Deep Dish Pizza to Die For

This is one of the best pizzas I have ever made.  It originates from King Arthur Mills and is promoted by Food 52 online. It is easy to make the dough, but you have to start the day before - that's the only hook. Oh and, mixing the dough is messing - but some of the greatest joys in life can be quite messy.

Here I make a white clam version, and below I show meatball and a pepperoni versions. I doctor up the dough with bran, flaxseed and wheatgerm and other goodies (like nutritional yeast and dill weed), but you can keep it simple as you like.

Dry ingredients for pizza dough:

3-1/4 cups all purpose (or bread) flour

1/2 tsp fine salt

1/2 tsp active dry yeast (optional)

1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (optional)

1 Tbsp wheat germ (optional)

1 Tbsp Brewer’s nutritional yeast (optional)

dash garlic powder

dash onion powder

dash dried dill weed

1-1/2 cups water

10 oz whole clams, drained

2 anchovy fillets

3 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1 Tbsp finely minced fresh parsley

1 lb low moisture mozzarella (I used whole milk), grated

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

more finely chopped parsley for garnish

The day or night before: stir together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl until well mixed. Heat the water in a microwave for 30 seconds to make it just lukewarm (about 105F).

Pour the water over the dry ingredients and using a clean hand, pull in the dry ingredients from the side into the middle to slowly mix the dough.  You will end up with an extremely shaggy, sticky dough that will be a chore to extract from your fingers.  Do your best and wash up. If it  looks a mess, you've done the right job.

Let the dough sit for 15 minutes. Then dip your hand into a bowl of water and gently fold one corner of the dough over onto itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat the process three more times.  Let the dough rest another 15 minutes and repeat two more times.  This should result in a glossy cohesive dough.  

Transfer the dough to a bowl with a dash of olive oil.  Roll the dough in the oil to moisten - I use my hands to smear the oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the next day - you should let it proof in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours; more is OK and will develop even more flavor. 

You can also use a zip-close bag to refrigerate the dough - make sure it is big enough as the dough will expand a bit.

The next day, place the dough in a warm spot outside the refrigerator and allow to proof covered, at least 2-3 hours before ready to cook. Then, oil a large 12 to 14-inch cast iron (or other oven-going) skillet with 2 tablespoons oil.  Spread the oil evenly with your fingers or a brush to cover all the surfaces. Lay the dough onto the center of the pan and dimple the dough, stretching it our to the degree it will without springing back.  

Allow the dough to rest for another 15 minutes and continue - repeat this process once or twice until the dough covers the complete bottom of the pan.

Preheat the oven to 450F.

Mash together the anchovies with the garlic and salt to a coarse mixture just short of a paste.  Toss together with the clams and the parsley in a small bowl.

Spread half of the mozzarella cheese evenly on top of the dough, making sure to scatter all around the edges - this will form a delicious crispy edge to the dough. 

Establishing this complete cover of low moisture cheese is critical to keeping the dough from getting soggy and forming a great crust - no matter what topping you proceed with. 

Scatter the clam mixture evenly over the cheese.  

Now top the clam mixture with the other half of the mozzarella. Scatter evenly with the Parmesan.  Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and more parsley.

Bake the pizza for about 20-30 minutes on a lower rack of the oven until browned and bubbly. 

Remove pan from oven and allow to cool a few minutes.  Use a sharp spatula and cut around and loosen all the edges.  Shaking the pan, remove the pizza to a large cutting board.  Garnish with more fresh parsley, slice and serve.

Makes one 14-inch deep dish pizza.

Cook’s Notes: You can make any kind of deep dish pizza you please - try many varieties.  Below I show a meatball version and a pepperoni version with tomato sauce.  

Note that when using tomato sauce, you should dot the sauce - don’t spread it at the risk of making the dough soggy.  

Here we dot the sauce over the meatballs or the pepperoni slices only. Then cover with final layer of cheese.

Trust me - it will spread - look at the final pics! Try your favorite toppings and cheeses - the world is your oyster, though I’m not sure about oyster pizza ?!?!

Importantly: use low moisture cheese (Mozzarella or many other such as Cheddar, Pepper Jack, Swiss) for the first layer on the pizza dough to protect the dough from sogging.  After that - I think the experiment is yours!