The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

July 4th baking

txfarmer's picture
txfarmer

July 4th baking

What's better to celebrate July 4th than making/eating Chicago Style stuffed pizza?!

Followed the recipe here, I have been to chicago and ate their famous deep dish/stuffed pizza numerous times, I won't call this "authentic" (in fear of bashing from Chicago natives ), but it's indeed delicious and VERY similar to what I had from famous Chicago eateries.

My parents had no deep dish pizza pan, nor 9'' deep cake pan, so I used an 9" aluminum pan, which is 3" high, worked perfectly. The extra height allowed me to stuff more ingredients inside! My parents usually prefer Asian foods, but they loved this one - Itatlian sausage, shiitaki mushroom, spinach, loads of fresh mozarella cheese, homemade tomato sauce, what's not to love? Despite the long ingredient list, it's actually not hard to make.

For desserts, I made Japanese style light cheesecake, sometimes called "cotton soft cheese cake".

It has a tiny bit of cake flour and corn starch in the batter along with cream cheese, butter, and eggs, lighter and airier than American style cheese cake, yet still rich and moist. I used a Chinese recipe, but this recipe is pretty similar.

Comments

Franko's picture
Franko

Now that's a really fine looking pizza! The cheese cake looks great as well and I don't even like cheesecake, but I think I'd try that one.

txfarmer's picture
txfarmer

This cheese cake is a lot lighter than the American version, do give it a try!

arlo's picture
arlo

Mmm...pizza looks great. Glad your family liked it!

txfarmer's picture
txfarmer

Thanks! It's a crowd pleaser indeed.

Thaichef's picture
Thaichef

Hello Txfarmer:

  Your Pizza looks awsome!  I have never tasted the Chicago style Pizza since I love the thin crust one. I will try to perfect your Chicago style and invite my friends over to taste it. It will knock their socks off!

When I get together with friends it was always Pad Thai and other Thai foods which I am sick of it(I am a Thai cooking teacher). This time, I will say nothing and surprise the heck out of them! Wish me luck with your recipe and thank you for sharing.

mantana

txfarmer's picture
txfarmer

Hey, maybe you can put a "Thai" twist to the pizza, like switch out the sauce to curry, or change the veggies to something else!

dosidough's picture
dosidough

Love to see your posts and this is a great lookin' stuffed pizza. So says this Chicago girl. Everybody's a bit quirky on pizza, even Chicagoans argue about what is or isn't authentic. Personally I'd never order stuffed in a restaurant, even the ones known for it. But the the home made pies are a different story. Something about this is vastly improved done intimately instead of on a large production scale. A Scicilian American friend who gave me a similar recipe says this is what their family traditionally has for brunch Easter Suday; except they mix ricotta cheese with the spinach, oh and button instead of shitake....ooooh I love shitake.

Thanks for the Cheesecake recipe link. Japanese style is a new one to me and boy does it look good. I see a weekend project in the making!

Bake-on....
Dosi

txfarmer's picture
txfarmer

I had both button mushroom and shiitake, went with shiitake last minute and I loved the result. So tender and delicious!

rayel's picture
rayel

Hi txfarmer, so many  great pictures. I  especially like the crisp clean pizza slice. I know you'd have to let it set before slicing so perfectly. Both cheesecake and pizza, are prizes.  I'm sure they were delicious.  Ray

saltandserenity's picture
saltandserenity

Oh my, that pizza looks amazing.  I usually love thin crust pizza but yours may have just changed my mind.