Deep Dish Pizza Recipe

A slice of Chicago deep dish pizza lifted out of the baking dish.

Bring a slice of the Windy City to your kitchen with this Chicago-style deep dish pizza recipe loaded with gooey cheese, sausage, pepperoni, and rich tomato sauce inside a buttery pizza crust.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Rest Time 1 15

Total Time 2 5

Servings to 8 slices (or 4 servings)

Calories 697kcal

Author John Kanell

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

Do not try to slice the pizza immediately after baking it. The pizza needs time to rest in order to hold up when sliced. This short 15 minutes will allow the cheese just enough to set up a bit, but will stay nice and hot for a gooey slice!

Nutrition