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Pans for Chicago-style deep dish pizza


Pierogi

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The next culinary bucket list project I want to tackle is Chicago-style deep dish pizza. I have no fear of the actual cooking process. Dough, sauce, assembly all seem straight forward enough. What's stopping me is the equipment, in particular, the pan.

My kitchen is small, teeny-tiny even, and stuffed to the gills with equipment. While I fully subscribe to the theory that the right tools not only make the job easier, but are essential to success, I also subscribe to the "avoid the dreaded uni-tasker as much as possible" theory.

The recipes for Chicago-style deep dish pizza all show dedicated pans in the tutorials. In my mind, it seems to me I could sub a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, or a layer cake pan. Would the cast-iron be too heat conductive and conversely, the aluminum cake pan too light weight?

Must I commit to buying a dedicated pan? I sure hope not....

Thanks in advance, all !

--Roberta--

"Let's slip out of these wet clothes, and into a dry Martini" - Robert Benchley

Pierogi's eG Foodblog

My *outside* blog, "A Pound Of Yeast"

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It seems to me that one could certainly experiment with using a layer cake pan or the aforementioned cast iron skillet. Or, a springform pan. With the lighter weight pans, I would support w/ a cookie sheet.

Karen Dar Woon

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I've used a cast iron skillet with good results but have found it works better if you par-bake the crust a bit first after the rise. The cast iron does not heat very quickly and your toppings can burn before your crust is done if you start with a cold pan and dough.

What recipe are you using for the dough?

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I use a preheated cast iron skillet, adding a little olive oil when I'm ready..(I like it to be hot but it can't be in there as long as the pan itself takes to get preheated or it will start to burn) and I par-bake the crust. The hot oil on the bottom gives it a satisfying crunch. In fact, I often put it on a (preheated) low burner on the cook top to "dress" the pizzas but it's probably not necessary.

I've done this a while now and I do Chicago-style pizzas individually, in their own little pans I can serve at the table.

I have a LOT of cast iron.

Edited by pax (log)
“Don't kid yourself, Jimmy. If a cow ever got the chance, he'd eat you and everyone you care about!”
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