This just might be the best pizza I’ve ever had! Not kidding! I LOVE a Chicago style Italian beef sandwich. I had never had one until I moved to the Chicago area, but it soon became a favorite of mine. I wanted to incorporate the flavors of the fresh bread crust, marinated Italian beef, red and green peppers, LOTS of mozzarella cheese, and giardiniera on top. Simple, right??
For the very best outcome, use a cast iron pan if possible. That will give you the best bake on your crust.
For sure you could start with a pre-made pizza dough. But I wanted the taste of cornmeal in mine, and I wanted a true “deep dish” type of crust. So this is my crust recipe:
DEEP DISH PIZZA DOUGH (makes 2 – 10″ pizzas)
* 3 1/4 c all purpose flour
* 1/2 c yellow cornmeal
* 1 pkg rapid rise yeast (1/4 oz)
* 2 tsp granulated sugar
* 1 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 1/4 c warm water
* 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
OTHER INGREDIENTS – for 1 pizza
* 1 – 15 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained (you can use crushed
tomatoes, or your favorite marinara if you prefer)
* Prepared thin-sliced marinated Italian beef (drained)
* 10 – 12 oz sliced fresh mozzarella, or sliced provolone cheese
* 16 oz shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
* 1 red pepper, and 1 green pepper – sliced
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 jar mild or hot giardiniera
Make the crust:
Combine flour, cornmeal, yeast, sugar and salt in a stand mixer. Using a paddle attachment, blend together. Add water and melted butter. Mix for about 1-2 minutes. Mix on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until you have a smooth dough.
Drizzle a little olive oil into a med. bowl, and spread with a paper towel. Place dough into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Cover with a kitchen towel. Set aside to rise for 1 hour.
Prepare the red and green peppers. Add to a skillet with about 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saute over med heat, stirring frequently, til “al dente” (about 2-3 min). Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Coat the cast iron pan with olive oil. Cut the pizza dough in 1/2 – (you can freeze the other half for another day!).
Form the dough into a disc, and stretch slowly until it will fit in the bottom of the pan. Then gently press the dough up the sides of the pan.
Place a layer of sliced fresh mozzarella, or provolone cheese over the bottom. This will help keep the juices off the bottom crust.
Next, add the sliced Italian beef, drained.
Top with the sauteed peppers.
Next, add the shredded mozzarella, followed by the canned tomatoes.
Brush the crust with a little olive oil. Place the pan on a baking sheet with 1″ edges (in case it bubbles over). Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, until the crust is golden, and the filling is bubbly. Cool for 15 minutes. Top with giardiniera before serving.
