Bobby Lovera's Chicago Pizza Dough Recipe

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3 votes | 3857 views


The Chicago Pizza is usually much thicker than the New York Pizza.
It has to be strong enough to handle the enormous amout of toppings but soft on the inside.
This is like a Boboli style dough.
Feel free to substitute different flavors or herbs or swap in some Whole Wheat or Semolina or Amaranth.
It will NOT work with all purpose flour.

Prep time:
Cook time:
Servings: 7
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Ingredients

Cost per serving $0.25 view details
  • 2 1/4 C. Unbleached Bread Flour
  • 2 T. Italian Double Zero Flour (Substitute White Lilly Flour)
  • 2 t. EV Olive Oil
  • 1 C. Warm Water
  • 1/2 t. Salt
  • 1 T. Brown Sugar
  • 1 T. Red Star Yeast or 3 packets (Not fast rising)
  • 1 T. Granulated Garlic
  • 1 bunch Italian Flat Leaf Parsley chopped
  • More Unbleached Bread Flour for Kneading

Directions

  1. In a Large bowl add all ingredients. I made the dough in the picture with just a little more water so I could photograph the stringy gluten. Some bakers prefer a very wet dough or batter at the beginning.
  2. Stir briskly with Chopsticks for 2 minutes to develop the stringy gluten. All Purpose flour does not have enough gluten or vitamins for this.
  3. Work in a little more Flour with a rubber spatula until the dough starts to form a ball.
  4. Cover bowl and let rest for 10 minutes to make sure the yeast is working and autolized.
  5. Return to bowl with spatula and pick up the edge of the dough with the spatula flip it over and stuff it down through the center then turn the bowl.
  6. Continue bowl kneading for 3 or 4 minutes adding pinches of flour until the dough is firm enough to pick up with your hands.
  7. Put some flour on your hands and pick up dough. Hold dough over bowl to avoid mess.
  8. Support Dough with Left palm and grasp and twist Dough with right hand just like turning a doorknob... Your small fingers will curl and take some dough into the middle from behind. The Dough will start to drag across your left palm.
  9. Jostle and repeat for 3 minutes while the ball drags through the flour in your left palm and becomes smooth.
  10. Twist.Twist.Twist. Jostle. Get a little rythm here. If it starts to stick to your hands just drop it back in the bowl and dust with flour then finish working on it.
  11. Keep going until the ball is tight like a water baloon.
  12. When the ball is tight and smooth... Crimp the bottom shut and drop it back in the bowl. Add a big pinch of Flour over the top.
  13. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise double in size.
  14. Spray a large pizza pan with Nonstick Cooking Spray and add a pinch of cornmeal if desired.
  15. A Deep Dish pan would be perfect and brown the edge more. I use a pan with holes drilled in it and then I don't need a pizza stone and the middle is not soggy.
  16. When the Dough is double in size just turn the bowl over and the Dough will gently roll out onto the pan.
  17. Be very gentle and do NOT deliberately defalte this Dough.
  18. Push your fingers into the Dough making dimples and it will begin to stretch into shape.
  19. Make plenty of dimples until the Dough fits the pan.
  20. Sprinkle a little flour across the Dough and cover loosely with plastic.
  21. Let rise the second rising on the pan. About 10-20 minutes while you preheat the oven.
  22. Make a few more dimples then add sauce, toppings.
  23. Bake the "Pizza Pie" 375F for about 25 minutes.

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Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving %DV
Serving Size 79g
Recipe makes 7 servings
Calories 162  
Calories from Fat 6 4%
Total Fat 0.74g 1%
Saturated Fat 0.11g 0%
Trans Fat 0.0g  
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 169mg 7%
Potassium 50mg 1%
Total Carbs 32.69g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1.1g 4%
Sugars 0.68g 0%
Protein 5.35g 9%
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Reviews

  • Bobby Lovera
    I developed it this way because it's the easiest way to do it. IMO.
    When you put the sauce on.. don't smear it on like they do in New York with their dough because it will press the air out. Just sling the sauce on and pile the ingredients on loosely... they will sink in from their own weight.
    You dont have to make a crust with it. You can just drizzle olive oil on it with some kosher salt or a bit of cheese and bake a Boboli flat bread.
    Or sometimes I use Rosemary and minced Kalamata olives in the dough and I dont even make the dimples; then I just turn it out on the pan and bake it whole at about 400F. You can roll up a torpedo loaf or bake it in a pan too. It's not just a shortcrust dough... this is a bread.
    I've cooked/tasted this recipe!
    • dorothy
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      I've cooked/tasted this recipe!
      • Salad Foodie
        Having never made a Chicago style pizza dough I was up for your challenge! It wasn't all that hard ~ but forgive me for taking liberties ~ I used a bread machine on dough cycle up through Step #13 above, adding the parsley at the 'beep'. And not having Double Zero or White Lily Flour I had to sub 2 tablespoons of AP instead. The dough did keep those bubbles and near as I can determine did look like the deep dish varieties I see. This was fun to make, and besides I had an excuse to slug down a thick crust piece 'a' pizza! Learned al lot from you in your directions, descriptions and your tutorial photos. Thanks for sharing!
        I've cooked/tasted this recipe!
        1 reply
        • Bobby Lovera
          November 3, 2012
          WOW!
          You really raised the bar again!...and with a bread machine!
          I never thought it could be done that way.
          Congratulations!

        Comments

        • Bobby Lovera
          July 9, 2012
          The original Chicago Deep dish pizza pie was reportedly made on a skillet of Cornbread..which started the whole deep dish craze back in the 1920's.
          But later the dough took on different styles according to trending moments in food history.
          The Boboli style was popular in the early 90's.
          • Bobby Lovera
            March 14, 2012
            Red Star or SAF red yeast has better flavor than Fleischman's for this. IMO
            • Bobby Lovera
              February 26, 2012
              The addition of Double Zero flour or White Lilly makes the dough hold the gas better for a light "bubbly" texture which is both sturdy and soft. The main ingredient must be Bread Flour.
              • Bobby Lovera
                February 26, 2012
                And you don't need a $350 dough hook mixer.... and it doesn't take 3 days to make the dough... and there's no mess. :)
                • Bobby Lovera
                  February 25, 2012
                  You can use some scalded milk in place of some of the water if you prefer the flavor of Foccacia.
                  Also the "Buttery" flavor of some Chicago Pizza comes from the grated rind of Parmegiano cheese which is very oily (Butter fat) and a traditional ingredient in minestrone soup.... of course you could add butter flavor to the dough as well.
                  • judee
                    February 23, 2012
                    always good to have a pizza dough recipe. Thanks for sharing..

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