Deep Dish Chicago Pizza Recipe

A slice of pizza dripping with melted cheese being lifted out of a cast-iron pan holding the rest of the pizza - Hostess At Heart

5 from 1 vote

Deep Dish Chicago Pizza Recipe

Make your own Chicago-style deep dish pizza at home! Our easy recipe starts with a tender crust layered with layers of cheese, sauce, and sausage.

Prep Time 1 10

Cook Time 35

Servings

Author Julie Menghini

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

¾ cup lukewarm water (8 ounces)
1 tbsp instant dry yeast 1 packet
¼ cup cornmeal plus 1 teaspoon
1¼ cups all-purpose flour divided (plus a little extra)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white sugar
1 lb ground sausage
3.5 oz fresh mozzarella sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cups pizza sauce
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together the yeast with the water and let it stand for 5 minutes.
Fit your stand mixer with the dough hook. In the bowl of your stand mixer, stir together 1 cup of the flour and the cornmeal.
Add the olive oil, white sugar and the yeast mixture. Mix together on Stir Speed until mixed and moistened. Add the remaining flour in tiny increments until you achieve a soft dough. It will be slightly sticky. Place in a bowl that has been sprayed liberally with cooking spray. Cover the bowl and allow it to rise for one hour at room temperature.
While the dough is rising, cook the sausage in the 10-inch cast iron skillet on medium heat until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside, reserving approximately 1 teaspoon of the oil in the pan.
Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
Roll the dough out on a floured surface until it is approximately 13 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick.
Lightly dust the oiled pan with the teaspoon of cornmeal.
Fit the dough into the prepared pan pressing it lightly to form it. Be sure it reaches the rim of the pan but does not extend past it.
Place a layer of the mozzarella directly over the dough in the bottom of the pan.
Place the cooked sausage directly over the mozzarella.
Pour the pizza sauce over the sausage. It should completely cover the sausage and should reach the top of the dough.
Sprinkle the grated parmesan over the top of the pizza.
Bake for 20 minutes and check it. If the crust starts to get a little dark, cover loosely with tin foil and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing with a sharp knife.
Enjoy hot!

Notes

You can use the same skillet to brown your sausage and bake the pizza.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It is best to reheat it in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or in the air fryer on medium heat for 10 minutes. This will maintain its crispness in the crust.
This pizza can be frozen prior to baking. Assemble the pizza and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Allow the pizza to thaw out completely on the counter before baking.

Nutrition

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

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