Cast-Iron Stuffed Pizza (Chicago-Style)

Let’s explore the glorious, gut-busting creation that is Chicago Stuffed Pizza, an unsung hero often mistaken for its cousin, the Deep Dish. This architectural wonder of a pie, with its lofty walls of dough encasing a molten core of cheese and toppings, sets itself apart from the iconic Deep Dish through its distinctive double-crusted structure and generous fillings. The true magic of this Chicagoan marvel is that it can be effortlessly recreated in the comfort of your own kitchen using a trusty cast-iron pan. As we dive into the process, watch the ingredients coalesce in perfect harmony, yielding a decadent, golden-crusted fortress brimming with robust flavors, textures, and stories from the heart of America's culinary melting pot.🤘🏼 Adam

Yield: 6 slices

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Chicago-style Stuffed Pizza

Ingredients

Stuffed Pizza Dough

• 315g Water, room temperature
• 12g Active Dry Yeast
• 8g Sugar
• 700g All-Purpose Flour
• 30g Corn Meal
• 45g Pork Lard or Oil, melted
• 45g Unsalted Butter
• 12g Kosher Salt

Chicago Pizza Sauce

• 1 (28-ounce) can Crushed Tomatoes
• ½ cup Tomato Paste
• ¼ cup Olive Oil
• 3 Garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tsp Oregano, dried
• MSG, to taste
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Black Pepper, to taste

Fillings / Garnish

• 2- 2 ½ pounds Full-fat Mozzarella Cheese
• ¾ pound Hot Italian Sausage
• Pecorino-Romano, crumbled
• Dried Oregano, for dusting

Instructions

Stuffed Pizza Dough

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the water, yeast and sugar. Allow to sit until bubbly, about 1 minute.
2. Add the flour, corn meal and salt. Attach the dough hook and knead on low speed. Slowly add in the melted pork lard, then continue mixing on low for 5 minutes, just until there is a small amount of dried flour on the bottom of the bowl.
3. Plop the dough onto a clean work surface and continue kneading for 5 minutes, until very smooth.
4. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap. If using immediately, allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 4 hours before rolling out. If allowing to rest, allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 1 hour, then transfer to the fridge and use the dough within 4 days. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge 2 hours before you plan to roll it out.

Chicago Pizza Sauce

1. Mix everything together, that’s it.

Assemble and Bake...

1. Preheat the oven to 500F and situate a pizza stone or steel on the bottom-middle rack.
2. Divide the dough by ⅔ and ⅓. Allow to rest for 15 minutes. Dip the dough balls in coarse cornmeal, then roll out both pieces to ⅙ inch thickness.
3. Grease the cast-iron with butter and sprinkle on some parmesan cheese. Line the bottom with the first piece of dough using your fingers to gently work it into the cast-iron pan. Add in a layer of cheese, followed by the hot Italian sausage, then add the final layer of cheese. Wet the rim of the dough with a bit of water, then cover with the smaller piece of dough using your fingers to press the smaller pieces into the sidewall of the pan connecting it to the larger piece of dough. Use a sharp knife to cut a couple air holes in the top of the pizza, then slice away the excess dough from the rim.
4. Ladle on a thin layer of sauce, starting with about a cup, then adding more as needed. Bake the pizza for 12 minutes, rotate it, and bake another 12 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
5. Carefully remove the pizza from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. Sprinkle with a dusting of pecorino-romano or parmesan cheese. Use a long, sharp knife or pizza rocker to slice 6 pieces and CRUSH! Fork and knife optional.

Adam's Notes

• Be sure to mix the dough using the dough hook on the LOWEST speed, then finish by hand kneading. This dough is low hydration which means it will be a little tougher to knead than a more hydrated dough. Remember, undermixing is better than overmixing.
• If you’d like to add vegetables, be sure to cook them down to remove most of the water from within.
• This recipe makes extra sauce; probably enough for 2-3 stuffed pizzas. If not using, store in a sealed container and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Feel free to garnish with whichever hard cheese you’d like. I prefer pecorino-romano, but parmesan is great, too. To crumble the cheese, blitz it in a food processor or simply grate it with a microplane.

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