Chicago is home of the deep dish pizza. As much as I love ordering it at my favorite spots in the city, I yearn to make it at home. So when one of my favorite Instagrammers, Emmy Gottschalk, told me that she had a great recipe for it, I jumped at the chance.
But really, it was too good to pass up. The buttery cornmeal crust with copious amounts of mozzarella cheese is irresistible. The sauce is slightly sweet with a concentrated tomato flavor. You can go crazy with the toppings of your choice or stick to plain cheese or pepperoni. Whatever you decide, you won’t be disappointed.
Meet Emmy Gottschalk.
Emmy Gottschalk // Photo: @ms.rosie.mo
Raised in Virginia, Emmy Gottschalk always dreamt of living in Chicago as a little girl, and that dream came true 12 years ago when she moved to Wicker Park after college. She relocated to Chicago for Sears, the company that she has worked for since high school, and continues to work for them 19 years later. She and her husband live in an old Victorian home with their two dogs, Brady (7-year-old Puggle mix) and Oliver (8-month-old Boston Terrier).
Emmy is a self-trained cook who rarely uses a recipe twice. A typical week for Emmy is to make three meals during the weeknights, with a focus on 500 calories or less in under 30 minutes. She reads countless blogs, magazines, and recipe books for inspiration and also uses multiple recipe delivery programs to always make sure the food at dinnertime is healthy, interesting, and most importantly stress-free. She selects weekend cooking projects, like this Chicago Deep Dish, as a splurge of fun in the kitchen and to further refine her cooking skills.
Let’s get cookin’…
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Quaker brand yellow cornmeal
- 1¼ teaspoon salt
- 2¼ teaspoons or 1 packet Red Star Platinum brand yeast
- 1¼ cups slightly warm water (around 90F)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, divided (1/4 cup melted and ¼ cup softened)
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil for coating
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion or ⅓ cup grated yellow onion
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1-2 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- pepperoni slices
- cooked and crumbled Italian sausage
- sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, or spinach
- You will need 2 (9 by 2 inch) round cake pans or springform pans.
- Using a Kitchen Aid stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast until well blended.
- Add the warm water (should be around 90F) and melted butter (warm but not hot). FAB TIP: The warm water and melted butter cannot be boiling hot or else it will kill the yeast.
- Beat at low speed for 4 to 5 minutes. The dough should be soft or supple. It should gently pull away from the sides and falls off the dough hook. FAB TIP: If the dough is too hard, add a teaspoon of warm water. If the dough is too soft, add a Tablespoon of flour.
- Form into a ball.
- Place in a mixing bowl that is greased with olive oil. Make sure to coat the dough all over with the olive oil.
- Cover with foil and allow to rise in a warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size.
- For the colder days, this is how you can proof the dough in a warm enviroment: Preheat oven to 250F. Once it reaches the desired temperature, turn the oven off. Place the bowl inside. Close the oven door. The lingering heat will help the dough rise.
- Once the dough is ready, gently punch the air bubbles out.
- Divide the dough in half.
- On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large 15 by 12 rectangle.
- Brush with the 2 Tablespoons of softened butter.
- Roll it up into a log.
- Form into a ball.
- Place back into the greased bowl.
- Repeat the same procedure to the second ball of dough.
- Cover with aluminum foil.
- Let it rise for an 1 hour in the refrigerator or until puffy.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce.
- In a medium sized heavy saucepan, melt the butter.
- Add the grated onion, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes.
- Stir over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until onion is caramelized and browned.
- Slowly pour the crushed tomatoes.
- Add the garlic and sugar.
- Bring to a boil. Lower it down to a simmer.
- Let the flavors develop for 30 minutes while stirring once in awhile.
- The sauce will reduced by half. FAB TIP: You can make this sauce ahead of time, at least two days in advance. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Take the risen dough ball at the refrigerator, just one at a time.
- Start by rolling it on a lightly floured surface, you want a 10 inch round.
- Lightly press into the cake pan.
- Make sure it goes all the way up to the sides.
- Trim off the excess with a paring knife, if needed.
- Repeat with the other dough.
- Brush the top edges with olive oil to give it a beautiful sheen.
- Fill each pizza with half the amount of cheese.
- Then, place your desired toppings.
- Place half the amount of your sauce on each pizza.
- Lastly, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
- Place the cake pans on top of a large baking sheet to protect any potential spills.
- Bake for 28 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Feel free to cover the top with aluminum foil if the crust is getting too brown in the middle of baking.
- Remove the pizzas in the oven.
- Let it cool for 15 minutes before serving.
- Slice and enjoy!
Fab Recipe: Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizza by Emmy Gottschalk // Photo: @sherriesavorsthecity
This deep dish pizza recipe might take a little more patience to make but it’s worth the time andeffort. It is a true labor of love that I wouldn’t mind doing over and over again. Shameless Confession: Emmy and I devoured two hefty slices in no time. Emmy said that if she ever moved away from Chicago, this recipe would be in her weekly rotation. Needless to say, I couldn’t agree with her more.
Fab Recipe: Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizza by Emmy Gottschalk // Photo: @sherriesavorsthecity
We had so much fun making and eating these delicious deep dish pizzas. Hope you will find the time to make it.
You can find Emmy and her home cooked creations on her Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat (emmygottschalk).
Savor Every Moment,
Sherrie
