Chicago deep-dish pizza, a culinary icon of the Windy City, tantalizes taste buds with its distinctive appearance and unforgettable taste. Unlike its thin-crust counterparts, this pizza boasts a thick, buttery crust that envelops layers of savory fillings, creating a hearty and satisfying meal. The pizza's signature characteristic lies in its inverted construction, where the toppings are generously heaped upon the crust before being covered with a blanket of melted cheese, resulting in a flavor explosion with every bite. This recipe guide will take you through the art of creating this iconic dish, from preparing the unique dough to layering the delectable ingredients and achieving the perfect bake. Whether you're a seasoned pizza enthusiast or a curious home cook, this comprehensive guide will equip you with the knowledge and techniques to create an authentic Chicago deep-dish pizza that will leave a lasting impression on your taste buds.
Here are our top 9 tried and tested recipes!
HOMEMADE CHICAGO DEEP-DISH PIZZA
Since I live near Chicago, I've managed to sample more than my share of deep-dish pizzas. This recipe lets you re-create the best of my town-right in your town! -Lynn Hamilton, Naperville, Illinois
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h20m
Yield 12 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, cornmeal, yeast, sugar and salt. In a small saucepan, heat water and oil to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes., In a large skillet, saute the mushrooms in 2 teaspoons oil until tender. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic and seasonings., Generously grease a 13x9-in. baking pan or dish with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Punch dough down. Roll out into a 15x11-in. rectangle. Transfer to prepared pan, pressing onto the bottom and halfway up the sides of pan. Sprinkle with 2 cups mozzarella cheese., Spoon half of the sauce over the cheese (save remaining sauce for another use or for dipping). Layer with the sausage, sauteed mushrooms and, if desired, pepperoni; top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. , Cover and bake at 450° for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake about 5 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with basil if desired.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 370 calories, Fat 22g fat (8g saturated fat), Cholesterol 44mg cholesterol, Sodium 761mg sodium, Carbohydrate 25g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 18g protein.
CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP-DISH PIZZA
My husband and I tried to duplicate the deep-dish pizza recipe from a popular restaurant, and I think our Chicago-style deep-dish pizza turned out even better. The secret is baking it in a cast-iron skillet! -Lynn Hamilton, Naperville, Illinois
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h
Yield 2 pizzas (8 slices each).
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, cornmeal, yeast, sugar and salt. In a saucepan, heat water and oil to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add remaining flour to form a stiff dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes., Punch dough down; divide in half. Roll each portion into an 11-in. circle. Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of two greased 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillets. Sprinkle each with 2 cups mozzarella cheese., In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and seasonings. Spoon 1-1/2 cups over each pizza. Layer each with half of the sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms; 1 cup mozzarella; and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. , Cover and bake at 450° for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake until lightly browned, about 5 minutes longer.,
Nutrition Facts : Calories 407 calories, Fat 23g fat (9g saturated fat), Cholesterol 49mg cholesterol, Sodium 872mg sodium, Carbohydrate 32g carbohydrate (4g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 20g protein.
CHICAGO DEEP-DISH PIZZA
Home cooks will find deep-dish pizza, with its unique buttery cornmeal crust, more forgiving than its New York counterpart. No need to worry about having the hottest oven or too many toppings - just make sure your sauce is very thick and flavorful! I garnished mine with parsley and more Parmesan cheese.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pizza Recipes
Time 2h30m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Pour water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Sprinkle in yeast and let dissolve, about 10 minutes. Add olive oil, melted butter, sugar, salt, cornmeal, and most of the flour. Knead, stopping to scrape down the sides occasionally and adding more flour as needed, until smooth and elastic.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead in extra flour if needed. Roll into a ball and place in a bowl greased with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Cover with a plate and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, let pizza sauce simmer in a pot over low heat until very thick, 60 to 90 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Poke dough to deflate and turn out onto your work surface. Press and stretch out dough into a round shape 3 to 4 inches larger than a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Brush skillet with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place dough in the skillet; stretch and pull to evenly distribute it over the bottom and sides.
