Mary Ellen attempts to toss a pizza like a pro.
Kent and I took a trip to Chicago in 1973 and visited his cousins, Reuben and Dianne, who introduced us to deep dish pizzas. Dianne shared her recipe with me. The secret to a crispy crust was to add the mozzarella cheese first, then the wet toppings. There wasn’t any sauce! There is enough tomato flavor with just the diced tomato topping. Since I couldn’t find a deep dish pizza pan, I did without and created a pizza of my own that is a family favorite.
She does it!
By Pat Savoie.
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Ingredients
1 Package Dry Yeast
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Cup Warm Water
2 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons
Olive Oil
Cornmeal
Pam
Olive oil
Mozzarella cheese
28 oz Canned diced tomatoes (Drained, squeezed)
Fresh Basil
Pizza seasoning (Grinder recommended)
Parmesan cheese
Suggested toppings:
Italian sausage
Bell pepper
Mushrooms
Black olives
Pepperoni
Method
Mix yeast and sugar in water. Let stand 5 minutes. Combine 2 cups flour and salt. Add olive oil and yeast mixture. Blend gradually add remaining 1 cup flour while mixing. Knead until elastic Let rise 10 minutes. (My oven has a proofing setting.)
Spray 2 large pizza pans with Pam and sprinkle with cornmeal. (I suggest pans with holes for a crispy crust.) Divide dough in half and spread each half to form a large circle on the prepared pans. (Dough will be thin) Let rise until double (about 1 hour). Brush or spray on olive oil and bake 10 minutes 450 degrees.
In a skillet on the stove, saute Italian sausage, bell pepper, and mushrooms enough for 2 pizzas. Add canned diced tomatoes that liquid has been squeezed out. Remove from the crust from the oven and generously top with mozzerella cheese. Spoon on cooked Itallian sausage, bell pepper, and mushrooms with tomatoes. Sprinkle pizza seasoning and freshly chopped basil over pizza and dot with sliced pepperoni. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over all. Bake 10 more minutes at 450 degrees.
Savoie Secrets: It's a Family Recipe 