This is a print preview of "Bobby Lovera's Chicago Pizza Dough" recipe.

Bobby Lovera's Chicago Pizza Dough Recipe
by Bobby Lovera

Bobby Lovera's Chicago Pizza Dough


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.

Rating: 4.3/5
Avg. 4.3/5 3 votes
Prep time: United States American
Cook time: Servings: 7

Ingredients

  • 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.