Deep Dish Pizza Recipe (12-inch with Romano Cheese)

Ingredients:

  • Pizza dough enough for a 12-inch deep dish pizza
  • 1.2 lbs of low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 1/4 lb of Romano cheese, grated
  • 3/4 lb Italian sausage, removed from casing
  • 1 medium bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 3/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/3 cup black olives, sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups of chunky tomato sauce
  • Olive oil for pan and drizzling
  • Salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs (like oregano and basil) to taste

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 475°F.
  2. While the oven is preheating, sauté the sliced bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms in a skillet with a bit of olive oil over medium heat until they are soft and any water from the mushrooms has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Grease your 12-inch cast iron skillet with olive oil. Press the pizza dough into the skillet, pushing it up the sides. Make sure the dough is evenly distributed in the skillet.
  4. Lay the sliced mozzarella cheese directly on top of the dough, covering the entire surface.
  5. Spread the raw, crumbled Italian sausage evenly over the cheese.
  6. Distribute the sautéed bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms over the sausage.
  7. Sprinkle the sliced olives evenly over the other toppings.
  8. Sprinkle the grated Romano cheese over the toppings.
  9. Spoon the tomato sauce over the top of the pizza, spreading it to the edges. Sprinkle the sauce with Italian herbs.
  10. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese on top is bubbling and starting to brown. You might want to place a baking sheet or foil under the skillet to catch any drips.
  11. Let the pizza cool for about 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. This helps the cheese to set and makes the pizza easier to slice. Enjoy your homemade deep-dish pizza!