Homemade Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza Recipe

Deep-dish pizza has a storied history in Chicago, celebrated for its unique crust texture and rich flavor, achieved with a blend of vegetable oil, olive oil, and butter, along with a touch of cornmeal for added crunch.
Here’s Anthony’s homemade take on it.
Homemade Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
- Crust
4 1/2 cups (500g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3 tablespoons (33g) yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons (12g) table salt
3 teaspoons instant yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons (28g) olive oil
5 tablespoons (60g) butter, melted
2 tablespoons (24g) vegetable oil
1 cup + 3 tablespoons (260g) lukewarm water
- Filling
12 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 lb Italian sweet or hot sausage, cooked and sliced (or about 3 cups of sautéed vegetables)
30-ounce can plum tomatoes, lightly crushed (or 30-ounce can diced/chopped tomatoes)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons Pizza Seasoning or mixed dried Italian herbs (oregano, basil, rosemary), to taste
1 cup (110g) freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
2 1/2 tablespoons (30g) olive oil, for drizzling on top
Directions
- Prep the Dough
- Weigh your flour or gently spoon it into a cup and level it off.
- Mix flour with the rest of the dough ingredients and knead (by hand, mixer, or bread machine) to create a smooth crust, about 7 minutes at medium-low speed in a stand mixer.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl or 8-cup measure, cover, and let rise until very puffy, about 60 minutes.
- Prep the Pan
- While the dough rises, grease a 14" deep-dish pizza pan with non-stick vegetable oil spray.
- Pour 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil into the pan, tilting it to cover the bottom and partway up the sides.
- Shape the Dough
- Stretch the dough into as large a circle as possible on a lightly oiled baking mat or in your hands.
- Lay the dough in the pan and stretch it towards the edges until it starts to shrink back. Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F while the dough rests.
- Continue to stretch the dough to cover the bottom of the pan and gently push it up the sides. Let the crust rest for another 15 minutes.
- Pre-bake the Crust
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes until it's set and barely beginning to brown.
- Prep the Filling
- Drain the tomatoes thoroughly. Combine them with the Pizza Seasoning or herbs, garlic, and sugar (if using). Add salt to taste if necessary.
- Cover the bottom of the crust with sliced mozzarella, fanning it into the crust. Add the sausage (or sautéed vegetables), then the tomato mixture.
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake the Pizza
- Bake for about 25 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and carefully lift it out of the pan onto a rack. Let it cool for about 15 minutes (or longer) before cutting and serving.