Chicago-Style Deep Dish (Print version)

Savor a thick crust Chicago-style pie loaded with cheese, chunky sauce, and a medley of toppings for a filling meal.

# What you’ll 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 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
17 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
18 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
19 - 1/2 teaspoon sugar
20 - Salt and pepper, to taste

# Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, combine warm water and yeast; let stand for 5 minutes until foamy. Add flour, cornmeal, salt, olive oil, and melted butter. Mix until a dough forms and knead for 5 to 7 minutes until smooth. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and allow to 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 for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
03 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 12-inch deep-dish pizza pan or round cake pan with olive oil.
04 - Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan, pushing it up the sides to create a high edge.
05 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the dough base.
06 - Distribute desired toppings such as pepperoni, mushrooms, bell peppers, and black olives over the cheese layer.
07 - Pour the tomato sauce evenly over the toppings, then sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the sauce.
08 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the crust is golden brown and sauce is bubbling. Cover crust edges with foil if browning too fast.
09 - Allow the pizza to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Cooking tips:

01 -
  • It's forgiving enough that mistakes become character and ambitious enough to feel like you've accomplished something real.
  • The buttery, cornmeal-studded crust stays crispy on the outside while staying tender inside, a balance that takes work but rewards it.
  • Feeding people with this teaches you something about generosity—you can't make a small portion, and that turns out to be the point.
02 -
  • Overstuffing the pizza is the most common mistake—a loaded surface means the bottom stays soggy because steam can't escape and the crust can't crisp.
  • Temperature matters more than you think; if your oven runs hot or cold, you'll need to adjust the bake time by five minutes either way.
03 -
  • If your kitchen is cold, let the dough rise in a turned-off oven with just the light on—it creates the perfect warm environment without overheating.
  • Use a combination of mozzarella and Parmesan from day one rather than trying to fix underseasoned pizza after it's baked.
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