Deep Dish Pizza Chicago (Printable)

A hearty Chicago-style dish with thick crust, mozzarella, rich tomato sauce, and savory toppings for a satisfying meal.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
03 - 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
04 - 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
05 - 1 1/4 cups warm water (about 110°F)
06 - 1/4 cup olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

→ Cheese & Toppings

08 - 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni or cooked Italian sausage (optional)
11 - 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
12 - 1/2 cup sliced bell peppers
13 - 1/2 cup sliced black olives

→ Tomato Sauce

14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
15 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
16 - 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
17 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
18 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
19 - 1/2 teaspoon sugar
20 - Salt and pepper, to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Combine warm water and yeast in a large bowl; let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Add flour, cornmeal, salt, olive oil, and melted butter. Mix until a dough forms, then knead for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
02 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
03 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 12-inch deep-dish pizza pan or round cake pan with olive oil, ensuring all surfaces are coated.
04 - Press the risen dough evenly into the prepared pan, pushing it up the sides to create a high edge. Evenly sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the dough base.
05 - Layer desired toppings—including pepperoni, mushrooms, bell peppers, and black olives—over the mozzarella cheese.
06 - Pour the prepared tomato sauce evenly over the toppings, then sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese across the top.
07 - Place pizza in the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and sauce is bubbling. If crust edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil to prevent burning.
08 - Remove pizza from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cornmeal crust gets this impossibly crispy bottom while staying buttery and tender inside, which honestly feels like cheating.
  • It's thick enough that one slice actually fills you up, and you can pile on toppings without the whole thing collapsing.
  • Watching it bubble in the oven while your kitchen fills with garlic and oregano smoke is its own kind of magic.
02 -
  • Room temperature matters hugely—if your kitchen is cold, the dough rises slower, which actually isn't bad (longer rise means more flavor), but plan accordingly.
  • Don't press the sauce into the corners aggressively; it needs to stay on top to bubble and slightly caramelize, which is where the real flavor comes from.
  • If your crust is dense instead of airy, the yeast either wasn't active or your water was wrong—always test the yeast first in warm water and watch for bubbles.
03 -
  • If your mozzarella is pre-shredded, toss it with a tiny bit of cornstarch before adding it to the pan—it melts more smoothly and won't get stringy and clumpy.
  • The ten-minute rest after baking is non-negotiable if you want slices that hold together instead of folding in on themselves.
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