GF Chicago Deep Dish Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza

Happy Friday! We made it through another week… and the first full month of 2014! How quickly time flies. I love finally getting to the end of the week so I can enjoy my weekends. This weekend we’re relaxing at home since the following weekends will be pretty busy for me. I’m looking forward to lounging around in my pajamas, playing with some new recipes in the kitchen and of course, enjoying quality time with my boys and attending a Superbowl party. To finish off the week of Superbowl eats, I had to include this recipe for pizza. A lot of folks enjoy pizza for the Superbowl so here’s a GF Chicago Deep Dish Sausage & Pepperoni Pizza to share. Pizza takes on a Chicago spin with a gluten free dough baked in a cake pan and filled with savory pepperoni and sausage. This is one slice you need to enjoy with a knife and fork!…

Since becoming gluten free, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy a good Chicago style pizza. Thankfully, now I can and when I made this, The Baron was impressed. I think I restored his thoughts about gluten free pizza since the first time I made it he wasn’t a fan. This recipe is a keeper and it’s one that I can play with by making other versions of GF pizza!

For tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with added purée
4 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Make tomato sauce
In a 4-quart nonreactive saucepan over very low heat, add the oil and onions, cooking until softened. Stir in the tomatoes and  bring to simmer. Continue stirring occasionally until sauce is thickened and reduced to 1 cup, in about 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in sugar, salt, and oregano. Cover to keep warm if using shortly after or store in the fridge, covered up to 5 days. 

Make pizza crust
In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment,combine together tapioca flour, white rice flour, chickpea flour, sorghum flour, xanthum gum, and salt. *Be sure to use white rice flour… using brown rice flour will result in a gritty crust.

In small saucepan set over moderate heat, combine together milk and 1/4 cup water.  Heat until warm (between 105°F and 115° F on candy thermometer). Stir in yeast and sugar. Remove from heat and transfer milk–yeast mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer.

Add egg whites, and 2 tablespoons oil to the bowl of the stand mixer. Switch to the paddle attachment and beat all the ingredients at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until dough is very smooth and very thick, about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease two 10 or 12 inch round cake pan with cooking spray. 

Scrape half of dough onto each cake round and form each half into a ball. Coat each ball with 2 teaspoons oil, then use oiled fingertips to pat and form each ball into the cake round to form a crust on the bottom and up the sides of the pan, about 1/4 inch thick, with a 1/2-inch-thick border. Loosely cover rounds with plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft-free place until each pizza is about 10 inches in diameter, about 20 minutes.

Place cake rounds unto the preheated oven and bake until top is puffed and firm and underside is crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven onto cooling rack and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Top and finish baking pizzas
Brush 1 teaspoon olive oil over each crust. Sprinkle the bottom of the crusts with mozzarella cheese and then add your desired toppings. Once topped, cover the tops with pizza sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake pizzas in preheated 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, rotating as needed for even browning, until cheese is bubbling and browned in places and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven, slice, and serve immediately with additional cheese if desired.