Chicago deep dish is a fundamentally different food from Neapolitan or New York pizza. It’s assembled upside-down — cheese goes directly on the dough, toppings next, crushed tomato sauce on top last — then baked in a deep round pan for 30-40 minutes. The result is a rich, pie-like meal.
The Crust
Authentic Chicago deep dish crust is buttery and slightly crumbly — it contains butter and cornmeal that give it a distinctly different texture from bread-like pan pizza.
Crust Ingredients (for a 12-inch deep dish pan)
- 230g (1 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 40g (1/4 cup) fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 120ml (1/2 cup) warm water
- 85g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Combine all ingredients and mix until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Knead 5 minutes. Oil the bowl, cover, and let rise 1-1.5 hours until doubled. You’ll need a deep dish pizza pan — a regular cake pan works in a pinch.
The Sauce
Deep dish sauce is uncooked — just San Marzano crushed tomatoes seasoned with dried oregano, garlic, salt, and a pinch of sugar. Do not cook it — it cooks in the oven over 35 minutes and retains bright acidity that cuts through the rich cheese and crust.
Sauce recipe: One 28-oz can crushed tomatoes, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, pinch of red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp sugar. Stir to combine.
Assembly
1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Generously butter the pan.
2. Press risen dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan (about 2 inches up the wall).
3. Layer low-moisture mozzarella directly on the dough — use 340-400g, sliced or shredded. This is the base layer, and our mozzarella guide explains why low-moisture works best here.
4. Add toppings: Italian sausage (pressed flat as a layer, not crumbled), sautéed vegetables, or sliced pepperoni.
5. Spoon 1-1.5 cups of sauce over the top. Spread to the edges. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
6. Bake 30-40 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and the sauce is bubbling. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.
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