This deep dish pizza has a super-flakey crust. This pizza is also packed with mozzarella, homemade marinara, and fresh ricotta. I might be a deep dish lover.
Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and mix well, then slowly add water and melted butter until the dough ball comes together. Knead this for 8-10 minutes until the dough is glossy and smooth.
In a mixer, beat dough for 5-6 minutes with the dough hook on medium.
Let ball of dough rise in a lightly oiled bowl for about an hour or until it doubles in size.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to roughly a 16 by 12 rectangle.
Spread on softened butter leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges of the dough.
Roll up the dough like a cigar. Cut the dough roll in half. For each half fold into thirds. Pinch the seams around the dough to form a ball.
Let dough rise a second time in your fridge for 60 minutes.
For sauce, melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Then add onions (grated with a box grater, not chopped) along with dried spices and pinch of salt. Let cook for a few minutes until the onions are slightly browned.
Add garlic, tomatoes (including juice), and sugar. Bring to simmer and let it reduce for 25 minutes or so on low heat. Once it is reduced, stir in chopped basil and olive oil and ground pepper. Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Roll dough ball into about a 15 inch diameter circle.
Add 2 Tablespoons of oil to cake pan and then add pizza crust. Mush the dough into all the corners of the pan and crimp it around the edges.
Add about two cups of shredded mozzarella cheese to the bottom, followed by 1.5 cups (or about half) of your marinara sauce. Add a thin layer of grated Parmesan and dot the top with olives and ricotta cheese.
Bake 425 for about 30 minutes. Let this cool for 5 minutes before chopping into it!