Authentic Chicago Style Pizza Recipe

I've searched all over the internet and from what I've found the Chicago Style Pizza recipes all pretty different, and every schmo with an oven seems to think they're the only ones who have figured it out the right way.  Cornmeal, no cornmeal, corn oil, olive oil, veggie oil, butter, bread flour, all purpose flour, semolina flour, food coloring(?), even milk and eggs.  Whatever.  All of the shops up there have different recipes for their dough, and they are all really good.  Below I've included a recipe for a dough that is fantastic, and makes a nice buttery, fluffy, crispy crust that holds anything you can load it down with.  I'm not saying its the best out there, that's subjective, but it sure makes my belly happy.  

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water (90 - 100 degrees)
• 1 package of Active Dry Yeast
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 3 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Semolina Flour (or you can use 4 cups APF)
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 tsp Salt

Proof the yeast in the warm water with the sugar for about 5 minutes or until it begins to activate.

Add 1 1/2 cups of APF and the 1/2 cup of Semolina Flour, 1/2 cup of the oil, and the salt to the yeast.  Using a fork, mix until smooth.

Continue adding 1/2 cup of flour at a time, and mix by hand until smooth. (Might be a bit sticky still, don't over mix it!)

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for NO MORE THAN 3 minutes.  Trust me, don't over knead the dough!

Oil a mixing bowl and set the dough in, turning once to coat, and cover for about 4 hours.  You can also cover it and put it in the fridge over night.  Just punch it down in the morning and let it rise again for about 4 hours on your counter.

Get a good layer of oil or butter in your pizza pan and, starting from the center, push your dough out to the edges of the pan.  Be sure to build up the perimeter with a nice crust.  This is the trickiest part so just be patient.  It's best to start by pushing out the dough, then let it rest for 20 minutes before you build up the crust.

Finally, poke the crap out of it with a fork, lay down some fresh mozzarella cheese, a layer (yes a layer - not just a few pieces) of your favorite toppings, and cover in a thin layer of sauce.  Don't buy pizza sauce in a can/jar.  Take the time to make some of your own - it's really easy and your body will thank you for not feeding it that other crap.  Here's my recipe for a from scratch tomato / pizza sauce.  The one thing to remember is to build your pizza backwards.  Dough, cheese, toppings, sauce.  In that order.  I like to sprinkle a little more cheese on the top just for looks, but not everyone does this.

Bake at 425 for about 20- 25 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown.

Now enjoy a pizza the way we were meant to, the right way...