- Lay provolone cheese over the bottom of the crust. Scatter fresh mozzarella on top. Add Italian sausage and firm mozzarella. Ladle pizza sauce generously on top. Grate Parmesan cheese on top. Fold the edges of the crust in towards the center to seal in the sides. Drizzle crust and center with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Bake in the center of the preheated oven until crust sounds hollow and pizza is beautifully browned, about 35 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 612.5 calories, Carbohydrate 52.6 g, Cholesterol 74.5 mg, Fat 32.4 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 25.4 g, SaturatedFat 14.2 g, Sodium 1486.6 mg, Sugar 4.8 g
THE REAL CHICAGO DEEP DISH PIZZA DOUGH
I have it on good authority that this is the real deep dish pizza dough that's used in Chicago. The real thing is nothing like bread, or even pizza, dough. It is a buttery, flaky crust that is achieved by: 1) using corn oil (not butter) and 2) minimal mixing and kneading times. The pizza itself is built with cheese, toppings, and sauce, in that order. I suggest you use 6-in-1® tomatoes which are far superior to other brands. Classico® ground tomatoes are very similar. Contrary to popular opinion, cornmeal is not used in the dough by Chicago pizzerias.
Provided by owensjo
Categories Bread Pizza Dough and Crust Recipes
Time 6h25m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a bowl. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam.
- Combine yeast mixture, flour, corn oil, and kosher salt in a large stand mixer with a hook attachment; knead until dough holds together but is still slightly sticky, about 2 minutes.
- Form dough into a ball and transfer to a buttered bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with a towel and allow dough to rise at room temperature until double in size, 6 hours.
- Punch down dough and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Press dough into a 10-inch deep dish pizza pan.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 298.5 calories, Carbohydrate 37 g, Fat 14.3 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 5.3 g, SaturatedFat 1.9 g, Sodium 361.5 mg, Sugar 0.9 g
TRUE CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP-DISH PIZZA
Provided by Jeff Mauro, host of Sandwich King
Time 7h25m
Yield 8 slices
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Mix sugar, yeast and 11 ounces room temperature water (about 80 degrees) in a bowl and let bloom for 15 minutes. Combine flour, salt and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Once yeast has bloomed, add to dry ingredients along with corn oil. Gently combine with a rubber spatula until a rough ball is formed.
- Knead on low speed with the dough hook for 90 seconds. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and proof until doubled in size, about 6 hours. Punch down and let dough settle for 15 more minutes.
- Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F.
- Coat bottom and sides of a 12-inch cake pan or traditional Chicago style pizza pan with melted butter. Using your hands, spread out about three-quarters of the dough across the bottom and up the sides of the pan (save the remainder for another use). Cover entire bottom in mozzarella, all the way up to the edge. Cover half with a thin, even layer of raw sausage. Cover the other half with the pepperoni. Top with a couple handfuls of crushed tomatoes. Spread out with hands to the edge. Sprinkle top evenly with grated Parm.
- Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden around the edge, about 25 minutes. Let rest for about 5 minutes, then either gently lift pizza out of pan or just cut your slice out of the pan like a pie!
CHICAGO DEEP-DISH PIZZA
Steps:
- Pour 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons warm (90 to 110 degrees F) water into a bowl, then stir in the sugar and yeast. Let sit until the yeast begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.
- In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, cornmeal, and salt on low to combine. Pour in the yeast mixture and the olive oil to combine while still mixing. Once the dough comes together, switch to the dough hook, and knead on medium-high speed to make a smooth dough, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add a little more water or flour as needed to make a soft dough. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, from 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Punch down the dough, and press it into a 14-by-10-inch oiled baking pan or an oiled 12-inch cast-iron skillet, gently pressing the dough up the sides to make a shell. Fill the shell with an even layer of the provolone and mozzarella, then spread the sauce to cover the cheese completely. Top with the pepperoni, and sprinkle with the grated cheese and oregano. Cover with foil, and bake 45 minutes. Then uncover, and bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the pizza is bubbly, about 20 minutes more. Let sit about 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.
CHICAGO DEEP-DISH PIZZA MUFFINS
Put down the fork and knife... here's a Chicago deep-dish pizza that you can actually eat by holding it in your hands! A beautiful golden crust contains a meaty, cheesy, saucy filling with Italian sausage, sweet peppers, and 3 types of cheese. The sauce and cheese char slightly on the outside as they bake, resulting in a super savory taste.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Pizza
Time 1h20m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Generously grease a 12-cup standard muffin pan with 2 teaspoons oil.
- Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Pick it up from the edges to make sure it's not stuck to the surface, then cut out twelve 4-inch circles. Reroll the dough to cut all 12 circles if necessary.
