Last year hubby and I made some major changes to our diet. We weren’t looking for a quick fix or a fad diet to lose weight. We wanted to make healthy changes to our diet that would be a commitment for life. While we are still both considered overweight and have a ways to go, we are both half way to our goals and that is something worthy of celebrating! What better way to celebrate weight loss than a gorgeous, cheesy, saucy, deep dish pizza? Don’t mind if I do!
Before I show you this lovely little recipe, here are some before and afters from our journey so far.
Hubby – Before
Hubby – After (My darling nerd) 40 lbs lost
Me – Before
Me – After (Apparently, I’m a nerd as well) 33 lbs lost
Needless to say, we still have much work to do but we are excited about being halfway there! This pizza was delicious and the crust, in my opinion, is perfect. It is a perfect weekend pizza! Be careful though, this recipe makes two deep dish pizzas, but the recipe can easily be cut in half to make one pizza. I’ve made a few adjustments to the sauce, mostly because the salt can be overwhelming and I felt it could be sweeter. I’ve noticed this year that most of the crushed tomatoes I’ve purchased have been extremely acidic, so I have had to use more sugar in my sauce this season. Either way, it quickly became one of our favorite cheat night meals.
Deep Dish Pizza
Adapted from: Prevention RD
Dough:
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 tsp sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup semolina flour
1/2 cup canola oil, plus 1 teaspoons to grease bowl
1 tsp salt
Sauce:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, coarsely crushed
1 Tbsp dry red wine
1 tsp sugar ( I used 1 tablespoon, due to acidity)
salt – see note in recipe
Assembly:
1 lb part-skim mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 cup (2 ounces) Parmesan, grated
~70 slices pepperoni
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, and sugar and stir to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the semolina, 1/2 cup of the oil, and the salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition, until all the flour is incorporated but the dough is still slightly sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky, 3 to 5 minutes. Oil a large mixing bowl with the remaining 1 teaspoons oil.
Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Divide into 2 equal portions and use as directed.
While the dough is rising, make the tomato sauce. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the herbs, seeds and black and red peppers, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, wine and sugar, and bring to a boil. I season it with just enough salt so that it tastes just below where I would want it. The pepperoni, crust and cheese all have salt in them – trust me, it will be salty enough. 🙂
Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely before using.
Preheat the oven to 475 F.
Spray two 10-to-12-inch round deep-dish pizza pans with cooking spray (I used one spring-form pan and one 9-inch round and it worked great). Press 1 piece of dough into each pan, pressing to the edge and stretching about 1 1/2 inches up the sides. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Layer the mozzarella cheese all over the bottom of the pies. Top each with half of the pepperoni. Ladle the sauce evenly over each pizza and top with Parmesan.
Bake until the top is golden and the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, slice and serve hot. Yield: 8 LARGE slices prepared.
