A homemade deep dish pizza recipe is the perfect answer to mixing up pizza night. What sets Chicago-style pizza apart from others is its deep layers of toppings tucked inside a buttery crust. Yes, the crust is buttery in flavor with a crisp, somewhat flaky texture! (More on that later.)
During recipe testing, I discovered that a key element for achieving a deep-dish pizza with restaurant-worthy results is using an uncoated metal pan. Why? The natural finish helps the deep dish pizza crust hold its shape, yielding tall, crispy sides. I explain in more detail below why nonstick pans aren’t the best option, as well as the different pan sizes and types you can use.
Table Of Contents
What Is Deep Dish Pizza?
Deep dish pizza was born in Chicago in the 1940s (credit is given to Lou Malnati and his father who managed Pizzeria Uno for the original recipe). It quickly became one of the Windy City’s most iconic foods. Unlike thin and foldable New York slices, the chewy, blistered crusts of Neapolitan pies, or the crisp, cracker-like style of St. Louis, Chicago deep dish is built more like a savory pie than a flatbread, requiring a fork and knife to devour.
The rich golden brown crust is pressed into a high-sided pan, creating a tall, sturdy base. It’s then layered generously with gooey cheese, savory toppings like Italian sausage and pepperoni, and finished with a rich, tomato-y pizza sauce on top. This traditional “upside-down” order of ingredients helps keep everything melty without burning, while the deep crust holds it all together.
Key Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients needed to make deep dish pizza. You can find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below.
Active dry yeast — active dry yeast needs to be “bloomed” with warm water and a touch of sugar to activate. Essentially, you are rehydrating it and “waking it up” with a warm bath and a little sugar rush. Make sure the water is warm to the touch but not too hot, as yeast is living and will die if mixed with very hot or boiling water. Do not use rapid-rise or instant yeast for this recipe because it needs to be treated differently and not bloomed.
All-purpose flour — this plain flour will make an excellent crust. If you have bread or Type 00 flour that you love for making pizza dough, you can use it here, too. That said, you definitely don’t need to for great results!
Fine yellow cornmeal — this adds a pleasantly crunchy texture and a bit of sweetness to the dough. In a pinch, semolina is a good substitute.
Melted butter and salt — adding butter to deep dish pizza dough is one of the defining characteristics of Chicago-style pizza. I use both salted butter and a bit of extra salt for the best flavor. Note that high concentrations of salt can kill yeast, so add it on top of the flour (not directly to the yeast mixture) before mixing the dough together.
Sliced and grated mozzarella — lining the dough with sliced cheese creates a barrier that prevents sogginess and melts into a gooey base layer. Shredded cheese on top of the fillings melts evenly, browns nicely, and adds a classic bubbly finish with an extraordinary cheese pull. You can use sliced provolone cheese instead of sliced mozzarella if you prefer a slightly more pungent cheese flavor (or dramatic cheese pull!).
Italian sausage crumbles and pepperoni slices — a dynamic duo of meat is fitting for a hearty pizza pie. Pepperoni brings a smoky, spicy kick, while Italian sausage adds juicy, savory richness with herbs like fennel and garlic.
Pizza sauce — you’re welcome to use store-bought or make my homemade pizza sauce! It is richly flavored, perfectly chunky, and easy to make in just 5 minutes using pantry staples.
Choosing The Right Pan
I find that the best deep dish pizza pan is a natural metal 10-inch cake pan. It gives the crust exactly the right texture by browning the bottom and sides well. Since it doesn’t have a nonstick coating, the dough grips the sides and bakes up beautifully tall instead of sliding down.
Want a thicker pizza? Go with a 9-inch cake pan, but plan to tack on an extra 5 to 10 minutes of bake time. Cast-iron skillets or springform pans also work beautifully. Cast iron is naturally seasoned, so it’s nonstick without being too slick. My team cross-tested this in a cast-iron skillet and got fantastic results!
If you only have a nonstick pan, shape the crust a little differently to ensure it holds its shape. Once you place the crust in the pan, layer in the toppings, and then fold the edges of the dough onto the filling. That little trick eliminates the risk of the crust sliding down the sides of the pan, and helps everything stay put.
Can I Use Regular Pizza Dough?
