It’s become a tradition in my house that every year to break the jewish fast of Tisha B’av, I make a homemade deep dish pizza for my husband. The dough recipe never changes (I use Naomi Nachman’s Quick and Easy Pizza Dough) but I love to switch up the fillings. This year, I added vegetarian frozen meatballs but you can add any kind of vegetarian meat you want or just leave it out all together and add more layers of cheese! What’s important to know about a deep dish pizza is that the cheese goes on the bottom and the sauce on top, with all the fillings in the middle. I’m not going to get in to a debate about New York pizza vs. Chicago pizza because the truth is, both are AMAZING and I don’t really think one has to be better than the other. What I love about deep dish is that it’s a whole meal in every bite. Dani Klein from Yeah That’s Kosher calls it “Pizza Cake” and he’s totally right about that! You can make it super deep, like the one I made in a springform pan, or you can make it shorter in a cast iron skillet or casserole dish. Just don’t make it flat or it definitely isn’t deep dish!
Deep Dish Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 batch pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1–2 cups cooked vegetarian meat crumbles or meatballs (follow package directions)
- 1 cup variety of sautéed vegetables; mushrooms, peppers, caramelized onions
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 1/4 cup parmesan
- 1 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and grease a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray.
- Roll out and stretch dough into a large circle and place inside the springform pan. Press the dough around the bottom and sides of the pan and leave a little hanging over the edges. It doesn’t need to be perfect.
- Sprinkle the cheese on the bottom. Then add the cooked meat crumbles or meatballs. Top with sautéed vegetables and top it all off with the marinara sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan and oregano. Fold the edges of the dough inward to create a round top to the crust.
- Place the springform pan on a baking sheet (in case anything leaks out) and bake for 35-40 minutes. Let the pizza rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
