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Loaded with pepperoni, sausage, peppers, cheese and tomato sauce, this Chicago-style deep dish pizza will transport you to Lou Malnati's. Baked in a cast iron skillet, this iconic pizza features a flaky crust that holds up to its generous fillings. Ideal for sharing, it’s a must-try for pizza lovers and Chicago food enthusiasts alike.
Ahh the age-old debate - Chicago-style vs. New York style pizza. The biggest differences lie in the crust. New York pizza is known for thin, crispy crust topped with a thin layer of tomato sauce, cheese and assorted toppings while Chicago-style pizza features a thick crust with an inch-deep smothering of tomato sauce, cheese and toppings. The most famous options are Lou Malnati's and Giordano's.
While I've got plenty of more traditional pizza options, from hot honey pepperoni pizza to garlic pizza to chicken and bacon pizza, you can never make enough.
And most people have a favorite. However I am not one of those people. I love all pizzas and can't really pick one over the other. One thing I will say though is a deep dish pizza is much more filling.
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Why You Will Love This Pizza
- Buttery crust - The rich, buttery crust is both crispy and tender, providing the perfect foundation for the hearty toppings.
- Customizable - This pizza uses traditional toppings, but it is easy customizable. You can use your favorite toppings, allowing you to create your ideal pizza.
- Hearty and filling - A single slice is a satisfying meal, making it perfect for hearty appetites.
Ingredient Notes
- Pizza dough - While I like to make my own due to its rich, buttery flavor, you can also use store-bought in a pinch.
- Mozzarella - Low-moisture is key here. I like to use slices to make it easy to place on the bottom.
- Meats - Italian sausage is a classic choice, often crumbled and seasoned. Pepperoni adds a savory punch. Ensure the sausage is cooked before assembling the pizza to avoid excess moisture.
- Green peppers - Common as they add color and crunch.
- Tomato sauce - Opt for a thick, chunky tomato sauce seasoned with herbs like oregano and basil. Too much sauce can make the pizza soggy, so spread it evenly in a moderate amount.
- Parmesan cheese - Grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top adds a nutty finish.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- Instead of mozzarella, try using provolone or a blend of cheeses like cheddar and Monterey Jack for a different flavor profile.
- Swap out Italian sausage for crumbled bacon, ground beef, or even grilled chicken for a lighter option.
- Experiment with different vegetables like caramelized onions, spinach, or roasted red peppers instead of green bell peppers. These can add different textures and flavors.
- If you are short on time, just use a store-bought tomato sauce instead of making your own.
How to Make a Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Step 1: Prepare the pizza dough and let rise. While dough, make the sauce. Let cool.
Step 2: With 10 minutes left before dough is ready, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon. Add the green bell pepper and cook until the sausage is browned and the pepper starts to brown. Set aside.
Step 3: Once the dough is ready, place it on a floured surface and roll it out into a 12-inch circle. Coat the bottom and sides of a 10-inch cast iron skillet with melted butter.
Step 4: Press the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the skillet, extending about 1 ½ inches up the side. If there's excess dough, trim it with a knife. Brush the top edges of the crust with butter.
Step 5: Layer the bottom of the pizza with mozzarella cheese.
Step 6: Add a second layer of pepperoni, followed by a third layer of the sausage and pepper mixture.
Step 7: Spread about 1 ¼ cups of tomato sauce evenly over the meat and cheese. Be careful not to add too much, as it can make the pizza runny. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
Step 8: Bake at 425°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
Let Pizza Rest!
Allow the pizza to rest for 5-10 minutes after baking to set the layers and make slicing easier. While it will still taste good, it will be a mess trying to get a slice out if you are impatient.
Recipe FAQs
Chicago-style deep dish pizza is known for its thick, buttery crust that lines a deep, round pan. The pizza is assembled "upside-down" compared to traditional pizzas: the cheese is layered first, followed by meats and other toppings, and then topped with a chunky tomato sauce.
This unique structure and the deep pan give it its distinctive, pie-like appearance.
