Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

Did you ever wonder about the "pie" in pizza pie? This dish will make that connection clear for you. With its 1 1/2" tall crust cradling distinct layers of cheese, sausage, and tomatoes, this is definitely a knife-and-fork pizza PIE. We like to bake this in a big, 14" deep-dish pizza pan; it makes a spectacular presentation, right out of the oven. But if you don't have a big pan, feel free to use two 9" round cake pans.

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Ingredients

• 4 cups (480g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3 tablespoons (35g) yellow cornmeal
• 1 3/4 teaspoons (11g) table salt
• 2 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons (25g) olive oil
• 4 tablespoons (57g) butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons (25g) vegetable oil
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (255g) lukewarm water

• 3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 1 pound Italian sweet or hot sausage, cooked and sliced; or about 3 cups of the sautéed vegetables of your choice
• 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, lightly crushed; or 28-ounce can diced or chopped tomatoes
• 2 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced, optional
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Pizza Seasoning or mixed dried Italian herbs (oregano, basil, rosemary), to taste
• 1 cup (113g) freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
• 2 tablespoons (25g) olive oil, to drizzle on top

Instructions

1. To make the crust: Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Mix flour with the rest of the dough ingredients, and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a smooth crust. This will take about 7 minutes at medium-low speed in a stand mixer.
2. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl or 8-cup measure (which makes it easy to track its rise), cover, and let rise till very puffy, about 60 minutes.
3. While the dough is rising, ready your 14" deep-dish pizza pan. Grease it with non-stick vegetable oil spray, then pour in 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, tilting it to cover the bottom of the pan, and partway up the sides.
4. Stretch the dough to make as large a circle as you can. You can do this on a lightly oiled baking mat, if you choose; or simply stretch the dough in your hands.

Perfect your technique

Here's the (deep) dish: Chicago's favorite pizza

Tips from our Bakers

For individual deep-dish pizzas: Grease the wells of an individual hamburger bun pan. Divide the risen dough into 12 equal pieces; if you have a scale, each piece will weigh about 2 1/2 ounces. Roll each piece into a tight ball, then cover six of them and transfer to the refrigerator. Allow the remaining six balls of dough to rest, covered, at room temperature for 20 minutes. Stretch an unrefrigerated dough ball to cover the bottom of a well, then push it up the sides of the pan. Repeat with the remaining dough. After a 15-minute rest, bake the individual crusts for 10 minutes until they're set and barely beginning to brown. Fill, then bake the pizzas for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown. Repeat with the remaining (refrigerated) dough.

Deep-dish pizza has a long history in the city of Chicago, where it's revered as a delicious native invention. The crust, based on a recipe whose supposed provenance is Chicago's Pizzeria Uno, has an unusual flaky/tender texture, and great taste — courtesy of three types of fat: vegetable oil, olive oil, and butter. Also, the tiny bit of cornmeal adds subtle but delightful crunch.

Baker’s Resources

• Recipe success guide
• Tips & techniques
• High-altitude baking
• Baker’s yeast
• Ingredient weight chart
• Tools & pans
• How to measure flour
• Safe handling instructions