well, if I could find it at the store. Be sure to slice your bacon into small stripes and cook fully, along with the sausage before topping your pizza. P.s: I used Jimmy deans regular tubbed breakfast sausage.
Once your dough has risen and is ready to bake, drizzle with olive oil and push your fingers into the dough. Next add your toppings. I like to add a layer of pizza sauce, cheese and toppings, then press it into the dough and create layers upon layers of sauce, cheese and toppings.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1 cup active sourdough starter
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 5 cups flour
- 3-5 tbsp olive oil
Notes: You could use this recipe for a one pan pizza, but you risk everything overflowing and a very very thick crust.
Directions:
- Mix water, starter, salt and flour the morning of, in a stand mixer.
- Place in a glass bowl and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Stretch & fold 6 times. Let rest until it doubles in size.
- Oil 2 cast iron pans with 1-2 tbsps each.
- Take you dough out of the glass jar and split into 2 cast iron pans.
- Let your dough rise again, approximately 4-6 hours
- Drizzle with olive oil and push your fingers into the dough.
- I like to add a layer of pizza sauce, cheese and topping, then press it into the dough and create layers of sauce, cheese and toppings.
- Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes.
ENJOY! And recreate every Friday night. I know this will definitely become a Friday night tradition for our family!
Photo Credit: Anna Lynch Photography
2 Responses
Good morning. Do you heat your iron skillet before adding the pizza dough?
I do not, because it will be rising over a few hours before cooking it :))