Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005_en Cooked**

Dough:

• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces), divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray

Topping:

• 1/2 pound turkey Italian sausage (about 2 links)
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 (8-ounce) package pre-sliced mushrooms (Mom substituted a 10 ounce packaged of chopped spinach and 2 diced roasted red peppers for the ‘shrooms since Aunt Sue doesn’t like mushrooms)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) pre-shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

To prepare dough, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 10 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 cup flour and salt to the yeast mixture, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Stir in 1 3/4 cups flour, stirring until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare topping, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage and onion; cook for 5 minutes or until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain; set sausage mixture aside.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms (or spinach and red peppers if using those instead); cook 5 minutes or until moisture evaporates, stirring frequently. Remove mushrooms from pan, and set aside.

Return pan to medium heat; add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds or until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in oregano, fennel, and tomato sauce; simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce mixture is slightly thickened.

Coat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet with remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil, and sprinkle cornmeal over oil (or use a 12-inch round shallow baking pan like a stoneware one if you don’t have a skillet, it just might not end up as crusty). Place dough in skillet, gently stretching edges to evenly coat bottom and sides of pan. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over the bottom of dough; top evenly with sausage mixture and mushrooms. Top mushrooms with sauce mixture; sprinkle Parmesan over sauce. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until crust browns and topping is bubbly (stoneware might require more time) . Let pizza stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

• CALORIES 323 (22% from fat);
• FAT 8g (sat 3g,mono 2.8g,poly 1.4g);
• IRON 3.6mg;
• CHOLESTEROL 35mg;
• CALCIUM 156mg;
• CARBOHYDRATE 46.1g;
• SODIUM 694mg;
• PROTEIN 16.7g;
• FIBER 2.9g