This copycat Godfather’s pizza recipe is based on my fond memories of the original Godfathers pizza restaurants. The pizza dough seemed so thick. The fresh cheeses seemed so elastic and gooey when paired with that rich tasty Godfathers pizza sauce.
Vintage Godfather’s Pizza Restaurant
When I was a kid, growing up in the 80s, families usually ate at home. Going out to dinner was a special occasion. Luckily, the town I grew up in had a Godfather’s pizza restaurant close to home. Not only was the pizza out of this world but it also had a video game arcade included inside.
I still love playing Donkey Kong, Dig Dug, Defender, Dragon’s Lair, and Pac Man. The décor was set to 1930-1940 era complete with red and white checkerboard tablecloths. I have such fond memories of spending time with my family and friends.
How to make Godfather’s pizza crust
The original Godfather’s pizza had such a unique tasting crust. I’ve never tasted another like it so this put me on a quest. Luckily Google is great for researching such a topic.
With a little time, I was able to track down some data from the wonderful folks over at www.pizzamaking.com. I also have some past restaurant experience making pizza from scratch which made the dough-making process easier. Be forewarned that the dough making process requires lots of time and patience.
The ingredients for the pizza dough include:
- Flour
- Water
- Active Dry Yeast
- Salt
- Soybean Oil
- Sugar
- Dry Non-Fat Milk
The dough bakes into a delicious Chicago style deep dish crust. You will need a 14 or 16-inch deep dish pan for this recipe and ideally, you already have a Kitchen Aid mixer capable of making the dough.
1) Start by combining the dry yeast, sugar, and salt into a single container.
2) Add the oil to the water and make sure that the water is at a lukewarm temperature. This will ensure that the yeast and the sugar will activate faster.
3) Add the dry yeast mixture into the lukewarm water and allow to set for 5 minutes.
4) Add the mixture into the mixing bowl and begin to slowly incorporate the flour and dry milk powder.
5) Make sure the mixer is on a slow setting so that the contents do not splash out of the bowl. As you add the flour, you will need to adjust the speed of the mixer. Once all of the flour is added, continue to mix until the dough is completely formed. You may need to stop the mixer and scrape the sides to ensure all ingredients are added into the dough ball. You may also need to add additional flour to make sure the dough is not too sticky to work with.
6) After the dough is completely mixed, form the dough into a round ball and place into a large container or large plate.
7) Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to proof for 4 – 8 hours.
8 ) After the proofing time has elapsed, the dough should have expanded greatly. Use a rolling pin the flatten the dough into a round shape that will fit a 16-inch pan. If you have a 14-inch pan, you will need to remove part of the dough. Oil the pan and then use your fingers to press it into the pan, allowing the dough to curve up the side of the pan. Allow the dough to set again in the pan for 20 – 30 minutes. The dough should expand again. You may need to message it back into place before adding the ingredients.
How to Make Godfather’s Pizza Sauce
To achieve that wonderful tasting Godfather’s pizza sauce, you will need:
- Tomato Puree
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Oregano
- Basil
- Marjoram
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Fennel
- Coriander
- Black Pepper
Place a skillet on medium heat and add sufficient oil to the pan. Add tomato puree and then incorporate the remaining ingredients into the pan while stirring regularly. After 10 minutes, turn the heat down to simmer and cover the skillet. After 10 minutes you are ready to add it to the deep dish pizza crust.
Copycat Original Godfather pizza Recipe | Italian Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 12 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
What You’ll Need to Make Godfather’s Pizza Crust
- 16.25 oz Flour
- 9.00 oz Water
- 1.5 tsp Active Dry Yeast
- .75 tsp Salt
- 4.25 tsp Soybean Oil
- 2.25 tsp Sugar
- 7.5 tsp Dry Non-Fat Milk
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Godfather’s Pizza Sauce
- 16 oz Tomato Puree
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1.5 tsp Onion Powder
- 1.5 tbsp Oregano
- .75 tbsp Basil
- 1 tsp Ground Rosemary
- 1 tsp Ground marjoram
- .75 tsp Thyme
- .5 tsp Ground Fennel
- .25 tsp Coriander
- .25 tsp Salt
- .25 tsp Ground Black Pepper
Additional Ingredients
- Part-Skim Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Pepperoni
- Sausage
- Ham
- Bacon
Instructions
Preparing the Godfather’s Pizza Dough
1) Combine the dry yeast, sugar and salt into a single container
2) Add the oil to the lukewarm water
3) Add the dry yeast mixture to the luke warm water and allow 5 minutes to set
4) Add the dry yeast and water mixture into a mixing bowl and slowly fold the flour and dry milk powder into the mix (make sure the mixer is on the lowest setting)
5) Increase speed as necessary and continue to mix until the dough is completely formed. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour and continue to mix
6) Form the dough into a large round ball and place into a large container or large plate and cover with plastic
7) Allow dough to rest for 4-8 hours
8) Flatten dough into a rounded shape approximately 16 inches in diameter
9) Oil deep dish pan and press dough with your fingers to fit the pan
10) Be sure to press dough partially up the side of the pan to create the deep dish look
11) Let set for 20-30 minutes before adding sauce and toppings
Preparing the Godfather’s Pizza Sauce
1) Turn on oven burner to medium heat
2) Add oil to a skillet
3) Add Tomato Puree to the pan and stir
4) Add remaining sauce spices into the pan and continue to stir
5) After 10 minutes reduce heat to simmer and add cover to pan
6) Continue to simmer for 10 minutes
Finishing the Godfather’s Pizza
1) Set preheat oven to bake at 500 degrees
2) Add appropriate amount of sauce to the crust
3) Add Part-Skim Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
4) Add pepperoni, sausage, ham and bacon
5) Place in the oven for approximately 12-14 minutes. Check crust at 10 minutes and continue to cook until the bottom of the crust is golden brown
