Dinner / Sandwiches, burgers & pizza
Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza
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Cheese first, chunky tomatoes on top, and a buttery cornmeal crust that crisps against the pan. It takes three hours and a ten-minute rest before the first cut, and there is always one cousin who can't wait.
The short version
Make a buttery dough, rise it 1½ hours, press it into a buttered, cornmeal-dusted 12-inch pan, and fill with sliced cheese and cooked sausage. Cover with chunky tomatoes and Parmesan and bake at 425°F for about 35 minutes. Rest it 10 minutes before cutting.
What makes ours better
the tricks Nonna pretends she never taught me
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Butter the pan and dust it with cornmeal. The butter fries the outside of the crust and the cornmeal adds crunch, so the bottom is crisp rather than bready.
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Oil and butter in the dough. Fat makes the crust tender and a bit flaky, closer to a pastry than a pizza base. It's what a tall crust needs to stay soft inside.
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Sliced cheese, sauce on top. Cheese against the dough forms a seal, and the sauce on top shields the cheese from scorching during the long bake.
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Crush the tomatoes and drain them. Uncooked, thick tomatoes cook in the oven and don't turn the pie into soup. Draining some liquid is what makes slices hold up.
What you need
the cast, in order of appearance
- All-purpose flour3½ cups
- Instant yeast2 teaspoons
- Granulated sugar1 teaspoon
- Cornmeal2 tablespoons
- Bulk Italian sausage1 pound
- Sliced low-moisture mozzarella8 ounces
- Whole peeled tomatoes1 can
- Grated Parmesan½ cup
Dough
Pan
Filling and sauce
read it twice. buy it once.
Steps
deep breath. you’ve got this.
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Mix the dough
Whisk the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the water, olive oil and melted butter and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a floured counter for 5 minutes, until smooth and slightly tacky.
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Let it rise
Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1½ hours.
About 90 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Cook the sausage and sauce
Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up, until no pink remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain it on paper towels. Stir the crushed tomatoes with the garlic, oregano and salt.
About 7 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Heat the oven, prep the pan
Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the lower third. Smear the soft butter all over the bottom and sides of a 12-inch cake pan or cast-iron skillet, at least 2 inches deep, then dust it with cornmeal and shake out the excess.
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Press the dough into the pan
Stretch the dough on a floured counter into a 14-inch round and lay it in the pan, pressing it into the corners and up the sides about 1½ inches. If it springs back, rest it for 5 minutes.
Keep the dough even, not thin at the bottom. A thin spot is where the filling leaks through.
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Fill the pie
Cover the dough with the mozzarella and provolone slices, edge to edge. Scatter the sausage over the cheese. Spoon the tomatoes over the top, spreading to the edge, and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
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Bake
Bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the sauce is bubbling around the edge, 30 to 35 minutes. If the edges brown faster than the center, tent the edge loosely with foil.
About 33 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Rest before cutting
Let the pizza stand in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and lift out slices with a spatula. Sprinkle with parsley.
Cutting it right away sends the cheese everywhere. Wait the ten minutes.
About 10 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- The dough can rise slowly in the fridge overnight. Let it warm up for 30 minutes before pressing it into the pan.
- A 12-inch cast-iron skillet gives the crispest crust. Two 9-inch cake pans also work; divide the dough in half and bake about the same time.
- Other toppings go under the sauce, so try pepperoni, sautéed peppers and onions, or well-drained spinach.
- Storage. Fridge, wrapped, 4 days. Freezer, sliced and wrapped, 2 months. Reheat slices in a covered, oiled skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or at 350°F for 15 minutes.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
Why does deep dish pizza have the sauce on top?
The long bake would scorch cheese on top. Sauce on top protects the cheese and keeps the filling juicy.
What pan do I need for deep dish pizza?
A 12-inch cake pan or cast-iron skillet with sides at least 2 inches tall. A springform pan also works, though the crust browns less.
Why is my deep dish pizza soggy in the middle?
Wet toppings or sauce. Drain the tomatoes and the cooked sausage, use low-moisture cheese, and bake until the edge is deep brown.
Can I use my pizza dough recipe?
Yes. One ball of overnight pizza dough (about 1 pound) fills a 12-inch pan, but let it come to room temperature first. The crust will be chewier and less tender than this one.
Can I make deep dish pizza ahead?
Assemble it up to 2 hours ahead and keep it at room temperature, or par-bake the crust 10 minutes and finish later. Fully baked, it reheats well.
From the table
Made it? Tell me how it went, and who went back for seconds when they thought nobody was looking.
Made it?
be honest. I can take it. probably.
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Published October 29, 2026.