Any of my readers who have been with me for some time, know that I am from the Chicago suburbs and I am PROUD of that. I loved growing up in the best city in the world, with the best food in the country!
When I met Noah, he was slightly taken aback by my loyalty to one of the Chicago deep dish pizza restaurants… Loyalty to one specific restaurant doesn’t really exist out here in LA. When he asked which deep dish pizza restaurant was my favorite, I immediately answered Lou Malnati’s. He asked about a few others and I held firm because there is just something so comforting about the Lou Malnati’s crust and the slightly sweet tomato sauce that doesn't compare to anything else!
So, to kick off my Around the Country Tour of Hamentaschen, I present to you a deep dish pizza Hamentaschen!
Yield: 9 Inch Pizza
Pizza Crust
2 Cups warm water
1 Tablespoon instant yeast
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Teaspoon salt
5 Cups all purpose flour
¼ Cup corn oil
Tomato Sauce
Can of whole tomatoes
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
¼ Cup granulated sugar
1 Teaspoon garlic powder
1 Teaspoon onion powder
Other Ingredients
Sliced mozzarella cheese
Cornmeal
Parmesan cheese
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the water, the yeast and the sugar.
Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the cornmeal and begin to mix the dough on low speed.
Once a ball is formed, and the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, continue to mix on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until the dough becomes elastic and smooth.
Remove from the mixer and place in a bowl coated with oil. Allow the dough to rest for approximately 1 hour.
While the dough is rising, add all tomato sauce ingredients into a ducth oven. Cook over medium-high heat until it has reduced by three quarters of its volume.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the dough is rested, place on a flat surface, dusted with cornmeal. Roll out the dough into an 8-10 inch circle. Arrange the sliced cheese into a triangle in the center of the dough, make sure to layer to at least ½ inch thickness!
Fold the bottom of the circle up so that it covers the bottom ½ inch of the cheese triangle. Repeat for the other two sections of dough until a triangle is created.
Ladle the tomato sauce in the middle over the cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.
Serve pizza straight from the oven to ensure the best cheese pull!
