Deep Pan Pizza Dough (Desi-version)

Deep Pan pizzas are my absolute favourite when it comes to pizzas. I love deep pan pizzas from Pizza hut which is surely everyone would say it's super unhealthy!!! Well, you can control what you put in if you make it at home and that's what gets me to make it at home. I always try to make it 50:50 meaning use half whole wheat flour and a half all-purpose flour and it turns out equally delicious. The original recipes yield for more butter and oil but you can control the oil content and also use less cheese and add more veggies to make it nutritional. I prefer to use olive oil when it comes to all Italian or Italian fusion dishes.

Yields - 6 (6inch) pizzas or 3 (8/9 inch) pizzas

Ingredients:

For Dough:

All-Purpose Flour (bleached) - 4 cups OR Whole wheat - 2 cups and All-purpose - 2 cups

Yeast - 1 Package dry yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast

Sugar - 1 tablespoon

Water - 1 1/3 cups to 1 1/2 cups warm water

Non-far dry milk - 1/4 cup (optional)

Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Olive Oil or any vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons

Fennel powder - 1 tablespoon

Chilli pepper flakes - 1/2 tablespoon (optional)

Oregano or Mixed herbs - 1/2 tablespoon

Kneading & Dusting:

Olive oil or Vegetable oil - 1 to 2 tablespoon

Cornmeal flour

Melted Butter - 2 to 4 tablespoons

Instructions/Method:

1. Combine Sugar & Yeast with 4 to 5 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar & yeast mixture with the flour and then add salt, dry milk, oil, fennel powder, chilli pepper flakes, mix herbs and combine well.

3. Now add 1 cup of water and mix well until all the flour is all combined. Add more water if needed till the dough is soft. Ensure it is not too hard. It should be soft as Chapati/Roti dough.

4. Turn the dough out onto a flat surface. Take some oil into your hands and knead for about 10 to 15 minutes. Take more oil if the dough gets sticky in your hands.

5. Alternatively, you can also use a stand mixer with a dough paddle attachment to stir for 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Put the kneaded dough in a big bowl and spread some oil and water on the surface and close the bowl with a cling film. Let the dough rest for about 4 to 5 hours. If you are making it a day ahead, ensure you refrigerate the dough after 2 hours of kneading. Bring the dough to room temperature before use.

7. Once the dough has doubled in size, divide the dough into three equal balls if making it in a 9inch cake/pizza pan or cast-iron skillet.

8. Coat the pizza pan or skillet with melted butter on the bottom as well as on the sides. Sprinkle cornmeal all over the bottom and sides

9. Take the risen dough and use a rolling pin to roll them into 8 to 9-inch circles. Place the rolled dough into the pizza pans. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. No need to create a crust with your fingers as the dough will rise in the oven.

10. Preheat the oven to 475 to 500 degrees F.

11. Top the pizza dough with pizza sauce, desired topping and grated cheddar with mozzarella cheese.

12. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until you see the cheese bubbling with some brown spots and the crust starts to appear golden brown.

13. Brush the crust with melted butter (optional) before serving!. Ensure you let the pizza cool for about 3 to 4 minutes then remove from the pans to a cutting board and cut into wedges using a pizza cutter.

Notes:

- Place your kneaded dough out in the sun for about 2 hours if the weather is hot. Ensure you wrap the bowl in a plastic bag so the dough doesn't dry out.

- Deep pan pizza needs more pizza sauce than regular thin-crust pizzas and so ensure you add suffice sauce.

- If the weather is not too hot outside or in the house, preheat your oven on 325 degrees f temperature for 3 minutes and leave the covered dough in the oven which would help create a warm environment that's great for dough -rising.

- Pizza dough tastes better if you make it ahead of time. I usually make it an evening before.

- You can refrigerate for up to 4 days. Just ensure you let it come to room temperature before baking it.

- Adding fennel powder not only adds flavour to the crust but it helps aid digestion and great for many other reasons :).

- The same dough can be used to make thin-crust pizzas :)

- I usually do not use dry milk powder but the original recipes seek for this ingredient. If you have it at home then do use it or you can make it without it as well.

- Add mozzarella sticks on the edge to make it stuffed cheese crust pizza. Ensure to leave some space between the sticks as shown in the picture below and seal the edges by rubbing some water and pressing it down with your fingers.