The Boglio Brothers Double Crust
Chapter 1 — The Doughs
Chicago stuffed pizza is an architectural marvel masquerading as a pie, a heavy, unapologetic monument of molten dairy and rendered pork born from a southern Italian Easter pastry. To get this right—to build a flaky, larded crust that holds a literal pound of cheese without collapsing—you have to unlearn everything you know about pizza dough. This isn't about massive gluten networks; it's about engineering a short, high-fat crust, a hermetic seal, and trusting your baking steel to fry the bottom while the oven slowly simmers the interior. Take your time, weigh your flour, and respect the thermodynamics.
Ingredients
- unbleached all-purpose flour500 g
- fine yellow cornmeal25 g
- water240 g
- corn oil65 g
- unsalted butter45 g
- kosher salt8 g
- granulated sugar5 g
- instant dry yeast7.5 g
- canned crushed tomatoes800 g
- granulated sugar10 g
- kosher salt5 g
- dried oregano2 g
- dried basil2 g
- garlic powder2 g
- extra virgin olive oil15 g
- whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella450 g
- mild Italian sausage340 g
- unsalted butter1 tbsp
- Pecorino Romano2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Combine the dry dough ingredients.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, briefly pulse the flour, cornmeal, 8 g kosher salt, 5 g sugar, and instant dry yeast to integrate.
- 02
Incorporate the solid fat to create a short crust.
Add the cold cubed butter and mix on the lowest speed until the butter forms small, pebble-like pieces; do not allow it to melt or form a paste.
- 03
Hydrate the dough matrix.
With the mixer running on low, stream in the cold water followed immediately by the corn oil.
- 04
Knead minimally to restrict gluten development.
Switch to a dough hook and knead on low for exactly 1 to 2 minutes until a shaggy mass forms. Overmixing will develop the gluten network excessively, yielding a tough, unpalatable shell.
- 05
Divide and cold ferment the dough.
Turn the dough out, divide it into a 600-gram portion for the base and a 295-gram portion for the top, form into smooth disks, and refrigerate in oiled containers for 24 to 48 hours.
- 06
Preheat the baking steel.
Place a baking steel or stone on the lowest oven rack and preheat the oven to 425°F for at least one hour to maximize thermal capacity.
- 07
Temper the dough and prepare the pan.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator 90 minutes before baking to reach about 60°F. Generously coat the interior of a 12x2-inch anodized aluminum deep-dish pan with the softened butter.
- 08
Roll and seat the bottom crust.
Roll the larger dough piece into a 15-inch circle and gently press it into the bottom and up the walls of the pan, leaving a slight overhang.
- 09
Build the interior meat and cheese strata.
Press the raw sausage into a single, flat layer directly on the bottom crust, then dump the shredded mozzarella over the meat, compressing it into an even, dense core.
- 10
Seal the architectural top crust.
Roll the smaller dough piece into a 12.5-inch circle, drape it over the cheese, and pinch the edges tightly against the bottom crust to form a hermetic seal, trimming any excess.
- 11
Vent the crust to prevent catastrophic rupture.
Using a sharp paring knife, cut three to four slit-like vents in the center of the top crust to allow steam from the rendering sausage and melting cheese to escape.
- 12
Insulate with the tomato sauce.
Mix the drained tomatoes with the 10 g sugar, 5 g salt, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and olive oil. Ladle this sauce over the top crust edge-to-edge, then dust generously with Pecorino Romano.
- 13
Execute the frying bake.
Place the pan directly onto the preheated baking steel. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, tenting the outer crust with foil if it browns too rapidly.
- 14
Rest the pie to set the structural starches.
Remove the pizza using heavy-duty pan grippers and let it rest in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before transferring to a board to slice.