Pan Style Pizzas

Chicago, Detroit, Sicilian

What you’ll need:

• Chicago pizza pan, Detroit pizza pan or similar pan with high sides (you can use a jelly-roll or baking sheet with lower sides for the Sicilian style pizza, but you’ll want 1-1/2-2” high sides for Chicago and Detroit styles

• Butter, olive oil or shortening to coat pans

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CHICAGO DEEP DISH

1.    Preheat oven to 425F

2.    Prepare sauce and assemble pizza topping ingredients

3.    Prepare your Chicago pan by coating with oil, shortening or butter.

4.    For a full/family size pan, you will likely use all of the dough from a batch. Remove from refrigerator and deposit dough into flour, turning to coat.

5.    If desired, lightly sprinkle bottom of coated pan with cornmeal (optional).  Deposit floured dough into pan and press to 1/4” thick (sprinkle with flour if necessary to keep it from sticking to hands).  Take dough up sides of pan by about 1” above bottom.

6.    Top dough with a light layer of cheese, a few spoonfuls of sauce, then meats and vegies; main layer of cheese is put on last.

7.    Bake approx. 20-30 minutes; cheese should be speckled with brown spots and crust a deep brown.

8.    Remove from oven, top with additional sauce. Turn oven off and return pizza to oven for additional 5 minutes to warm sauce.

9.    Remove from oven, allow pizza to cool 3-4 minutes.  If you have a nice large spatula, you can carefully remove entire pie from pan to avoid cutting in the pan or serve directly from pan.

Pro Tip: You can prebake the crust for 7-8 minutes with cheese only, similar to a Detroit Pie (see recipes) until cheese and crust brown a bit. Be sure to use precooked or cured meats if prebaking. Then layer baked crust with sauce, meats and vegies and a final layer of cheese. You can warm sauce on stove and top pie with hot sauce after baking.  There are many ways to a great Chicago pie – do what works for you!

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DETROIT STYLE PIZZA (Inspired by our friend and World Pizza Triathlon Winner Chef Jeff Smokevitch)

1.     Preheat oven to 450F

2.     Prepare Detroit or similar metal pan (1-1/2 to 2” high sides) (see image) by coating with olive oil, shortening or butter on sides and bottom

3.     Prepare a blend of 50:50 mozzarella and Jack cheeses (shredded), set aside.

4.     Assemble your sauce and toppings.

5.     Remove dough from refrigerator, deposit directly into flour, turn to coat and then place in center of prepared pan (see basic dough instructions).

6.     Pat dough to ½” thick, sprinkling with flour if needed to prevent sticking to hand, covering bottom NOT SIDES of pan.

7.     Layer with the cheese mixture, taking cheese all the way to the edge (it will caramelize against the pan for a crisp finish. (see image)

8.     Bake in oven until cheese just begins to get brown speckles (approx. 10-12 minutes)

9.     Remove from oven, top with meats and vegies.

10.  Spoon 2 stipes of sauce down length of pan – like tire tracs (see image)

11.  Return to oven and bake until edges are deep brown and toppings are hot (about 7-10 minutes depending on amount of toppings and sauce).

12.  Remove from oven, let cool for 3 minutes.  Transfer from pan onto pizza screen or cutting board and let rest another 2-3 minutes before cutting. Always grab a corner piece for yourself, you deserve it!

Pro tip: once pizza comes out of oven and on screen/wire rack, toss some baby arugula in a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt & pepper.  Top pizza with arugula just before serving. The acidity is a lovely complement to the rich buttery crust and cheeses!