Homemade Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Start by making the dough. Add the yeast and 2 Tsp sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add ¼ cup warm water and swirl to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes to foam up.
2. Add the remaining ½ cup water, 2 Tbsp oil and 1 ½ Tsp salt. Attach the dough hook and turn the mixer on low speed. Slowly add 2 cups of bread flour. Mix until the dough is well combined, then continue to knead for 5 minutes. Add additional water if needed, about ½ Tsp at a time, until all ingredients are incorporated. The dough should be sticky but firm enough to pick up.
3. Drizzle olive oil around the side of the stand mixer bowl then turn the dough over to coat in the oil.
4. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
5. Once the dough has doubled in size, remove from the bowl and place on a floured surface. Cut the dough in half. This recipe makes 2 12-inch pizzas. Form the 2 halves into balls.
6. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into 14-inch circles (you want them to be slightly larger than the skillet). If you are only making one pizza, you can wrap the other piece of dough in plastic wrap and freeze for a later date.
7. Brush the skillet with olive oil and top with cornmeal. You want to coat the bottom with a very thin layer of cornmeal.
8. Place the crust in the skillet and press down gently around the bottom and sides of the skillet. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.
9. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Move an oven rack to the lowest position.
10. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until soft and translucent.
11. Add the entire can of crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, 1 ½ Tsp sugar, and 1 Tsp salt. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 5 minutes.
12. Spread the shredded cheese in an even layer over the bottom of the crust.
13. Top with the toppings of your choice; pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, olives, etc. If you are using sausage or another meat, make sure it is precooked.
14. Pour the sauce over the top and spread to the sides to evenly coat.
15. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center is heated through.
16. Remove from the oven and sprinkle parmesan cheese generously over the top. Add fresh parsley. Let sit for about 5 minutes to firm up then slice and serve. Enjoy!

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