Chicago-style deep-dish pizza

I got this out of the newspaper

Serves: 4

Crust:
1 cup water
¼ cup solid vegetable shortening
1 ½ Tbls. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 ½ pkg. Active dry yeast
½ cup warm water (205 to 115 degrees)
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
3 to 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
1 can (28-oz.) plum tomatoes
2 Tbls. Olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ tsp. Dried oregano
½ tsp. Each: fennel seeds, salt
pepper
½ lb. Mushrooms, sliced
1 lb. Mild Italian sausage,
removed from casing, crumbled
10 oz. Mozzarella cheese,
thinly sliced
½ cup (2-oz.) grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Oil a 12-inch round by 2-inch deep pizza pan.
For crust, heat 1 cup water, shortening, sugar and salt in small saucepan until shortening melts. Cool to luke-warm. /Stir yeast into the ½ cup warm water; let stand until foamy.
Combine yeast mixture and shortening mixture in a large bowl. Add cornmeal and 2 cups of the flour. Mix to combine then add remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until dough is smooth, supple and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.
Press dough over bottom and up sides of pizza pan. Bake 5 minutes.
For filling, drain tomatoes, chop them and place in a strainer to drain. Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add onion, green pepper, garlic and seasonings; cook over medium-high heat until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and drained tomatoes. Cook 2 minutes longer.
Crumble sausage over partly baked crust. Arrange mozzarella slices over, top with tomato sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake until crust is nicely browned, about 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.