Baking a deep dish pizza typically takes between 25 to 30 minutes. The thicker crust and multiple layers of ingredients require a longer cooking time than traditional thin-crust pizzas to ensure everything is thoroughly cooked and the crust is golden brown.
A round, deep dish or cast iron skillet is ideal. The deep sides of the pan help contain the substantial amount of ingredients and support the thick crust. A 10-inch diameter pan with sides that are at least 1.5 inches high is commonly used.
Traditional toppings include mozzarella cheese, Italian sausage, pepperoni, and green bell peppers. The pizza is typically topped with a chunky tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese. This is how I made the pizza, but you can customize it with your favorite toppings.
Yes, you can make the dough ahead of time. After kneading, let the dough rise until it doubles in size, then punch it down and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you're ready to use it, let the dough come to room temperature before rolling it out. This can help develop a richer flavor in the crust.
Let's be honest, there isn't anything wrong with cold pizza. But if you must reheat this pizza, don't do it in the microwave or it will get soggy.
Just place on a baking sheet in the oven at 375°F for about 10 minutes or until warmed through.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use the Right Pan: A deep, round pan or cast iron skillet is ideal. Ensure it has sides that are at least 1.5 inches high to support the thick crust and toppings.
- Get the Dough Right: A deep dish pizza crust has to be thick enough to withstand the weight of all of the toppings but also light and buttery. Cornmeal is actually an important ingredient with deep dish pizza crust as well as melted butter.
- Make Your Own Sauce: Yes you can use store-bought sauce but taking the extra time to make your own tomato sauce is important. It really is only slightly extra work and doesn't add any time to making the pizza as you cook the sauce while the dough rises.
- Use Deli Sliced Mozzarella: If you've watched Chicago-style deep dish pizzas being made on TV you might notice they use deli sliced mozzarella. It has less water and makes it perfect to get nice and stretchy when being baked.
- Don't Go Overboard on Sauce: I learned after the first time I made a Chicago-style deep dish pizza to not add to much sauce on top. If you add too much sauce, the pizza will be watery and won't hold together when you cut into it. You want to add just enough where the toppings get covered.
Other Recommended Pizza Recipes
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Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza Crust
- 1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ⅔ cup warm water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tablespoon cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup small sweet onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (28 oz can) crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- salt to taste
Pizza
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 2 mild Italian sausages, casing removed
- 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 20-30 pepperoni slices
- 12 oz deli sliced part skim mozzarella
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Pizza Crust
- In mixing bowl, combine yeast and warm water. Mix and then let sit for 10 minutes until foamy. (You want water temperature to be between 105°F and 110°F to activate the yeast)
- Add flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, melted butter, olive oil and canola oil and mix on medium speed with the dough hook attachment for about 8 minutes. You might need to add more flour or some water, depending on consistency. The dough should bounce back when pressed and not stick to the sides of the bowl. You can also knead with your hands on a floured surface until dough comes together.
- Rub the same bowl with a little bit of olive oil and place dough in bowl, turning to coat it. Cover with saran wrap and a towel in a warm place, allowing it to rise for at least 45 min or until the dough doubles in size. (I always just place on top of oven as I'm heating it up at same time) Use when ready to bake your pizza.
Tomato Sauce
- While dough is rising, heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for another minute. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and basil and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for about 35-40 minutes, until the sauce is slightly reduced and thick. Season with salt if needed.
Pizza
- Preheat oven to 425°F. With about 10 minutes left before dough is ready, in medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage and break up with wooden spoon. Add green bell pepper and cook until sausage is browned and pepper is starting to brown. Set aside.
- Once dough is ready, place on a floured surface and roll out into a 12 inch circle. Coat bottom and sides of skillet with melted butter. Press the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of a 10 inch cash iron skillet. You want the dough to go up about 1 ½ inches up the side. If it's too much, then trim the excess with a knife. Brush the top of the edges of the crust with butter.
- Layer the bottom of the pizza with the mozzarella cheese. Add a second layer of pepperoni and then a third layer of the sausage/pepper mixture. Add about 1 ¼ cups of tomato sauce so it evenly covers meat and cheese. You don't want too much, otherwise it will be runny. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and filling is set. You may have to cover crust with aluminum foil about halfway through if it's browning too quickly. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
Notes
- Use the Right Pan: A deep, round pan or cast iron skillet is ideal. Ensure it has sides that are at least 1.5 inches high to support the thick crust and toppings.
