Frank's Recipes! Wood Fired Chicago Deep Dish Stuffed Pizza

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Wood Fired Chicago Deep Dish Stuffed Pizza

Dough:
2 cups warm water
5 teaspoons dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons semolina or corn meal
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4-6 cups unbleached bread flour

Sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes
1 small onion, minced
1 small green pepper, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine

Filling:
3 packages (10 ounces each) spinach, cooked, drained, coarsely chopped
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups cooked Italian sausage or 1 cup thinly sliced pepperoni (as you please, optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs

Garnish:
Additional mozzarella and Parmesan cheese

For dough:
In a large bowl, whisk together the water, yeast and sugar. Let stand a couple of minutes to allow the yeast to dissolve. Stir in the salt, oil, semolina or corn meal and most of the flour. Knead to make a soft dough, adding more flour as required. Cover and let rise in a greased bowl or refrigerate until the next day.

For sauce:
Sauté the garlic in the oil to soften. Add the tomatoes, onion, green pepper, oregano, basil, fennel, salt, pepper, lemon juice and red wine. Simmer on low, till the sauce thickens (20-30 minutes). Cool thoroughly. Use desired amount of sauce and freeze the remainder.

For filling:
In a large bowl, toss together the spinach, 2 cups of the mozzarella, about 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, the salt, pepper, basil, oregano, garlic and oil. Reserve the mushrooms and sausage or pepperoni.

Prepare a medium-hot fire in the chimenea.

To assemble:
Drizzle two 8- or 9-inch cast-iron skillets with about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle on the seasoned bread crumbs. Gently deflate the dough. Let it rest for a few minutes, then press or roll out two-thirds of it into two circles to fit pan bottoms, allowing for an overhang. Spoon in about 3 tablespoons of the sauce into each and evenly divide the filling between each. Top the filling with mushrooms and sausage or pepperoni. Roll the remaining dough out in two 10-inch circles. Place on top and crimp the sides. Top with more sauce, and a sprinkle of mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake on a medium-low fire in the chimenea, placing the skillets on a grill or grate on fire bricks or tiles that have been preheated. Bake until sizzling and golden (perhaps 20-28 minutes or less). Let cool for 10 minutes or so before cutting. Cut into wedges and serve.

Makes two 8- or 9-inch pizzas, about 6 large servings; analysis without sausage or pepperoni.

NOTE:
To save time, make the filling and dough a day ahead and assemble for baking the next day. Unbleached bread flour is the preferred flour for pizza doughs. This makes two smaller pizzas to fit the typical chimenea, but you can make one large one to bake on the barbecue grill.

891 calories (38% from fat), 37 grams fat (12 grams sat. fat), 107 grams carbohydrate, 35 grams protein, 1964 mg sodium, 50 mg cholesterol, 597 mg calcium, 10 grams fiber