Fully Stuffed Chicago Style Pizza

Description §

Took the original recipe and modified it to work for a 10” pan (used a spring form because its what we had)

To me, a great stuffed pizza has a crust that stays a bit crunchy both on top and on the bottom and never gets soggy from too much sauce or too many ingredients inside. I call this one Fully Stuffed and it is on the hearty side, but I think you’ll find that the proportions of crust to fillings and sauce are just right.

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Ingredients §

• 2 dough balls (650g and 350g) ball Same Day Chicago Style Deep Dish Dough or if you have a lot of time on your hands, Chicago Stuffed Dough
• Flour, for dusting
• 2 teaspoons (9 grams) butter, at room temperature
• 9 ounces (255 grams) part-skim mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (13 slices)
• 8 ounces (225 grams) cooked Meatballs, crumbled (optional)
• 70 grams sliced pepperoni, preferably in natural casing
• 400g uncooked Italian sausage
• 1/2 cup (85 grams) Sautéed Onions
• 1 cup (175 grams) Sautéed Mushrooms (optional)
• 3/4 cup (110 grams) Sautéed Red Peppers (optional)
• Grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for dusting
• 4.5 ounces (120 grams/1/2 cup) whole-milk ricotta cheese, preferably New York-style Polly-O or Ricotta Cream, at room temperature
• 6 grams finely chopped garlic
• 5 ounces (140 grams) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 1/4 cups)
• 9 ounces (255 grams) provolone cheese, thinly sliced (13 slices)
• Garlic Butter
• 2 1/4 cups (510 grams) sauce of your choice, warmed. I like Cooked Zesty Sauce but the original recipe calls for Deep-Dish Tomato Sauce
• Dried oregano, for dusting

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Method §

1. Remove the dough balls from the refrigerator and leave wrapped at room temperature until the dough warms to 60°F to 65°F.
2. Meanwhile, set up the oven with the pizza stone or baking steel on the bottom rack and preheat to 500°F for 1 hour (see Getting Started, page 29).
3. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10 by 2-inch round deep-dish pizza pan (or if you’re me a 10” x 3” spring form pan).
4. Dust the work surface with a generous amount of flour, then transfer the larger dough to the surface
5. Coat both sides of the dough with the flour and roll out the dough into a 15-inch round
6. Working quickly but carefully, lift the dough and lower it into the center of the prepared pan. Lift the edges of the dough to ease the dough into the corners. The dough will overhang the rim of the pan. Press around the edge of the dough to secure it to the pan rim.
7. Set aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
8. Arrange the mozzarella slices in the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan, overlapping the slices as necessary.
9. Distribute the meatball pieces evenly over the cheese, followed by the pepperoni.
10. Pinch quarter-size pieces of both sausages and distribute them evenly over the pepperoni. (Adding the sausage last will keep any fat that renders during baking from softening the bottom crust.)
11. Scatter the onions, mushrooms, and red peppers evenly over the meats.
12. Sprinkle with a light dusting of pecorino and the garlic. Sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella and top with the provolone slices, covering the toppings completely and extending slightly up the sides of the pan.
13. Meanwhile, put the ricotta in a pastry bag with a 1/4-inch opening or plain tip.
14. Coat the remaining dough ball with flour and roll out to a 10” round. Center the round over the pan. The dough should come right up to the edge of the pan but not overlap it. If it is too wide, trim it with a paring knife.
15. To crimp the dough to seal it, hold your left index finger on a slight angle against the edge of the pan and use your right index finger to fold the overhanging dough over it on a diagonal. Move counterclockwise around the edge of the dough, repeating the crimping to form a decorative edge.
16. Cut three 2-inch slits outward from the center of the crust to allow steam to escape as the pizza bakes.
17. Place the pan on the stone. Bake for 12 minutes, rotate the pan 180 degrees, and continue to bake for another 12 minutes. The crust should be richly browned. If it isn’t, rotate the pan one more time and bake for 2 minutes.
18. Take the pizza out of the oven and let rest in the pan for 10 minutes.
19. Run a long metal spatula around the inside of the pan to loosen the pizza from the pan. Then, using the spatula, lift an edge and check the bottom of the crust. It should be browned and crisp. If it needs more time, return it to the oven for a few more minutes.
20. Using the spatula, and being careful not to pierce the bottom of the crust, lift the pizza from the pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Brush the edges and outer crust with garlic butter.
21. Using a rocking cutter or a serrated knife, cut the pizza into 6 large wedges, leaving them in place.
22. Spoon the sauce over the pizza and spread it to the edges.
23. Dust the top with pecorino and oregano.
24. Pipe quarter-size dollops of ricotta over the pizza, then finish with a drizzle of garlic butter.