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Hi Bold Bakers!
WHAT YOU GET: A Chicago-style, gooey, Deep Dish Pizza recipe that comes together easily, with all of your favorite toppings, in just a couple of hours. This is a yeasted pizza dough. If you’re looking for yeast-free, try my 15-Minute Pizza Dough recipe (it’s not deep dish, though!).
When it comes to savory baking, there is one cheesy classic that always takes the crown. Pizza! While I’ve already gone big with recipes like my pizza rolls and crazy dough pizza, I’m now boldly going where I have never gone before. My recipe for Deep Dish Pizza is easily the most over-the-top homemade pizza creation my kitchen has ever seen. Get ready for the insanely tasty, cheesy, saucy showstopper that is my Deep Dish Pizza!
What Is A Chicago Deep Dish Pizza?
While deep dish pizza is something you may have seen in a restaurant or only heard of, it’s probably something you have never made at home or maybe even eaten. Unlike traditional pizza, which is flat and topped with a thin layer of cheese and tomato sauce, deep-dish pizza (also known as Chicago Style Pizza) is more closely related to a pie.
One of my favorite things about deep dish pizza is that its sort of inside out. Instead of having the sauce on the bottom, the sauce is spread across the top of the cheesy savory filling, truly making this Chicago-style pizza the most epically stuffed pie. This is by far the godfather of all pizza recipes and it could not be more satisfying when homemade.
What You Need to Make Deep Dish Pizza
- 14-inch deep-dish pizza pan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Stand mixer with dough hook/Handheld mixer
- Large jug
- Large bowl
- Skillet
- Rolling pin
- Scissors
- Pizza cutter
- Cling wrap
How To Make Deep Dish Pizza
You don’t have to be Italian or a professional chef to make my beautiful pizza recipe.
What makes this a homemade Chicago-style pizza is the pan it is baked in. I could never have created this recipe without my GoodCook Double Sided Deep Dish Pizza Pan. This pan is 15.5″ across and 2.5″ deep, which means my pizza can be fully loaded with a thick layer of mozzarella cheese, bell peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, olives, and a generous spread of tomato sauce.
- Combine your dry ingredients and yeast using a large electric mixer fitted with a dough hook or by hand.
- Once dry ingredients are combined, stream over warm water and a bit of olive oil. The dough will come together to form a sticky ball.
- Knead the dough either in an electric mixer or by hand for about 6-8 minutes on a floured surface.
- Once the dough is kneaded, set aside to rise for 1-2 hours in a lightly greased bowl tightly covered with cling wrap.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a large 16-inch circle.
- Preheat your oven to 425 F (210 C).
- Drape the rolled-out dough across your greased GoodCook Deep Dish Pizza Pan. Using your fingers, line the dough along the walls of the pan.
- Layer the dough with cheese, then add your favorite fillings. Take this great opportunity to be creative! Then top with pizza sauce.
- Bake for 45 minutes or longer, if you prefer. After baking, the homemade yeasty crust is golden and crunchy, and the fillings are a molten mix of pizza heaven.
- Remove from oven and cool. Then slice, serve, and enjoy!
If you’re a pizza lover this is most definitely going to change the game for you. I think everyone needs to try this homemade pizza recipe!
How To Make Pizza Dough
While yeasted doughs may seem like they require special care, I regularly make mine at home with an electric mixer and in about 10 minutes. There is really no secret to it: simply combine your dry ingredients and yeast using a large electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. There is really no wrong way to whip it up. You can always make your dough by hand — it just takes a little bit of elbow grease.
Once the dry ingredients are combined, I stream over warm water and a bit of olive oil. This pizza dough will come together to form a sticky ball. At this point, it’s the kneading that transforms your batter into deep dish pizza dough.
Kneading the dough either by hand or in an electric mixer is an integral part of making any pizza dough recipe. What this does is develop the gluten in your ball and that is what makes it stretchy enough to be rolled thin and later spread across your pan. All you have to do after kneading is set the dough aside to rise.
This pizza dough recipe requires no effort — just a bit of time. After 1-2 hours, your crust will puff up and double in size to reveal the most impressive pizza dough you have ever seen. From here all you have to do is roll it out into a large circle and drape it across your pan.
Pizza Toppings
Take this opportunity to be creative and fill your pizza with whatever you fancy. When it comes to Chicago deep dish pizza, I personally enjoy the classics. I start by filling mine with a thick layer of grated mozzarella cheese and all of the fun stuff: strips of sauteed red and yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced mushrooms, salty olives, and my personal favorite — lots of pepperonis.
Another one of my favorite things about deep dish pizza is that its sort of inside out. Instead of having the sauce on the bottom, the sauce is spread across the top of the cheesy savory filling, truly making this Chicago-style pizza the most epically stuffed pie. After baking my homemade yeasty crust is golden and crunchy, and the fillings are a molten mix of pizza heaven. If you’re a pizza lover this is most definitely going to change the game for you. I think everyone needs to try this homemade pizza recipe!
