If you want to recreate a true Midwestern masterpiece at home, this Authentic Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza is the ultimate recipe. Built completely inverted from a standard pizza, it features a thick, buttery, biscuit-like cornmeal crust pressed deep into a cake pan.
It is layered first with a massive bed of sliced mozzarella cheese, loaded with savory Italian meats, and topped completely with a thick, chunky, and seasoned crushed tomato sauce. Every slice delivers an epic, legendary cheese pull that will make your kitchen feel like a high-end Chicago pizzeria!
Prep time, Cook time, & Servings
- Prep Time: 45 minutes (plus 1 hour dough rising time)
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Servings: 6-8 servings (Makes one heavy 12-inch deep-dish pizza)
Ingredients
The Buttery Cornmeal Crust:
- All-Purpose Flour: 3.25 cups
- Yellow Cornmeal: 1/2 cup (gives that classic yellow color and crunch)
- Instant Dry Yeast: 2.25 tsp (1 packet)
- Sugar: 1 tsp
- Salt: 1.25 tsp
- Warm Water: 1.25 cups (around 105°F)
- Unsalted Butter: 1/2 cup (melted, divided for laminating the dough)
- Olive Oil: 1 tbsp (to grease the rising bowl)
The Thick, Chunky Pizza Sauce:
- Crushed Tomatoes: 1 can (28 oz), well-drained
- Unsalted Butter: 2 tbsp
- Grated Onion: 2 tbsp
- Garlic: 2 cloves, minced
- Dried Oregano & Basil: 1 tsp each
- Red Pepper Flakes: A pinch
- Salt & Sugar: 1/2 tsp each
The Heavy Stuffing & Cheese Layers:
- Mozzarella Cheese: 1 lb (16 oz) sliced low-moisture mozzarella (do not use shredded)
- Mild Italian Sausage: 1/2 lb, raw and crumbled (optional)
- Pepperoni Slices: 1/3 cup
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: 1/4 cup (for the final top dust)
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Knead and Laminate the Dough
- Mix: Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the warm water and 1/4 cup of melted butter. Mix on low until a smooth dough forms (about 4-5 minutes). Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
- Laminate (The Secret to Flakiness): Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a large rectangle. Spread the remaining 1/4 cup of softened butter all over it. Fold the dough tightly like a letter, roll it into a ball, and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
2. Simmer the Rustic Sauce
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the grated onion, minced garlic, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and sugar. Cook for 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the drained crushed tomatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer, turn the heat to low, and let it cook for 15 minutes until it thickens into a dense, rich sauce. Set aside to cool.
3. Press the Crust into the Pan
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease a deep 12-inch round cake pan or cast-iron skillet heavily with olive oil.
- Press: Roll out your chilled dough circle to about 14 inches. Lay it into the greased pan, pressing it firmly into the bottom corners and building a neat 2-inch high dough wall up the sides of the pan.
4. Layer the Ingredients (The Chicago Inversion!)
- Layer 1 (The Cheese Bed): Lay the sliced mozzarella cheese overlapping across the bottom dough crust, creating a thick, solid tile barrier of cheese.
- Layer 2 (The Meats): Scatter the raw crumbled Italian sausage and pepperoni slices evenly directly over the cheese layer.
- Layer 3 (The Sauce Cap): Ladle the thick, chunky crushed tomato sauce heavily over the meats, smoothing it right out to the edges of the dough wall.
- Finish: Dust the top surface uniformly with grated Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake to a Rich Golden Hue
- Bake on the lower rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. The top tomato sauce layer should look deeply red and roasted, and the outer cornmeal dough walls should be high, crispy, and deeply golden-brown.
- Note: If the edges of the crust brown too quickly, shield them loosely with a ring of aluminum foil.
6. Rest, Slice, and Behold
- Rest: Remove from the oven and let the pizza rest undisturbed in the pan for 10 minutes. This is critical to let the heavy structural layers of melted cheese set up so it doesn’t collapse into a soup when cut.
- Serve: Slice with a sharp knife or wheel, lift with a flat metal cake server, and serve immediately to enjoy the spectacular, heavy cheese pull!
Chef’s Tips for Success
- Never Use Shredded Cheese: Shredded mozzarella melts too quickly and contains excess starches that prevent the cheese from welding into a solid, elastic floor. Thickly sliced deli-cut low-moisture mozzarella is absolutely mandatory for that authentic Chicago web stretch.
- Drain the Tomatoes: Place your canned crushed tomatoes in a fine-mesh strainer and press lightly with a spoon to discard excess watery juices before cooking. If your sauce is watery, your deep-dish crust will turn soggy.
- The Butter Trick: Laminating the dough by folding layers of cold butter inside replicates the flaky, decadent, almost pastry-like texturized crust famously found at Lou Malnati’s or Giordano’s in Chicago.