- Place each circle into a prepared muffin cup, making sure it's centered. Press and push dough up the sides of the cups, getting close to, but not all the way up to the top. When all circles have been placed in the muffin pan, go around one more time to push and press on each one.
- Put 1 tablespoon provolone cheese into each cup, followed by 1 tablespoon cooked sausage and 2 teaspoons cooked peppers. Lightly press on the fillings to compress, then top with 1 rounded tablespoon mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons pizza sauce, pushing the sauce down gently into the fillings; it's okay that the fillings will be slightly higher than the pan. Sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese generously over top.
- Bake in the upper center of the preheated oven until the tops are beautifully browned, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Go around the edge of each muffin with a knife, then use a fork or small spatula to remove from the pan.
- Let cool on a rack for a few minutes, then garnish with parsley and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 193.8 calories, Carbohydrate 19.7 g, Cholesterol 17.5 mg, Fat 7.8 g, Fiber 0.8 g, Protein 10.3 g, SaturatedFat 3.6 g, Sodium 532.3 mg
CHICAGO DEEP DISH PIZZA
I developed a love for Chicago's deep-dish pizzas while attending college in the Windy City. This simple recipe relies on frozen bread dough, so I can indulge in the mouthwatering sensation without leaving home.-Nikki MacDonald, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 45m
Yield 8 slices.
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle over dough. Top with mozzarella cheese., In a skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in oil until onion is tender. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, salt, fennel seed and garlic powder. Spoon over mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350° for 25-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 786 calories, Fat 38g fat (15g saturated fat), Cholesterol 97mg cholesterol, Sodium 2110mg sodium, Carbohydrate 75g carbohydrate (14g sugars, Fiber 8g fiber), Protein 42g protein.
DEEP DISH PIZZA RECIPE BY TASTY
Great news: You don't have to travel to Chicago to eat doughy, cheesy deep dish pizza because now, you can make it right in your kitchen. The most time-consuming part of this recipe is making the dough, but you can prepare it up to a month in advance and freeze it for later. Bake the dough in a deep dish pan covered with homemade tomato sauce, sausage, and cheese until it's golden-brown and bubbling.
Provided by Pierce Abernathy
Categories Dinner
Time 25m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- For the pizza sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the onion, salt, red pepper flakes, and oregano, and sauté until golden brown.
- Add the garlic, sugar, and crushed tomatoes, and simmer for roughly 20 minutes or until sauce thickens.
- For the dough, combine the active dry yeast, sugar, and warm water together and let sit for one minute.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, and salt.
- Add the yeast mixture and butter into the dry ingredients and stir until dough forms.
- Bring dough to floured surface and knead until dough forms into a ball.
- Move dough to large bowl drizzled with olive oil. Coat dough in oil and cover. Let rest for 1 hour.
- Remove dough and bring onto floured surface.
- Cut dough in half and begin working dough out, ensuring that it is at least 2 inches (5 cm) wider than your deep dish pan.
- Double wrap the remaining dough with plastic wrap and place in a resealable freezer bag. Freeze for up to a month.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (215°C).
- Bring your dough into your oiled and floured deep dish pan.
- Using your hands press dough into sides of your dish making it as even as possible.
- Lay slices of mozzarella across the dough, covering the entire bottom.
- Add pieces of uncased italian sausage on top of the mozzarella and top with tomato sauce.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust starts to lightly brown and the cheese is melted.
- Garnish with parmesan, cut and serve.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 624 calories, Carbohydrate 64 grams, Fat 28 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 28 grams, Sugar 8 grams
Tips:
- Use a cast iron skillet or deep dish pizza pan for the best results. This will help create a crispy crust.
- Make sure the dough is well-oiled before pressing it into the pan. This will help prevent sticking.
- Don't overwork the dough, as this will make it tough. Just mix until the ingredients are well combined.
- Use a variety of toppings to create a delicious and flavorful pizza. Some popular options include sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, and peppers.
- Bake the pizza in a preheated oven until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. This will help prevent the cheese from getting stringy.
Conclusion:
Making homemade Chicago deep-dish pizza is a delicious and rewarding experience. By following these tips, you can create a pizza that is sure to impress your family and friends. So next time you're craving a deep-dish pizza, try making it at home. You won't be disappointed!
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