Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

Step 1

In a bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar, oil, and cream of tartar. Mix with your hand or a whisk until the yeast dissolves.

Step 2

Pour in bread flour a little at a time. Mix with your hand or a dough mixer. Knead until firm, about 10 minutes. Add more flour if needed.

Step 3

Brush a bowl with oil. Roll the dough into a ball and put it in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let sit on the counter overnight.

Step 4

Pour tomatoes into a bowl. Using a potato masher or just your hands, mash the tomatoes up so that there are no chunks bigger than a quarter.

Step 5

Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Do not use too much basil or oregano.

Step 6

Preheat oven to 350.Prepare a 14-inch deep-dish pizza pan or a round cake pan with straight sides by coating the inside of it with a very healthy coating of melted butter or oil. Roll the dough out to about 3 inches larger in diameter than the bottom of the pan, then place inside the pan and pinch the dough up along the sides.

Step 7

Sprinkle the cheese on the crust.

Step 8

Add the pepperoni and sausage pieces.

Step 9

Cover with the sauce.

Step 10

Bake for about 45 minutes, until the crust starts to brown and the cheese starts to bubble up through the sauce. The little edges of the pepperoni should also start to crisp, and the sausage should be cooked through.