Cast-Iron Deep-Dish Pizza! Paleo perfection in a pan! The almond flour crust’s edges get nice and crispy from the cast-iron, while maintaining a nice soft chewy center. It’s filled with Italian turkey sausage, red onions, mushroom, green peppers, fresh fennel and small amount of vegan cheese! Topped off with my homemade spicy marinara sauce! Pizza pie masterpiece!
In all honesty, I am a thin crust pizza girl, so this was my first time making my own “lighter”, Paleo version of this deep-dish pizza pie. I get kind of annoyed when Chicago is only known for their deep dish or “Chicago Style” pizza. Chicago has the best THIN crust pizza in the country. Sorry New York, you can keep your flimsy, bland, greasy triangle pizza any day. I digress, I am talking about MY “Chicago Style Pizza” that is GF/grain free, dairy free and Paleo friendly. It really is delicious, and it has given me a newfound love for deep dish…my way!
Don’t get me wrong, this is not a low cal meal! It is however, made with whole foods, fresh ingredients and no 10 pounds worth of cheese to weigh you down and wreak havoc on your gut! You will walk away full but not that sick feeling after the old or traditional version. What’s nice about a deep dish is you really only need about 1 piece to satiate and satisfy your biggest deep-dish craving. Although, I may have had two! The wine made me do it! Speaking of, this pairs amazingly with a nice bold glass of red…or two!
Before and after of your pizza dough. When your dough is smooth and does not stick to your hands after kneading gently, it’s ready to proof and rise!
After 25 minutes of proofing. Won’t double in size but definitely has risen.
Turn out and press in your cast-iron skillet evenly and up the sides.
Fresh veggies! Yummy!
Fill your par-baked curst with your bounty!
Ready to go back into that hot hot oven to finish baking!
Mmm, just look at thick crispy, yet chewy center crust! The cast-iron skillet gives it that delectable crust!
So, pull out that trusty cast-iron skillet (if you don’t have one, you really should, they are great), pick up your fresh veggies and ingredients and plan your pizza party for this weekend or any night! Sure cures a case of the Mondays toot-sweet!
Happy Weekending and Deep Dishin’
Diane
- Pizza Crust: (adapted from Gluten Free on Shoestring)
- 2¼ cup arrowroot starch plus more if needed
- 2 cups fine ground almond flour. Up to half a cup more if needed
- 1¾ tsp. instant yeast
- 1 large egg room temp.
- ½ cup plus a ⅓ cup warm water (just under 1 cup)
- 3 tbsp. of olive oil
- 1 tbsp. honey
- Spicy Marinara Sauce:
- 26.6oz Pomi strained tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. dried parsley + more for garnish
- ½ tsp. dried Italian spices + more for garnish
- 1 tsp. salt plus more to taste
- 1 to 2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 to 4 tbsp. date nectar (can sub molasses)
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Filling:
- 1 tbsp. of olive oil, plus olive oil spray
- 8oz baby portabella mushrooms sliced
- ½ a large red onion thinly sliced
- 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 Italian turkey sausage link, casing removed
- 1 green pepper diced
- ⅓ cup to ½ cup Vegan Mozzarella (I used Violife)
- 1 tbsp. of ghee melted (for brushing the dough)
- Sea salt for sprinkle
- For the Crust:
- Ten inch cast-iron skillet needed (9 or 11 inch will work as well)
- In large mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients and whisk together.
- Add the olive oil, honey, egg and water and mix with a wooden spoon. Dough will be shaggy at first. Add more almond flour a tbsp. at a time until the dough comes together. You may need to add a little more arrowroot starch a tbsp. at time and to your hands to gently knead the dough into a ball until the dough is smooth and does not stick to your hands.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and cover with clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm spot and allow to rise for 25 minutes.
- For the sauce: (you will have extra, save for another use)
- In a large saucepan over medium heat add the olive oil. Add the dried herbs and red pepper flakes and stir for about two minutes. Add the garlic and cook while stirring for another minute or two until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste to the pot and stir and cook for another two to three minutes. Add the Pomi strained tomatoes and stir.
- Bring up to a boil then reduce to simmer. Add the salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Add in the date nectar starting with 2 tbsp. Allow to simmer partially covered for 25 minutes stirring frequently. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- For the filling:
- In a medium skillet with a little olive oil (about ½ tbsp. or so) heat over medium heat.
- Remove casing from turkey sausage and pull of small bite size pieces and cook in the skillet until no longer pink, flipping and turning. Around 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat onto a paper towel lined plate.
- Spray skillet with a little olive oil spray and add sliced mushrooms to cook down. Around 5 to 6 minutes. Salt and remove from heat and place on plate with sausage. Spray a little more olive oil spray and add your veggies and cook about 5 minutes more. I like a little bite left in my veggies, plus they will be going back in the oven to bake with the pizza.
- Bake the pizza:
- Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Melt a tbsp. of ghee in small bowl in the microwave. Brush the cast-iron skillet with the melted ghee.
- Press the pizza dough into the prepared skillet evenly and up the sides. Spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly golden.
- Carefully remove from oven and add your filling ingredients and vegan cheese. Top with a few ladles of the marinara and spread evenly over the top. Top with more dried Italian seasoning and parsley.
- Return pizza to the oven and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes until the crust is golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit for about 5 minutes before slicing into.
- Store left-overs covered in the fridge.
- Enjoy!
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