Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza
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Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza —buttery crust, chunky sauce, and a ton of mozzarella make this a foodie crush.
I love all types of pizza so when I came across a show dedicated to Chicago’s most appreciated contribution to the foodie world, I had to get my hands on an authentic recipe. Before then, the only Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza that I’d ever eaten had been from a chain restaurant. But after seeing that show, I was convinced that homemade was the way to go. I experimented with quite a few recipes and eventually came up with what I believe to be a wonderful pie.
Authentic Chicago-style deep dish
This is not an “authentic” Chicago deep-dish pizza but it does have the required elements to be a great deep dish pizza. Through my research, I’ve found that there are three elements needed to make a great Chicago-style deep dish pizza.
- Buttery crust
- Chunky sauce
- Mounds of mozzarella
Deep dish pizza ingredients and equipment
Bread flour
Yellow cornmeal
Sugar
Kosher salt
Fleischmann’s pizza crust yeast
Hot water
Olive oil
Butter
Marinara sauce– Traditionally, the pie is topped with crushed San Marzano tomatoes and grated parmesan. I’m using a prepared marinara sauce instead. This swap pretty much nulls all authentication, however it adds much appreciated flavor that no one will mind.
Mozzarella cheese
Italian sausage
Mushrooms
Onion
Green peppers
Mixer with dough hooks
13.5” cast iron skillet or 9×13 baking dish– I highly recommend using a large cast iron skillet. A baking dish of any shape is fine but cast iron actually helps to crisp the outer crust. For a firm crisp crust, use cast iron.
Variations
While sausage or pepperoni is the favored topping, there are limitless toppings for deep dish pizza. Other topping ideas include:
- Bacon
- Chicken
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Ham
- Pineapple
- Ground beef
- Feta
- Banana peppers
- Jalapeño
- Black olives
- Tomatoes
- Green olives
- Red onion
How to make a Chicago-style pie
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and yeast. Pour the olive oil and water into the dry blend. Using dough hook attachments, mix on medium speed until the dough comes together.
Once the dough is formed add one tablespoon of butter to the dough keeping the same speed. Once it’s fully incorporated, add the remaining butter one piece at a time. Keep mixing for 4 minutes after the last piece of butter. The dough should be smooth and stretchy.
Butter the skillet and dust the bottom with cornmeal. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 12-14 inch round. Use a rolling pin to lift the dough onto the skillet. Be sure to press the dough into the pan bottom and sides to release air pockets. Brush the dough with melted butter.
Spread the cheese onto the crust. Top with the cooked sausage and peppers or whatever toppings you choose. Spread the sauce over the sausage and sprinkle with the grated parmesan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Edges should golden brown.
Tips
- Place aluminum foil around the edges of the pan. About way through baking, if you notice that the edges of your crust is browning too quickly, remove it from the oven and tent the edges with strips of foil.
More pizza night recipes
BYO Italian Chopped Salad Bar
Homemade Pizza Seasoning
Pecan Chocolate Chunk Blondies
Classic Fudge Brownies
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Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 c bread flour (240 grams) more for rolling
- 1/2 c yellow cornmeal more for the pan
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/3 tsp kosher salt
- 1 pk Fleischmann’s pizza crust yeast
- 1 c hot water 130 degrees
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 4 tbsp salted butter softened
- 2 tbsp salted butter melted for brushing
- 1/2 lb mild Italian turkey sausage browned to a crisp
- 1/2 c mushroom chopped
- 1/2 c green peppers diced
- 1/2 c onion diced
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese
- 2 c marinara sauce 1/2 jar
- ½ c grated parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Butter the skillet and dust the bottom with cornmeal; set it aside. Brown the sausage in a skillet then add the mushrooms, onion, and peppers; season with salt and pepper if needed. Cook until softened.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and yeast. Pour the olive oil and water into the dry blend. Work dough with hook attachments on medium speed until it comes together.
- Keeping the same speed, add one tablespoon of butter at a time to the dough. Work the dough for 4 minutes after the last piece of butter.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 12-14 inch round. Lift the dough onto the skillet. Be sure to press the dough into the pan bottom and sides to release air pockets. Brush the dough with melted butter.
- Spread the cheese onto the crust. Top with the cooked sausage or whatever toppings you choose. Spread the sauce over the sausage and sprinkle with the grated parmesan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Edges should golden brown.
Notes
Butter the surface of the skillet and sprinkle about one tablespoon of yellow cornmeal onto the bottom.
If the side cook too quickly, you may want to place aluminum foil around the edges to prevent overcooking.