I don’t recommend using it for this particular recipe. Deep dish pizza sets itself apart not only for its thick layers of toppings, but also for its style of crust. It’s made similarly to a regular pizza dough, but the dough includes two ingredients that aren’t normally included— cornmeal and butter. These two ingredients create a sturdy crust with a crispy, slightly flaky texture rather than chewy and stretchy.
You need this specific crust to cook properly and hold all of those delicious toppings once the pizza is sliced. While I love both my classic pizza dough and sourdough pizza crust recipes, they have too much moisture to cook properly and aren’t sturdy enough for this recipe.
Bake Lower And Slower For The Best Results
For most of my pizza recipes (like a classic margherita pizza), I usually crank the oven way up to 500–550°F. That blazing heat helps a classic pizza crust puff and crisp in minutes while the toppings cook just right. Deep dish pizza is a different story.
Because a deep dish is so thick (and pie-like, really), it takes more time to cook. The thicker the pizza, the longer it takes for the oven heat to penetrate to the center and cook it thoroughly. Too high of a temperature will overcook the outside before the heat has a chance to cook the center. A lower temperature around 425°F is perfect. It’s still hot enough to give you a golden, crisp crust, but gentle enough to let all that gooey cheese, rich sauce, and hearty fillings cook through without burning.
To check if your pie is done, look for golden brown edges on the crust that pull away slightly from the pan, a bubbling sauce, and melted, lightly browned cheese on top of the filling. You can also use a spatula to peek under the crust—it should be golden brown, not pale or doughy.
Can I Freeze The Pizza Before Baking It?
Yes, you can! Assemble the pizza completely, then wrap it tightly and freeze it. When you’re ready to bake, let it thaw overnight in the fridge, unwrap, then bake as directed, adding about 5 to 10 extra minutes to the cook time.
Pro Tips For Making The Best Deep Dish Pizza
Roll the dough large enough to hang over the edge of the pan. Letting it drape over the edges helps it hold onto the side of the pan, ensuring you’ll get a tall, sturdy crust that holds in all the fillings.
Do not grease the pan. As a baker, I understand that it can feel counterintuitive. Most recipes call for nonstick spray, a nonstick pan, or both. But, not so here. Greasing the pan makes the crust slide down the sides as it bakes, leaving you with a not-so-deep-dish slice with fillings leaking out. Not ideal!
Layer the ingredients in order. The order of assembly is crucial for structural integrity. Always start with cheese pressed right against the dough to form a barrier that keeps the crust from getting soggy. Add your meats and veggies next, and finish with the sauce spread generously on top.
How To Make Deep Dish Pizza
Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe with step-by-step images. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.
1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat without letting it brown much. Set aside to cool. Add warm water, yeast, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Give it a stir, then let it sit in a warm place until the top of the mixture is nice and frothy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Next, add the flour, cornmeal, butter, and salt. Mix on low just until everything comes together into a shaggy dough, scraping down the sides if needed.
2. Turn the speed up to medium-low and keep mixing for about 5 minutes, until the dough forms a smooth ball that bounces back when you press it. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover the top of the dough with plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature in a draft-free spot until it’s doubled in size—about an hour. While you let the dough rise, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Have your 9-inch or 10-inch uncoated cake pan or a cast-iron skillet ready to go.
3. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a floured surface. Pinch the edges into the center, like bundling up a sack, then flip it seam-side down to form a smooth ball.
4. Roll the dough into a circle: about 13 inches if you’re using a 9-inch pan, or 14 inches for a 10-inch pan. If the dough keeps springing back, cover it for 5 minutes to let the gluten relax, then keep rolling.
5. Gently lay the dough in the pan, pressing it into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Leave about a ¼-inch overhang and pinch it along the rim so it clings in place. This keeps the crust from sliding down as it bakes.
6. Now for the fun part: assembly! Line the bottom of the crust with cheese slices, overlapping them slightly.
7. Add the cooked sausage and pepperoni, then sprinkle the grated mozzarella over the top of the fillings.
8. Finish with an even layer of pizza sauce spread across the surface. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the center is piping hot, the cheese is melted, and the crust is golden. If the edges brown too quickly, tent the top of the dough with foil after 10 to 15 minutes. Brush the rim of the crust with olive oil as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let the pizza rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle on parmesan cheese and fresh basil if you like, then serve.
