Bread Machine (152 page)

SUZANNE’S CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP-DISH PIZZA        
Makes one 14-inch deep-dish pizza

D
eep-dish pizza is a purely American invention. The first definitive regional adaptation of Italian pizza, it was developed by Pizzeria Uno in Chicago after World War II, with great success. In this deep-dish version, the cornmeal-laced dough is pressed into the pan with your fingers, without any fuss, then the cheese forms the first layer, which keeps the crust from getting soggy. You can certainly use your own homemade sauce, but Suzanne says Hunt’s works the best.

INGREDIENTS

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

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pound ground sirloin

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pound ground pork

1 teaspoon whole fennel seed

3 fresh plum tomatoes

1 recipe
Cornmeal Pizza Dough

1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

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cup grated Romano cheese

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teaspoons dried oregano

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teaspoons dried basil

One 16-ounce can Hunt’s Spaghetti Sauce or 2 cups
Essential Tomato-Herb Pizza Sauce

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cup olive oil

Place the onion and meats in a medium sauté pan. Cook over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink and onion is cooked; blot up excess fat with a paper towel. Add the fennel seed. Set aside to cool.

Skin and chop the tomatoes. Place in a sieve and drain for 10 minutes.

Twenty to thirty minutes before baking, place a pizza stone on the lower third rack of the oven and preheat it to 400°F.

Brush a 14-inch deep-dish pizza pan with oil and press in the pizza dough, making sure it is even on the bottom and up the sides to the rim; do not stretch. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Toss the mozzarella, Romano, and herbs together in a bowl. Sprinkle the dough with two-thirds of the cheese mixture. Then spread with the entire can of sauce and drizzle with some olive oil. Distribute the meat mixture over the top for the next layer. Top with the tomatoes and the remaining cheese mixture. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and bake for an additional 40 to 45 minutes. Cover with foil for the last 10 minutes if the cheese is too brown. When done, the crust will be golden brown; lift with a metal spatula to check the bottom. Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest on a rack for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve while still hot.

Making Your Own Frozen Pizza

Frozen pizzas are convenient for entertaining or for a fast meal. The pizza can be partially baked, cooled to room temperature, then frozen for up to a week. Here is how to do it: Bake the pizza for half the required time, let it cool on a wire rack, then slide it onto a baking sheet. Place in the freezer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the freezer, wrap in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil if it is a large pizza, or slip a smaller pizza into a self-sealing plastic freezer bag. Label and date the pizza before returning it to the freezer. To bake and serve, 15 minutes before baking, place a baking stone in the oven, and preheat it to 425ºF. Remove the pizza from the freezer. Unwrap the pizza and slide it directly onto the hot stone or place it on a baking sheet and then on the stone. Bake until the pizza is hot and the cheese is bubbling.

SAUSAGE AND PEPPER CALZONE         
Makes three 4
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-inch calzones

C
alzone means “trouser leg” in Italian, probably a reference to the calzone’s earliest shape, which was elongated like a tube. Calzones, which are now recognizable in their half-moon shapes, can be filled with any combination of items that might constitute pizza topping. Calzones stand in the company of a number of other little stuffed breads, all of which play roles similar to our American sandwich: Cornish pasties, Russian pirogi, and the South American empanada. You can shape this dough into calzones of any size.

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OR 2-POUND-LOAF MACHINES

For the dough:

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cups water

3 tablespoons olive oil

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cups unbleached all-purpose flour

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cup semolina pasta flour (durum flour) or whole wheat flour

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teaspoons salt

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teaspoons SAF yeast
   or 2
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teaspoons bread machine yeast

For the filling:

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pound sweet or hot Italian sausage

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 red bell peppers (1 pound), cut in half and sliced

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

Salt and fresh-ground black pepper

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cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

To make the dough, place all the dough ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Program for the Dough cycle and press Start.

While the Dough cycle is running, prepare the filling. Prick the sausages with a fork and place in a medium skillet. Add
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inch of water, cover, and simmer until the water evaporates, about 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook and brown the sausages on all sides. Remove from the heat and cool. Cut into
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-inch slices. Refrigerate until needed.