Stuffed Deep-Dish Pizza

To Create the Dough: In a small container, combine sugar with 1 cup of warm liquid; in another small container, blend yeast, 1/2 cup of flour, and 1/2 cup of warm liquid. Mix these two components together and let sit for approximately 20 minutes, until it becomes frothy.

Concurrently, in a medium-sized container, combine the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour with cornmeal and salt; remove half of this mixture and stir in 1 cup of sugar water. Once well combined, return the second half of the flour/cornmeal mixture to the container and mix everything together; then incorporate the yeast mixture. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it becomes smooth and elastic, taking around 8 to 12 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container and cover it with plastic wrap. Allow it to rise until it has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius). To Prepare the Filling: In a large container, combine the sausage, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, pepperoni, onion, bell pepper, oregano, and garlic. Mix everything well.

Press half of the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a lightly greased deep dish pan. Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 4 minutes, then add the filling mixture to the bottom crust and cover with the top crust; seal the edges together by hand, and trim any excess. Slit the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking; cover with tomato sauce.

Bake on a lower rack at 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius) for 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then cut and serve.