12/17/2025
CHICAGO STYLE DEEP DISH PIZZA
total time: 4 AND 1/2 HOURS (INCLUDES RISE TIMES)
Here's how to make authentic-tasting Chicago deep dish pizza. Complete with the buttery crust, slightly sweet tomato sauce, and a thick layer of cheese.
Yield: recipe makes two deep dish 9-inch pizzas
READ THE ENTIRE RECIPE PRIOR TO STARTING
follow steps in order!
Ingredients:
PIZZA CRUST (MAKES 2)
3 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
½ cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons Red Star Platinum yeast (1 standard packet)
1 1/4 cups of slightly warm water
1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided (1/4 cup melted, 1/4 cup softened)
olive oil for coating
TOMATO SAUCE FOR BOTH PIZZAS
2 Tablespoons of butter
1 small onion, grated (about 1/3 cup)
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended)
3 garlic cloves, minced (I use about 6)
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar (I use ½ tsp)
TOPPINGS FOR BOTH PIZZAS
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
optional and what I use: handful of precooked, thin sliced pepperoni per pizza, 4 slices cooked and then crumbled bacon (2 per pizza) And ½ cup cooked and crumbled mild Italian sausage.
Additional optional toppings, add enough to suit your tastes: cooked and crumbled sausage, thinly sliced green peppers and/or onions, sliced mushrooms.
I like to bake additional toppings in the oven for about 15 -20 minutes then squeeze out the excess juices, so the bottom of your pizza does not get soggy.
DOUGH INSTRUCTIONS
In Order:
Combine the flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large mixing bowl with the dough hook attachment. Give a stir with a wooden spoon. Set aside.
In a glass container, melt ¼ cup of butter, set aside to cool off. You don’t want it hot when you add to the dry ingredients or it will kill the yeast.
Now you want to add your very warm water to a glass bowl or cup (again not hot or it will kill the yeast) stir in the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top. Do not stir the yeast. Cover glass tightly with plastic wrap and let the yeast froth. The froth should rise above the water ½ inch and rounded in the middle. That is when it is done and ready to mix. This takes about 3-5 minutes.
Once the melted butter is now just warm and the yeast is properly frothed, you can add it slowly to the dry ingredients with the mixer on its lowest setting and mix for about 3 minutes. The dough should fall off the hook and feel smooth and supple.
Put about 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large metal bowl that is room temperature (can’t be a cold bowl, just warm), form your dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl with oil to coat the dough ball with oil. Tightly cover the bowl with foil and leave for 2 hours in a warm environment.
IF it is cold in the kitchen, it will not rise properly. To remedy this, I heat my oven warm (170 degrees). Once it has reached that temp, I shut it off and then place the sealed dough bowl in the oven with the door closed to rise.
NOTES:
If the dough is too hard or tough, slowly beat in a teaspoon of warm water. Alternatively, if it feels too soft, beat in a Tablespoon of flour.
While the dough is rising for the next two hours you can start the sauce.
SAUCE INSTRUCTIONS
For the sauce: Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and allow it to melt.
Once melted, add the grated onion, salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Once the onion has slightly browned after (about 5 minutes), add the garlic, tomatoes, and sugar. Turn the heat down to low-medium and allow it to simmer until it's hearty, fragrant, and thick- (about 1 hour). You'll have about 2 and 1/2 cups of sauce at this point. If you have more than that, keep simmering until the amount has reduced. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to be used. You may store the sauce in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days if planning to make the pizza another day. You may freeze this sauce for up to 2 months.
WORKING THE DOUGH
After 2 hours, the dough is ready to be rolled out and buttered. Lightly flour a large work surface. Remove dough from the bowl, set the bowl, and aluminum foil aside (to use later). Gently punch down the dough to remove any air bubbles and roll the dough into a large 15x12 rectangle.
Spread 1/4 cup of softened butter on top of the dough. Roll it up lengthwise and cut the dough in half. Form the two pieces of the cut dough into balls and place back into your greased bowl. Cover with aluminum foil and allow it to rise in the refrigerator (not in a warm place) for 1 hour until they are puffy.
During this one-hour rise, you can prep your fillings.
FILLING PREP
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
If you are adding fillings such as mushrooms, peppers, onion, you will want to precook a bit to get some of the moisture out of them, so you do not end up with a soggy pizza. I usually thin slice and bake on 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.
You will precook your sausages and any other meats you are adding to the pie and press out excessive grease. You want some grease, just not a bunch. (I add no more than 2 cups of total meats)
Shred your cheese
BUILDING YOUR PIE
Use a 9”x 2” spring pan that is NOT greased.
After the dough balls have risen in the refrigerator, they should be puffy. Keep one ball of dough in the refrigerator as you work with the first one.
Roll it out on a lightly floured work surface, working it into a 12-inch circle. Using your rolling pin as a guide.
Place over spring pan, using your fingers, press the dough into the pan. Make sure it is nice and tight fitting inside the pan. Trim any excess dough off the edges. I use my rolling pin by simply rolling it on top of the pan to cut off that excess dough.
YOU ARE NOW READY RO FILL THE PIE
Fill the pie in this order:
Fill each pizza with 1/2 of the cheese (about 2 cups mozzarella per pizza and ½ cup of parmesan per pizza
Add your fillings then add a thin layer of mozzarella cheese.
Add the sauce (half the sauce for each pizza about ¼ cup each). I sprinkle a little bit of parmesan on top of the sauce
Form your crust by pinching the dough all around the edge like you would for a pie.
Brush the crust with a thin layer of olive oil and you are ready to bake!
BAKING THE PIE
Bake for 20-28 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Feel free to loosely cover the pizzas with aluminum foil after the 15-minute mark to prevent any heavy browning and uneven baking.
Remove the pizzas from the oven and allow them to cool in the pans placed on a wire rack for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, slice, serve, and enjoy
Re-Heating the pie
Place any leftover pizza in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat leftovers in a 300-degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until hot.
NOTES:
Make ahead tip: Dough may be prepared through step 4. In the last part of this step, the dough needs to rise in the refrigerator for 1 hour. You may leave it in the refrigerator for up to 1 full day, making sure to punch it down to remove any air bubbles before rolling out as directed in step 7. You may freeze the pizza dough after preparing them through step 4, and instead of allowing them to rise in the refrigerator, simply freeze for up to 2 months. Then, allow the dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to rise at room temperature for 1 hour before continuing
Send a message to learn more
