Ultimate Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Recipe On The Komodo Kamado Grill
A Deep Dish Pie Baked on the Kamado
Looking to make better BBQ on your Kamado? Download my free “12 Mistakes Kamado Grill Owners Make” guide.
Introduction
Chicago Deep Dish, Start to Finish
What's up BBQ fans! Today we're making a Chicago-style deep dish pizza, baked on the Komodo Kamado. It was so good I had a slice before we even recorded the intro. We started midday and had pizza about four hours later.
The Dough
Use a scale. With cups, you never know how tightly the flour is packed.
16¼ oz all-purpose flour (not 00 for this one)
2½ to 2¾ oz cornmeal
1½ tbsp fine sea salt (table salt works)
2 tbsp white sugar
Rapid rise yeast
Water at 95°F
3 tbsp melted butter
Mix the dry ingredients in a stand mixer for a minute. Add the water and yeast and mix on low for a couple of minutes, then add the melted butter. Once it comes together, mix on medium for 5 to 6 minutes. When the bowl comes out clean, you're there.
Coat a bowl with about a tablespoon of olive oil, ball up the dough, roll it once to coat and cover it tightly. The cornmeal gives it texture and a little crunch.
Why rapid rise? I usually use traditional yeast with an overnight cold ferment, which is how you really build flavor. But deep dish eats more like a pie than an airy pizza, so it matters less here. Rapid rise doubles in 45 to 75 minutes instead of 1½ to 2 hours. If you're unsure about your yeast, bloom it in the water for 10 minutes first. It should be foamy.
The Sauce
2 to 3 garlic cloves, pressed (I'm afraid of vampires, so I use extra)
2 tbsp melted unsalted butter
About ¼ white onion, grated on a microplane
A can of crushed tomatoes
¾ tbsp dried oregano and ¾ tbsp dried basil (fresh basil is better)
About ½ tbsp salt, to taste
½ tsp pepper
¾ tsp sugar, just to take the edge off
1 tbsp olive oil
Cook the garlic in the butter for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Don't burn it. Grating the onion turns it into a paste that melts into the sauce, so you get the flavor without the chew. It's a great trick for burgers, too. Add everything else and simmer 15 to 25 minutes until thick, not runny. Brands with more added water can take 30 to 35 minutes.
Laminate the Dough
This batch makes one 12-inch pan or two 9-inch pans. I went with one 12-inch.
Once doubled, spread the dough out thin.
Spread 3 tbsp of softened butter over the whole thing.
Fold it up, seal the edges so the butter stays inside, ball it again and wrap it.
Rest 45 to 60 minutes.
Fire Up the Kamado
I used Komodo Kamado Coco Char, with about eight extra pieces for a third layer. I brought it up slowly to 425°F, then added the pizza stone to heat soak.
Build the Pie
Oil the pan. I almost forgot, and it would have been a bear to get out.
Roll the dough to about ¼ inch, a little bigger than the pan, and press it into the corners and up the sides. If it fights you, let it rest 5 to 10 minutes so the gluten relaxes.
Layer it in reverse: sliced mozzarella on the bottom, then toppings, then cheese, then sauce on top.
My toppings: pepperoni (blotted with paper towel, since it was greasy), ham, full-size bacon pieces, not those wimpy little crumbles, and red onion. You can't have enough onion on a pizza.
Almost 3 cups of shredded cheese, then sauce over the top without disturbing the cheese.
The Bake
Straight onto the stone for 25 to 35 minutes. Mine went 27 minutes, and I let it creep to 450°F for the last 10. If you stick at 425°F, plan on 30 to 35. It looked good at 10 minutes and great at 20.
Get it out of the pan quickly so the crust stays crisp. I tore the bottom a little getting it out. They make it look easy. Then let it cool 15 minutes. Longest 15 minutes ever.
Taste Test
The sauce is banging, with a big, bold layer of it, lots of cheese, and it hits all the marks. My one miss: the bottom crust was a little thicker than I wanted. Next time, I'd let the dough rest 10 minutes in the pan and push it farther up the sides.
Final Thoughts
Deep dish on the kamado is absolutely delicious. No kamado? Follow the same steps and bake it in your oven at 425°F, and you'll be just as happy.
Thanks For Watching
Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or a novice, these tips will enhance your cooking skills and leave your family and friends raving about your delicious, smoky creations. Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more step-by-step videos, and let's together become the barbecue heroes we were meant to be!
*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. You will pay the same price, but I will earn a small percentage, which will help support the channel.
