Chicago Pizza ingredient Casserole



Start with the dough. Real pizza dough has only flour, water, salt, and yeast. This means for your Chicago style you can't simply stop by a good Pizzeria and buy a dough ball. You've really got to make this yourself.

1 packet yeast
1 tsp sugar
1.25C warm, filtered water. About 105 degrees
1.5C Bread flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water and let proof for about 10 minutes. Mix in the bread flour until you have a batter consistency. Cover with saran wrap and leave out on the countertop for about 6 to 8 hours.

1.5-1.75 Bread Flour
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 Tbls Olive Oil
2 Tbls melted butter

Mix everything into the wet batter that has been sitting out until well Incorporated. Knead a couple of times by hand. After kneading, cover with saran wrap and put it in the fridge overnight.

Now on to the sausage. It sucks living in New Braunfels for this part. You absolutely cannot find decent Italian sausage anywhere. With any luck in your area, you can find a good supplier and skip this step.

1lb Cubed Pork Butt
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground fennel
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 c red wine

*Quick note on the pork. It's usually sold cubed up as Carnitas at H-E-B. I try to find the fattest piece as I can and then trim off some extra fat from the other pieces if I buy more than a pound*

Mix all ingredients into a large bowl and then spread out on a sheet pan. Put the pan in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Run everything through the course blade of a food grinder back onto the sheet pan and pot back in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the freezer and re-grind through the fine plate on your grinder.

Cover pressing Saran Wrap and refrigerate overnight

If you don't have a grinder, you can mix everything into pre-ground pork. The texture won't be quite the same but it will still be delicious

Run to the deli and get a pound of Boars Head Mozzarella sliced on number two thickness if at H-E-B. Basically looking for double sandwich slice thickness. While you're at it grab a can of Cento crushed tomatoes and some ground Pecorino Romano. Not the crappy stuff in a green can, the good stuff that comes in a tub.

Moving on.........

Day 2 is finally upon us. Here's what you need in addition to what we already went through: A well seasoned 12 inch cast-iron skillet, bacon fat, butter, olive oil, fresh minced garlic, sea salt, & dried oregano.

You'll need to plan ahead and pre-heat your oven for at least a full hour at 400. Meaning one hour past the pre-heat. Also, pull your dough out of the fridge prior to pre-heating

When the oven is ready heat the cast iron skillet on the stove and add in a Tbls of bacon grease, a Tbls of butter, and a Tbls Olive oil. You want to get the oils heated but not piping hot. Probably about 120 or very warm to the touch. Remove from heat and brush everything around until evenly coated.

Press the dough down into the pan spreading evenly and pushing up the sides a bit. Now add a healthy layer of sausage followed by the mozzarella slices and you want to overlap the cheese just enough to fully cover the sausage. Next spread the crushed tomatoes on top of the cheese using however much sauce you like. Then sprinkle the sauce with minced garlic, salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Finally sprinkle the top with pecorino Romano cheese. Finally pop everything into the oven for about 25-30 minutes. (I'll usually bring the pan up to temp first on the stovetop. You're not looking to start cooking, just get some heat on it). Don't peek for at least 20 minutes and remove when crust looks golden brown.