A Perfect Pizza

I had made pizza many times before, but it always turned out decidedly blah.  Edible, but not worth the effort when I could have had something much better delivered to my doorstep.  I recently decided it was time to add really good pizza to my cooking repertoire.  I was looking for a pastry-style crust, similar to Ledo's Pizza.  I also love a good Chicago-style pizza, but hate all the fat and calories that go along with it.  I decided to combine the two and make a pastry crust with a Chicago sauce.  The results?  Pure deliciousness!

In addition to the sauce and crust ingredients you'll also need 1 cup of shredded provolone cheese and 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella.  Save a little extra basil for sprinkling on top.  You can also add a little grated Parmesan on top.

Get started on the sauce first because it will take a while to cook down...

2 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes (if you want to get really crazy you can use fire-roasted tomatoes- this adds a nice, smoky flavor, but it might not be to everyone's liking).
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
Fresh basil

Place the tomatoes and their juice in a sauce pan.  Use a wooden spoon to chop them up.  Stir in oregano and salt.

Simmer, uncovered over low heat until all the liquid has evaporated.  This will take an hour, at least, probably more.  (It is my duty to warn you that this is going to smell so good that you are going to get anxious and impatient and try to declare that this is done when it's not.  Do not do this.  If you have too much liquid left in the sauce it will run over the side of the crust and burn).

Remove from heat and add garlic and 8-10 torn basil leaves.

For the crust...

2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, cubed
1 tbsp sugar
2/3 cup warm water
1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine 2 cups of flour and salt.  Add the butter and blend in with a pastry cutter until well-mixed.  Combine sugar, water (warmed to 110 degrees) and yeast in a small bowl and let rest for a couple minutes.  Add to flour mixture and let your mixer knead it all together.  Keep adding more flour until the dough comes together in a ball and isn't too sticky when you handle it.  Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let rest 30-40 minutes.  It's not going to rise very much, so don't worry when you check on it!

Coat your pizza pan with non-stick spray and spread dough evenly on the pan, pressing right up against the edges to make a nice "cup" to contain the sauce.  Poke the dough with a fork to prevent bubbling and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and brush with olive oil.

Now you're ready to assemble the pizza...

Sprinkle your provolone and mozzarella cheeses on the crust.  Spread the sauce over the cheese, right to the edge of the pan.

Put it back in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Top with shredded basil and grated Parmesan, if desired, and enjoy!

This isn't the best photo, so please don't judge the pizza on my photography skills!