Chicago style deep dish pizza is a tall, buttery, cornmeal-flecked crust pressed up the sides of a pan and filled like a pie: a layer of mozzarella on the bottom, then pepperoni and vegetables, then tomato sauce on top. It is a weekend pizza project for game night or a family dinner, and it is eaten with a knife and fork.
How to make Chicago style deep dish pizza: Knead a dough of flour, cornmeal, yeast, olive oil, butter and warm water and let it rise for 1 hour. Press it into an oiled 9-inch pan, let it rise 15 minutes and prebake at 425°F for 10 minutes. Layer sliced mozzarella, onion, green pepper and pepperoni, then sauce and more cheese. Bake 20–25 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- A homemade crust. Butter, olive oil and a little cornmeal give it flavor and crunch.
- Cheese on the bottom. The mozzarella sits right on the crust, under everything else.
- No soggy middle. The crust is prebaked and the sauce is kept to 1/2 cup.
- One deep pizza, eight slices. A thick slice goes a long way.
Ingredient Notes
All-purpose flour. Two cups, unbleached.
Yellow cornmeal. Two tablespoons, mixed into the dough.
Instant yeast. One and a half teaspoons.
Olive oil and butter. Two tablespoons of each go into the dough, with the butter melted. You need a little more olive oil for the bowl and the pan.
Warm water. A 1/2 cup, at 110–115°F.
Fresh mozzarella. Eight ounces, sliced, for the bottom layer.
Pizza sauce. A 1/2 cup. Do not add more. Extra sauce can make the finished pizza watery.
Onion, green pepper and pepperoni. Half an onion and one green pepper, both diced, and 20 slices of pepperoni.
Parmesan and shredded mozzarella. A 1/4 cup of each for the top.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
- 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus some for the bowl and pan
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 cup water, warm (110–115°F)
For the filling
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 20 slices pepperoni
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded
How to Make Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza
1. Mix and knead the dough. Mix the flour, cornmeal, salt, yeast, olive oil, melted butter and warm water with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead with the mixer’s dough hook on medium speed for 8 minutes, until the dough forms a slightly sticky ball.
2. Let the dough rise. Place the dough in a bowl lightly oiled with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.
3. Shape and rise again. Heat the oven to 425°F. Generously oil a 9-inch cake pan, springform pan or skillet, including its sides. Stretch the dough into a large circle, place it in the pan and press it up the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 15 minutes. Stretch it up the sides again.
4. Prebake the crust. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until it is barely golden. Let it cool a bit before adding the filling.
5. Layer cheese, fillings and sauce. Cover the bottom of the crust with the sliced mozzarella. Add the diced onion, green pepper and pepperoni. Spread the 1/2 cup pizza sauce over them, then sprinkle with Parmesan and shredded mozzarella.
6. Finish baking. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
How to Layer Deep Dish Pizza
Upside down, compared with a regular pizza. The cheese goes on first, directly on the crust. The fillings go on the cheese. The sauce goes on top.
| Layer | What goes on |
|---|---|
| Bottom | Prebaked crust, barely golden |
| First | 8 ounces sliced fresh mozzarella, covering the bottom |
| Second | Diced onion, diced green pepper and 20 slices of pepperoni |
| Third | 1/2 cup pizza sauce, spread over the fillings |
| Top | 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella |
Three things in this recipe work against a soggy crust. The crust is baked alone for 10 minutes before anything goes in. The cheese layer sits between the crust and the wetter fillings. And the sauce is held to 1/2 cup.
Some deep dish recipes put part of the sauce under the toppings and finish with cheese on top. The cheese-first, sauce-on-top order used here is the more Chicago-style arrangement.
Tips for Success
How warm should the water be?
Between 110 and 115°F. Warm, not hot.
How do I know the dough has risen?
It has doubled in size, which takes about 1 hour. The second rise, in the pan, is 15 minutes.
What pan do I use?
A 9-inch cake pan, a 9-inch springform pan or a skillet of that size. Oil it generously, sides included.
Why stretch the dough up the sides twice?
The recipe has you press it up the sides, let it rise for 15 minutes, then stretch it up again before the prebake, so the crust forms a tall wall to hold the filling.
How do I know the pizza is done?
The sauce is bubbling and the crust is golden brown, after 20–25 minutes.
How Long Does It Take?
About 105 minutes: 75 minutes of prep, which includes both rises, and 30 minutes of baking. If your pizza needs the full 25 minutes after the 10-minute prebake, the oven time runs a little over.
What Makes It Chicago Style?
The deep pan, the tall buttery crust and the order of the layers: cheese on the bottom, fillings in the middle and sauce on top. I am not calling this the one true version. It is a home recipe that follows that classic arrangement.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in covered, shallow containers and to use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat leftover slices to 165°F.
What to Serve With It
For more pizza night ideas, try the school pizza, the blackberry, basil and ricotta pizza or the pizza casserole pie. For smaller bites, there are 3-ingredient crescent pizza rolls, pizza grilled cheese and pizza chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should the cheese, fillings and sauce be layered to keep the crust from getting soggy?
Sliced mozzarella on the prebaked crust, then the onion, pepper and pepperoni, then 1/2 cup of sauce, then Parmesan and shredded mozzarella.
What is the difference between deep dish and Chicago-style pizza?
Deep dish describes the tall pan and crust. Chicago style also means the layers are reversed, with cheese under the fillings and sauce on top.
Do I have to prebake the crust?
Yes. Bake it for 10 minutes, until barely golden, before filling it.
How many slices does it make?
Eight.
Final Notes
I measure the sauce and stop at 1/2 cup, because that is what keeps the middle from turning watery. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza
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Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour unbleached
- 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus some for oiling the bowl and pan
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 cup water warm, 110–115°F
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella sliced
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 green pepper diced
- 20 slices pepperoni
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1/4 cup mozzarella shredded
Instructions
- Mix the flour, cornmeal, salt, yeast, olive oil, melted butter and warm water with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead with the mixer's dough hook on medium speed for 8 minutes, until the dough forms a slightly sticky ball.
- Place the dough in a bowl lightly oiled with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Generously oil a 9-inch cake pan, springform pan or skillet, including its sides. Stretch the dough into a large circle, place it in the pan and press it up the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 15 minutes. Stretch it up the sides again.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until it is barely golden. Let it cool a bit before adding the filling.
- Cover the bottom of the crust with the sliced mozzarella. Add the diced onion, green pepper and pepperoni. Spread the 1/2 cup pizza sauce over them, then sprinkle with Parmesan and shredded mozzarella.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
