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1
In a small bowl or cup combine milk with 3/4 cup (175 ml) water that is warm to the touch (about 125 degrees).
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2
Sprinkle dry yeast or crumble fresh yeast over.
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3
Stir once and let sit in a warm spot until it foams, 10 to 20 minutes.
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4
In a large bowl combine 3 cups (700 ml) flour with salt.
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5
Pour yeast mixture over flour, stirring with a wooden spoon to mix well.
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6
Dough will be very wet.
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7
Generously flour a work surface and turn out dough.
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8
Begin kneading, adding extra cake flour a handful at a time or less, scraping up and turning dough with a dough scraper.
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9
You will need about 10 minutes to knead and add flour.
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10
Dough is ready when it is smooth, silky and just past stickiness.
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11
Do not add too much flour or dough will be very dry.
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12
Gather up dough in a ball.
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13
Lightly oil a large bowl, add dough and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
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14
Let rise at room temperature about 2 hours or until doubled.
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15
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 4 even pieces.
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16
Shape into rough rounds, about 7 inches in diameter, 1/4-inch thick with a 3/8-inch-thick rim.
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17
Transfer to pizza peels or baking sheets sprinkled lightly with cornmeal.
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18
Cover loosely with towels and let rise 10 to 60 minutes.
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19
Heat oil in fring pan and add garlic, fennel, anise; saute briefly.
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20
Add wine, paste, sugar, onion powder and cayenne; stir to combine.
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21
Reduce sauce slowly over low heat till the tomatoes start to caramelize.
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22
IMPORTANT.
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23
Add the cheese.
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24
Season with salt and fresh pepper to taste.
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25
When sauce is thick and cheese is incorporated it is ready.
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26
Using the sauce - The trick to Chicago style.
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27
This sauce is very thick and pungent so use sparingly.
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28
A thin layer is smeared over the crust dough.
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29
The toppings are piled on; some meat toppings should be precooked slightly.
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30
As the pizza cooks moisture is released from the toppings.
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31
Top quality cheese must be used.
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32
The moisture from the toppings and the oils from the good cheese melt down into the sauce and dilute it back to standard consistency.
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33
This all happens in the exact same time it takes to bake the crust.
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34
Choose your toppings carefully for moisture content.
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35
Wet toppings piled high will result in a soggy crust.
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36
Try to find a pizza pan that has holes drilled in the bottom for crispy crust through out.
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37
Bake 10 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees (200 C.) till crust is crispy on edge.