Deep Dish Pizza Recipe
Equipment
- 9 or 10-inch cake pan, or 10-inch cast-iron skillet.
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Rolling pin, optional
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- ⅔ cup warm water (100-110°F) (160mL)
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (210g)
- ¼ cup fine yellow cornmeal (40g)
- 2 tablespoons butter melted and cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Pizza:
- 8 ounces sliced mozzarella or provolone cheese (226g)
- 12 ounces Italian sausage cooked and drained, (340g)
- 2 ounces pepperoni slices (56g)
- 8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese (226g)
- 1 cup pizza sauce (250g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for brushing
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional
- Freshly chopped basil optional
Instructions
For the Dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, stir together the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let the mixture stand until it is very frothy on top, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the flour, cornmeal, butter, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix on low for about 1 minute until a shaggy dough forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase to medium-low speed and mix for about 5 minutes, until the dough comes together in a ball, is smooth, and springs back when pressed.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free place to rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- After 45 minutes of rising, place an oven rack in the bottom one-third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Have a 9-inch or 10-inch uncoated cake pan or cast-iron skillet ready.
- Punch down the dough and transfer the dough to a floured surface. Pinch all of the edges into the center, like you are bundling up a sack, to make a tight ball shape and flip it over, seam-side down. If using a 9-inch pan, stretch and roll it with a rolling pin into a 13-inch circle with even thickness. If using a 10-inch pan, stretch and roll it into a 14-inch circle. (If the dough is difficult to stretch and springs back towards the center, cover and let it rest for 5 minutes, then continue to stretch and roll.)
- Place the dough in the pan and press it up the sides, leaving a ¼-inch overhang at the top. Pinch the overhang so that it sticks to the top rim of the pan. (This keeps the dough from sliding down the sides.)
To assemble the Pizza:
- Lay the cheese slices on the bottom of the crust in an even layer, shingling as needed. Top with the cooked sausage, then the pepperoni slices. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese over top. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the center is hot, the cheese is melty, and the crust is browned, tenting with foil after 10 to 15 minutes if the crust is browning quickly. Brush the rim of the crust with olive oil.
- Let the pizza rest for 15 minutes. Top with parmesan cheese and basil if you like, then slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Variations
Try one of these ideas to adapt your deep dish pizza based on taste or the ingredients you have on hand.
- Flavor the crust: Want to give your deep dish dough a little personality? Add dried herbs like oregano, basil, or thyme right into the flour mixture. A few shakes of garlic powder, onion powder, or even crushed red pepper flakes can also add an extra layer of flavor.
- Use different cheeses: Mozzarella is classic, but don’t feel limited. Mix in an Italian blend for extra gooeyness, or add fontina for a nutty, creamy kick. For a more decadent pie, dollop on a few spoonfuls of ricotta or tuck in a few bits of Boursin or goat cheese.
- Have fun with the toppings: Deep dish is hearty enough to handle whatever you throw at it! While I love the traditional combo of sausage and pepperoni, it’s fun to switch things up with prosciutto, pancetta, or even BBQ chicken. If you prefer a lighter option, swap the meat for roasted veggies like mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, or spinach.
- Make a veggie deep dish pizza: Use plant-based sausage and skip the pepperoni, or go all-in on vegetables. Roasted eggplant or mushrooms, caramelized onions, and sautéed greens all make excellent additions.
More Pizza Recipes To Try
Make pizza night the best night of the week with these delicious recipes!
My cheese pizza recipe is topped with two different types of cheese, and you only need a handful of ingredients plus your favorite pizza dough.
These super-easy flatbread pizzas use store-bought naan as the crust. Choose your sauce and toppings, assemble, and bake– it’s that simple!
Buffalo chicken pizza combines all of the flavor of chicken wings into a cheesy pizza! Use a pre-made pizza dough, and it’s done in 30 minutes.
Stuff pizza dough with pepperoni, ricotta, and mozzarella for the perfect calzones at home! Serve with a side of pizza sauce for dipping.
If you’ve tried this Chicago Deep Dish Pizza recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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