WOOD FIRED PIZZA OVEN DEEP PAN CHICAGO STYLE

 

INGREDIENTS

 

FOR THE DOUGH

(makes 4)

500g strong plain flour

15g yeast

50ml ooil

10g salt

320ml water

 

FOR THE TOMATO BASE

1 shallot finely diced

1 garlic clove grated

dash ooil

8 fresh tomatoes rough chopped

1 tsp fresh oregano

 

FOR THE DEEP DISH FILLING

4 balls of buffalo mozzarella

600g grated mozzarella cheese

36 slices of pepperoni

4 tbsp tomato base

 

EQUIPMENT

4 straight sided cake or pie tins

 

First make the dough, there is no shame in knocking this up in your mixer with a dough hook, if I have time I love to bring the dough together by hand as I find this method really therapeutic and satisfying.  Bring all the ingredients together and knead for 6 minutes, cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for 1 hour out on the side or up to 48hrs in the fridge, and yes the dough will prove in the fridge, in fact it proves slower which gives the dough a better crispy and chewy texture.  When you are ready to use the dough form into 4 balls and leave to settle for 15 minutes before rolling out.

 

FIRE UP YOUR PIZZA OVEN

In the event you don't have a pizza oven, get a pizza stone, tile or cast iron pan placed upside down so you can cook on the base., in your oven and pre heat the oven to the hottest setting 240 degrees plus.

 

THE TOMATO BASE

Gently soften the onion and garlic in ooil for 5 minutes or so, add the chopped tomato's and cook until all pulpy and reduced to a thick sauce, add the oregano and season with salt and pepper.

 

Take you ball of dough and using the tips only of your fingers press the dough down pushing out one third of the way in, do this in a circle motion like you are making a track, keep doing this and you will find that the dough becomes a bigger circle and you get the characteristic rolled crust, once it is the same size as your pie baking tin, place the dough in and squidge the crust up the sides of the dip like you would for pie pastry.

 

Now the fun bit, filling the pie, I like to place some of the tomato base on first, then grated mozzarella, then the meats, then more grated cheese followed with one whole torn buffalo mozzarella ball finished off with a little drizzle of tomato base to finish.

 

Bake in the wood fired oven, 450 degrees for approx 5-7 minutes until the cheese is bubbling hot and the crust is browned, if in a domestic oven this pie takes approx 15-20 minutes.