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Deep Dish Pizza
- Top with my 5 Minute Pizza Sauce! It comes together in a blender in no time.
- Substitute a deep dish pizza pan with a cast-iron skillet!
- Prefer my No-Knead Technique? Remember that the dough will need time – overnight or 8 hours – and a warm environment for best rising results.
How Do I Store Leftover Deep Dish Pizza
You can store any leftover Chicago-style pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can make the dough in advance and freeze or chill your dough after proofing. It will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator and up to 4 weeks in the freezer.
Make More Pizza!
- 5 Minute Pizza Sauce
- Mug Pizza
- Potato and Mint Pizza
- The Best New York Pizza Recipe Outside of NY
- Cauliflower Pizza Crust In 5 Simple Steps
- The Simplest Sourdough Pizza Crust (That’s Perfectly Chewy)
- The Most BUBBLY Focaccia Pizza You’ll Ever Make (No-Knead)!
- Stovetop Pizza: Making Pizza Without An Oven
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Try These Recipes!
Watch The Recipe Video!
Deep Dish Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
Crust:
- 3 1/4 cups (16 1/4oz/461g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (2oz/57g) cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons yeast
- 1 1/4 cups (10floz/282ml) warm water
- 1/4 cup (2floz/57ml) olive oil
- Olive oil for greasing
Filling:
- 2 1/3 cup (24oz/681g) tomato sauce
- 6 cups (32oz/900g ) grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup (21/2oz/71g) pepperoni
- 1 cup (5oz/142g) cooked bell peppers
- 1/2 cup (21/2oz/71g) cooked mushrooms
- 1/4 cup (11/4oz/35g) sliced black olives
- Basil for garnish
Instructions
For The Pizza Crust
- In a large stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast. Allow the dry ingredients to mix together while you combine the wet ingredients.
- In a large jug whisk together the warm water and olive oil.
- At low speed, in a slow steady stream pour the warm water mixture into the dry ingredients. Allow the dough hook to combine all the ingredients. Once all of the wet ingredients have absorbed and a dough begins to form turn the mixer speed up to medium and allow the dough to knead for 6-8 minutes. This will develop the gluten in the dough which is what allows it to stretch over the deep dish pan.
- Once the dough is kneaded transfer it into a lightly greased large bowl.
- Cover the bowl tightly with cling wrap and set it aside to rise for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- While the dough is rising prepare the filling by sauteing the peppers and mushrooms and measuring out the cheese, pepperoni, and olives, set aside.
- Once the dough had risen it should look large and aerated. Before rolling it out punch it down to release some of its air.
- Lightly flour a large work surface then gently remove the dough from the bowl. Using a rolling pin roll the dough into a large 16-inch circle about 1/8 of an inch thick.
- Generously grease your pan with olive oil.
Assembling The Deep Dish Pizza
- Preheat your oven to 425oF (210oC). To transfer the pizza dough onto the deep dish pizza pan gently roll the dough around your rolling pin. Unroll the dough across the pan and using your fingertips press the dough into the pan allowing it to line the walls of the pan. It's great if there is some dough hanging over the side as this will ensure you can fill the entire pizza with plenty of crust.
- Next layer up the fillings starting with the cheese, then peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, and olives.
- Top all of the fillings with sauce and some additional pepperoni and olives if you like.
- At this point using scissors, trim off any extra crust that may be hanging over the sides of the pan, and crush with olive oil. this will create a really professional-looking crust.
- Bake for 45 minutes. If you need longer bake for 5-10 minutes more.
- Once baked remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing.
- Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Can i use your ‘no-knead’ technique in this recipe? pls reply asap.I’m looking forward to making this in a few hours.
Hi there! I’m assuming this is instant yeast in this recipe?
Hi Gemma, can i substitute the cornmeal? Thanks
I don’t have a deep-dish pizza pan. What other pans would work? Could I use a 9×13 pan?
This is BS and it’s too much work. We don’t wanna work hard just to make pizza.
Hi Gemma, I make your sourdough pizza every Saturday (it’s a family favourite plus I am Italian!) – I am keen to try your deep pizza for a change but was wondering if I can halve the recipe or freeze the second pizza. There’s only 3 of us and I don’t have a single large pizza dish. Thank you. Monica
Can i make the dough ahead of time?
Hello Gemma
Do you have a recipe on how to make mozzarella cheese?
Thank you
Hi, Gemma! Thank you for another lifesaving fantastic recipe and video! I used your recipe in my Vitamix to make the dough. It worked beautifully. I have a small kitchen, limited counter space and no dishwasher so I improvised by roasting all of my veggies including onion together and added them all at once between layers of sauce and cheese and pepperoni from the butcher. The top looks burnt but nothing tastes burnt, it tastes like melted cooked cheese. I added black olives at the end and I brushed EVOO on the crust first then added nutritional yeast flakes then… Read more »
Hi, can I use semolina, wheat and all-purpose flour? For the toppings, can I include white radish and eggplant? Thanks.