RECIPE - GF Chicago Style Pizza

I am never making "regular" pizza again! This way is so much better!!

We were first inspired to make Chicago style pizza from our neighbors Rob and Jaclynn. Rob was surprising Jaclynn (who has a blog called "Bad Fashion", check it out here) for her birthday with this Midwest favorite. Our other neighbor Pete is a master baker, and with the smells of homemade dough and pizza wafting through the building, it was hard to resist. Now we don't have to!

You really won't believe how easy this is. Literally the only thing different is the pan and the order you put the ingredients on.

Ingredients:
1 package Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 gluten free italian sausages, casings removed and sauteed until cooked and crumbly like ground beef
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 Tbsp italian seasoning
1/2 each red and green bell pepper, sliced
5 mushrooms, sliced
1 tomato, diced
2 cups mozarella cheese (I use Cabbott, it's lactose free)

Directions:
Make the pizza crust according to the directions on the package. Before mixing together, add 1 tbsp italian seasoning. Let the crust rise.

This recipe made 2 cake pans and 1 sheet pan worth of pizza (the sheet pan was made the "regular" way). You can easily make 4 cake pans of pizza with this recipe. Be sure to thoroughly spray the pan before mushing the dough in. I recommend using a piece of plastic wrap to help mush the pizza into the pan. Push the dough out to cover the bottom of the pan, then push up the sides of the pan. Prebake crust according to directions.

Now, here's the important part. Pay attention!

First, sprinkle the mozarella cheese directly on the prebaked crust. This is crucial, it creates a barrier between sauce and crust so it doesn't get mushy. It also gives the crust a great texture and helps you taste the cheese more.

Then, the sausage. In traditional Chicago pizzerias they put the sausage on the pizza raw and bake for a long long time. But here we can't bake the crust too long, so I recommend cooking the sausage ahead of time.

Next, add the veggies. Finally, spoon on some tomato sauce (after you mix it with 1 tbsp italian seasoning). Be careful not to add too much, you don't want to completely cover the veggies, just enough to get a thin layer. Add some parmesan cheese and you're ready to go!

Bake the pizza according to directions, and let rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Convinced? Make your pizza night a gluten free Chicago pizza night!!