The Recipe Critic

Deep Dish Pizza

August 21, 2020

Authentic Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza! Thick, crispy and flakey crust topped with an easy homemade marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese! This is a dish the whole family will love!

Looking for more Italian Inspired Recipes?! Try this BEST Chicken Parmesan or my Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs!

Deep dish pizza in a pan with a slice getting taken out.

Deep Dish Pizza

Our family are huge pizza lovers and have it at least once a week. When I saw this recipe for Deep Dish Pizza I knew we had to try it! This recipe does not disappoint! It is loaded with thick flakey layers of crust and topped with gooey cheese and marinara. It is the BEST Deep Dish Pizza you will ever have!

We adapted the crust recipe from America’s Test Kitchen. For the crust we use a technique referred to as laminating the dough. It is where the pizza dough is rolled out then softened butter is spread on top of the dough then rolled again. It is similar to the method for making croissants and it is what gives the dough it’s flakiness which is authentic to Chicago style pizza!

Deep dish pizza in a pan getting ready to be baked.

Pizza Dough Ingredients:

This recipe makes two 9-inch pizzas and is perfect for pizza night! We left the pizza plain but feel free to top the pizza with your favorite vegetables, pepperoni or sausage!

  • Flour: We use unbleached all purpose flour in this recipe.
  • Cornmeal: Is added to give the dough a nice crunch and flavor.
  • Honey: Adds a hint of sweetness to the dough. Feel free to substitute granulated sugar as well.
  • Instant yeast: Activates the gluten and causes the dough to rise.
  • Butter: Melted butter is added to the pizza dough and gives the dough a nice buttery flavor.

Easy To Make Tomato Sauce:

The pizza is then topped with an easy homemade marinara sauce. I make the sauce and let it simmer while I am letting the dough rise.

  • Onions and garlic: Add lots of flavor to the sauce!
  • Crushed tomatoes: Are added feel free to use what you have diced tomatoes can be used as well.
  • Sugar: Gives the sauce a bit of sweetness and combats the acidity from the tomatoes.
  • Seasonings: Dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.

Deep dish pizza in a pan baked.

How to Make Deep Dish Pizza:

Add flour, cornmeal, salt, honey and yeast to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Add in water and 3 tbsp melted butter and mix on low until combined, 1-2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough until it is glossy and pulls aways from the sides of the bowl, 5 minutes. Coat a large bowl with olive oil and add the dough ball to the bowl turning to coat the dough ball in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until doubled, about 60 minutes or so.

How to Laminate the Dough:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat two 9 inch cake pans with olive oil, set aside. Roll dough onto a dry work surface and roll into a 15 x 12 inch rectangle. Spread with 4 tbsp softened butter. Starting at the shortest end roll up dough into a cylinder. With the seam-side down, flatten the dough into a 18 by 4-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half. Working with one half at a time, fold the dough into thirds like a business letter. Pinch the seams together to form a dough ball. Repeat with the remaining dough ball then transfer both balls of dough to the oiled bowl. Cover and let rise this time in the refrigerator to 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

How to Make the Easy Pizza Sauce:

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add in onions and saute until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and spices and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Let’s Bake Some Pizza!

Transfer 1 dough ball on a dry work surface at a time and roll into a 13 inch disk. Transfer it to the prepared baking pan. Lightly press dough into pan and push dough up the sides about 1 inch. Sprinkle each pizza with 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1 1/4 cup sauce and 2 tbsp parmesan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Allow pizza to rest for 10 minutes before removing from pan and slicing.

A slice of deep dish pizza sitting on a white plate.

Here are More Pizza Recipes to Try at Home!

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Deep Dish Pizza

Authentic Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza! Thick, crispy and flakey crust topped with an easy homemade marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese! This is a dish the whole family will love!
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Deep Dish Pizza, pizza
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 12 Slices
Calories 384kcal
Author Kelley Simmons

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

  • 3 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • olive oil for coating pans

Easy Tomato Sauce

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste

Toppings

  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Pizza Dough:

  • Add flour, cornmeal, salt, honey and yeast to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
  • Add in water and 3 tbsp melted butter and mix on low until combined, 1-2 minutes.
  • Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough until it is glossy and pulls aways from the sides of the bowl, 5 minutes.
  • Coat a large bowl with olive oil and add the dough ball to the bowl turning to coat the dough ball in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until doubled, about 60 minutes or so.

Laminating the dough:

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat two 9 inch cake pans with olive oil, set aside.
  • Roll dough onto a dry work surface and roll into a 15 x 12 inch rectangle. Spread with 4 tbsp softened butter.
  • Starting at the shortest end roll up dough into a cylinder. With the seam-side down, flatten the dough into a 18 by 4-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half. Working with one half at a time, fold the dough into thirds like a business letter. Pinch the seams together to form a dough ball. Repeat with the remaining dough ball then transfer both balls of dough to the oiled bowl. Cover and let rise this time in the refrigerator to 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Easy Tomato Sauce:

  • Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
  • Add in onions and saute until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
  • Stir in the crushed tomatoes and spices and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble / Bake:

  • Transfer 1 dough ball on a dry work surface at a time and roll into a 13 inch disk. Transfer it to the prepared baking pan. Lightly press dough into pan and push dough up the sides about 1 inch.
  • Sprinkle each pizza with 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1 1/4 cup sauce and 2 tbsp parmesan.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
  • Allow pizza to rest for 10 minutes before removing from pan and slicing.

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 649mg | Potassium: 298mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 631IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 245mg | Iron: 3mg

 

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