Chicago-style pizza facts for kids
Chicago-style deep-dish pizza
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| Type | Pizza |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Chicago, Illinois |
| Main ingredients | Pizza dough, tomato sauce, cheese |
Chicago-style pizza is a special kind of pizza that comes from Chicago, Illinois. People often call it deep-dish pizza because of how it's cooked. This pizza is baked in a deep pan. This gives it a tall edge, which holds lots of cheese and thick tomato sauce. Chicago-style pizza can be made as deep-dish or as a stuffed pizza.
Contents
Deep-Dish Pizza: A Chicago Classic
How Deep-Dish Pizza Was Invented
No one is completely sure who invented Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. Many people say it was created at Pizzeria Uno in Chicago in 1943. This was by Uno's founder, Ike Sewell. However, some old newspaper articles suggest that Uno's pizza chef, Rudy Malnati, made the recipe. Also, the Rosati family says their restaurant, Rosati's Authentic Chicago Pizza, has had deep-dish pizza since 1926.
What Makes Deep-Dish Special?
The main difference between deep-dish pizza and other pizzas is its very deep crust. This makes it look more like a pie than a flatbread. Even though the pizza is thick, the crust itself is usually thin to medium.
Deep-dish pizza is baked in a round, steel pan. This pan is like a cake or pie pan. The pan is oiled so the pizza comes out easily. It also helps make the crust crispy on the outside.
The Unique Crust and Toppings
The pizza dough often has cornmeal or semolina in it. This gives the crust a yellowish color. The dough is pressed up the sides of the pan. This creates a bowl shape for a very thick layer of toppings.
Because there are so many toppings, deep-dish pizza needs a longer time to bake. It usually takes 30 to 45 minutes. If the cheese were on top, it might burn. So, the toppings are put on "upside-down."
First, the crust is covered with mozzarella cheese. Then come meats like pepperoni or sausage. Sometimes, the sausage is a solid patty. Other toppings like onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers are added next.
Finally, a sauce made from crushed tomatoes is put on top. Sometimes, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese is added for more flavor. When you order deep-dish pizza for takeout, it's often not cut. This stops the sauce from making the crust soggy.
- Deep-dish pizza
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Californian imitation of Chicago-style deep-dish pizza
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Deep-dish pizza from Lou Malnati's
Stuffed Pizza: An Even Deeper Dish
In the 1970s, two Chicago pizza places started making "stuffed pizza." These were Nancy's Pizza and Giordano's Pizzeria. Rocco Palese of Nancy's Pizza based his idea on his mother's recipe for an Italian Easter pie.
Stuffed pizzas are often even deeper than regular deep-dish pizzas. It can be hard to tell the difference until you cut into one. A stuffed pizza has a very thick layer of toppings.
Like deep-dish, a layer of dough forms a bowl in a tall pan. The toppings and cheese are added inside. Then, another thin layer of dough goes on top. This top layer is pressed to the sides of the bottom crust. It looks like a rounded lid.
Pizza makers often poke a small hole in the top crust. This lets air and steam escape while it bakes. This stops the pizza from "exploding." Usually, tomato sauce is put over the top crust before baking.
Thin-Crust Pizza: The Local Favorite
There is also a thin-crust pizza style popular in Chicago and the Midwest. The crust is thin and firm, with a noticeable crunch. This is different from a New York-style pizza.
This pizza is cut into squares, not wedges. People call this "tavern-style" or "party cut." Some studies suggest that thin-crust pizza is more popular than deep-dish among Chicago locals.
Popular Toppings
The toppings you find on most pizzas in North America are also common in Chicago. These include sausage, pepperoni, onions, and mushrooms. However, a survey in 2013 showed that Italian sausage is the most popular topping in Chicago. In most of the United States, pepperoni is number one.
Chicago pizzerias also offer special local toppings. These include Italian beef and giardinera (a mix of pickled vegetables).
See also
In Spanish: Pizza estilo Chicago para niños
