Homemade Chicago-Syle Deep Dish Pizza

Name: Homemade Chicago-Syle Deep Dish Pizza
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast; 1 ¼ cups warm water; 2 teaspoons sugar; 3 cups all-purpose flour; ½ cup fine yellow cornmeal; 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt; ¼ cup olive oil; ¼ cup unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3 cloves garlic; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried basil; ½ teaspoon dried thyme; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 can crushed tomatoes or whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 3 to 3 ½ cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese; ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano; 8–10 oz Italian sausage; 1 cup sliced mushrooms; 1 small green bell pepper; ½ small red onion; ½ cup sliced black olives; ½ cup chopped pepperoni or cooked bacon; 1–2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; extra grated Parmesan

A thick, buttery, cheesy Chicago-style deep dish pizza made from scratch in a skillet, with cheese layered under chunky tomato sauce.

About 2–2 ½ hours from start to finish 6 servings

Desserts & Baking

Ingredients

6 srv

2 ¼ teaspoonsactive dry yeast (1 packet, 7 g)
1 ¼ cupswarm water (295 ml, about 105–110°F)
2 teaspoonssugar (helps feed the yeast and browns the crust)
3 cupsall-purpose flour (360 g; can swap up to 1 cup for bread flour)
½ cupfine yellow cornmeal (70 g; reduce to 3 tablespoons if you dislike the texture)
1 ½ teaspoonskosher salt
¼ cupolive oil (60 ml)
¼ cupunsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly; 60 ml)
2 tablespoonsolive oil (for the sauce)
3 clovesgarlic (minced)
1 teaspoondried oregano
1 teaspoondried basil
½ teaspoondried thyme (optional)
½ teaspoonred pepper flakes (optional)
1 cancrushed tomatoes or whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes (28 oz / 796 ml, hand-crushed)
2 tablespoonstomato paste (deepens the flavor)
1 teaspoonsugar (balances acidity)
1 teaspoonkosher salt (more to taste)
¼ teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
3 to 3 ½ cupsshredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese (about 12–14 oz / 340–400 g; main cheese layer)
½ cupfreshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (sharp, salty depth)
8–10 ozItalian sausage (optional; casings removed and browned)
1 cupsliced mushrooms (optional; sautéed)
1 smallgreen bell pepper (optional; thinly sliced and sautéed)
½ smallred onion (optional; thinly sliced and sautéed)
½ cupsliced black olives (optional)
½ cupchopped pepperoni or cooked bacon (optional)
1–2 tablespoonsolive oil or melted butter (for brushing the crust)
½ teaspoondried oregano (for sprinkling on top)
extra grated Parmesan (for serving)

Instructions

1
Proof the yeast: whisk warm water and sugar in a bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the top, and let stand 5–10 minutes until foamy. If it stays flat, start again with a new packet.
10:00
2
Mix and knead the dough: combine flour, cornmeal, and salt, then add the yeast mixture, olive oil, and melted butter. Stir until shaggy, then knead by hand 6–8 minutes (or on low in a stand mixer 4–5 minutes) until smooth, slightly tacky, and elastic.
08:00
3
First rise: oil a clean bowl, add the dough and turn to coat, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot 60–75 minutes until doubled.
75:00
4
Make the sauce: heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat, sauté garlic about 30 seconds, then add oregano, basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and black pepper, bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce to low and simmer uncovered 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick.
30:00
5
Prep the pan and toppings: preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the lower third. Cook any sausage, mushrooms, peppers, or onions as needed and drain excess fat. Generously grease a 10–12 inch cast iron skillet or deep dish pan with olive oil or butter, including the sides.
6
Shape the crust: punch down the dough, rest 5 minutes if tight, then stretch into a 14–16 inch circle. Press into the pan, bottom and up the sides to at least 1 ½–2 inches, and patch any tears.
05:00
7
Layer the cheese and fillings: spread most of the mozzarella evenly over the bottom of the crust to the edges, add any fillings in an even layer, then sprinkle about half the grated Parmesan or Pecorino over the fillings.
8
Add the sauce: spoon the thick tomato sauce over the cheese and fillings, leaving a small edge of crust if desired. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan over the sauce, drizzle with olive oil, and dust with a pinch of dried oregano.
9
Bake: set the pan on a baking sheet and bake in the lower third of the oven at 425°F (220°C) for 25–35 minutes until the crust is deep golden at the edges and the sauce bubbles. Check around 20 minutes and tent loosely with foil if the top browns too fast.
35:00
10
Rest and serve: let the pizza rest on a cooling rack 10–15 minutes, loosen the edge with a thin spatula, slice into wedges, and serve hot with extra Parmesan.
15:00

Notes

Use low-moisture mozzarella rather than fresh, since fresh has too much water for this style. Cheese goes first, under the sauce, to protect the crust. Aim for about ½ inch of crust on the bottom and up to 2 inches on the sides. Leftovers keep in the fridge up to 3–4 days or in the freezer up to 2 months, and reheat best in a 350°F (175°C) oven or a covered skillet. The dough can be made up to 24 hours ahead and the sauce 2–3 days ahead.

My notes

Your notes for this recipe live here — saved on this device.

Ask about this recipesubstitutions · tips · scaling