- Get the Dough Right: A deep dish pizza crust has to be thick enough to withstand the weight of all of the toppings but also light and buttery. Cornmeal is actually an important ingredient with deep dish pizza crust as well as melted butter.
- Make Your Own Sauce: Yes you can use store-bought sauce but taking the extra time to make your own tomato sauce is important. It really is only slightly extra work and doesn't add any time to making the pizza as you cook the sauce while the dough rises.
- Use Deli Sliced Mozzarella: If you've watched Chicago-style deep dish pizzas being made on TV you might notice they use deli sliced mozzarella. It has less water and makes it perfect to get nice and stretchy when being baked.
- Don't Go Overboard on Sauce: I learned after the first time I made a deep dish pizza to not add to much sauce on top. If you add too much sauce, the pizza will be watery and won't hold together when you cut into it. You want to add just enough where the toppings get covered.
Chris says
Ummm I want this!
Karly says
I'm a New York style myself but can never pass up a good pizza!
Ryan says
I was as well until I had a deep dish pizza for the first time. They're both great in their own right!
Tiffany says
I’ve made this twice and it was delicious! Now I only have fresh yeast, do you know how much I would need for this recipe?
Ryan says
I've never used fresh yeast for this but found this conversion on The Spruce Eats. Hope that helps!
Salina says
This recipe is off the chain. I never had a authentic Chicago Pizza, so cant compare it. Although I don’t do social media I wanted to somehow share my experience. It was awesome! I am a former baker and know how to treat dough so for some it may take a little more effort. I didn’t have the pepperoni or sausage (due to the quarantine) so I substituted with Kielbasa and Canadian bacon. It was fantastic. Also, the cast iron pan I have is way to big (18”) so used s 9” ring mold with some foil to cover the base and put on a sheet pan. All in all great recipe. I’ll be archiving this recipe for my weekend cravings of pizza! Thank you for the great recipe! You rock! By the way... how do I share my pics?
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed it! I don't think there is a way to share pics on here unfortunately!
Susan says
This was good, but the dough was too think for me. I had a Lou Malnati’s pizza last week, and the dough was definitely thinner. The homage sauce was great! Next time, I’ll only use half the dough, and it should be perfect. Thanks for a good recipe.
Ryan says
Glad you liked it!
Figureitout says
I tried out this recipe as a test run before I decided to make it for my family. As with so many other commenters, I too resided in Chicago for many years before moving out west, so I have a special place in my heart specifically for Lou Malnati's deep dish pizza. "Good" deep dish is pretty hard to come by on the pacific coast so I had been craving nostalgia.
This recipe was definitely right on the money and very tasty. Its a perfect base for amateurs, like myself, to customize and experiment. I made a couple of tweaks to personalize the flavors to what I remember for my family and they were delighted . . . and full!
The recipe for the dough was completely dead on. Anyone experiencing problems probably didn't give it enough time to proof or didn't add enough butter or cornmeal (I say use salted butter). The crust really held up. Yes, deep dish can be (and usually is) eaten with a knife and fork but this crust recipe also makes it completely acceptable to hold and eat like other pizzas. Bonus!
I would recommend cutting the amount of red pepper flakes for the sauce in half. The original turned out a bit spicy. Cutting the amount really let the Italian sausage and tomato flavors shine thru. I also recommend keeping the "toppings" to a simple minimum. Leave out the bell peppers and pepperoni and stuff the thing with Italian sausage! I also added 50% more low-moisture mozzarella. Not because its accurate, I just did it because I wanted to.
Well done and thank you for sharing this recipe!!!
MBP says
I’ve made this a couple of times now, for New Years Eve. This is absolutely outstanding! The sauce is the boss! I skipped the pepperoni and added mushrooms instead. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us!
Ryan says
Awesome! Glad you enjoy it. You can never go wrong with mushrooms.