Neal Meal 4: Deep Dish Pizza...finally!

Hello! Leann here! I know, I know...it's been a while. A lot of you have been asking where we have been. Truth is, we've just been busy! Mom was out of town for what seems like a week and a half and I didn't want to cook without her. I thought it wouldn't be fair for me to do one on my own, aka laziness. ;) The good news is that this blog was worth the wait! We decided to "come back" with a bang by re-creating a Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza.

The first time I had a deep dish pizza was actually in Chicago with my Aunt Tonya and Uncle Mark at Lou Malnati's and I was hooked! It was DELICIOUS. So when my mom and I went to Chicago last summer, I insisted that she had to experience the deep dish and she was hooked too! Since then, we have had it twice more- once in Chicago and once in Charlotte. Since we love it so much, we decided to re-create it. I must say, this recipe is just as good as the stuff you get in the restaurants and it's pretty simple to make! If you've never tried it before, then I think trying this recipe is a must. In fact, if there is one recipe on here that you need to try, it is this one. :)

-L

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

CRUST:
1 c. water
1/4 c. shortening
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 cu. lukewarm water
3/4 c. yellow cornmeal
3 or 3 1/2 c. flour
yellow cornmeal

Heat 1 cup water, shortening, sugar and salt until shortening melts. Cool to lukewarm. Soften yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Combine yeast and shortening mixtures in large bowl. Add cornmeal and flour to shortening mix and knead until smooth and workable. Oil pizza pans with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Press dough into pans and pierce with a fork several times. Bake in 425 degree preheated oven for 7 minutes. Remove and add your favorite pizza toppings and bake for additional 20 to 25 minutes. ( Be generous with the olive oil, it makes the crust even better!)

SAUCE:
http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/slow-simmered-tomato-sauce-for-deep-dish-pizza#

TOPPINGS:
Your choice, really. We used pepperoni, canadian bacon, green peppers, mozzarella, mushrooms, and onion. Remember, with deep dish you layer the mozzarella first, then the sauce, and finally the toppings.