Alright, confession time. I’ve been to Chicago twice and both times I ate deep dish pizza until I thought I’d explode. Worth it. When I got home, I couldn’t stop thinking about that thick, buttery crust and all that melty cheese buried under a mountain of tomato sauce.

So I did what any reasonable person would do – spent three weekends trying to recreate it in my kitchen. This is the recipe that finally cracked the code.

What Makes This Pizza Different

If you’ve never had Chicago deep dish, here’s what you need to know – it’s not regular pizza. Not even close.

First off, the crust is wild. It’s got cornmeal in it which gives it this slightly crunchy texture. But here’s the crazy part – you actually fold butter into the dough like you’re making croissants. Sounds insane, I know. But that’s what makes it taste like the real thing. All flaky and buttery and absolutely ridiculous.

The whole pizza is backwards too. Cheese goes on the bottom, then your toppings, then the sauce gets piled on top. First time I made it I almost put the sauce on first out of habit. Good thing I caught myself.

Oh, and you eat it with a fork. Has to be. I tried picking up a slice once and cheese went everywhere. My dog was thrilled. My shirt was ruined.

What You’re Gonna Need

For the crust:

• All-purpose flour and yellow cornmeal
• Instant yeast (one of those little packets)
• Sugar, salt, warm water
• Half a stick of butter melted, another half stick softened
• Olive oil for coating things

For that sauce:

• Butter (noticing a theme here?)
• One small onion you’re gonna grate
• Can of crushed tomatoes (the 28-ounce one)
• Garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes if you like heat
• Bit of sugar and salt

For the toppings:

• About a pound of mozzarella, shredded
• Parmesan cheese
• Whatever else you want – I do pepperoni and bacon because that’s what my family likes

You’ll also need two 9-inch cake pans. The deep ones, not the regular kind. I didn’t have these at first and tried using regular pans. Disaster. Just get the right pans.

Making the Crust (This is Wild)

Mix your flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in a big bowl. If you’ve got a stand mixer, use that. If not, get ready for an arm workout.

Pour in your warm water and that melted butter. Not hot water – just warm, like bath water. Beat it all together until it comes together into dough. Takes maybe 5 minutes. Should be soft and pull away from the bowl.

Form it into a ball, stick it in an oiled bowl, cover it up, and let it hang out somewhere warm for an hour or two. It’ll puff up real nice.

Here’s where it gets weird. Roll that dough out into a big rectangle on a floured counter. Spread your softened butter all over it. Then roll it up like a sleeping bag. Cut that log in half, form each piece into a ball, and stick them back in your bowl. Cover and put them in the fridge – not somewhere warm this time – for an hour.

I know it seems backwards. Trust the process.

The Sauce (My Favorite Part)

While your dough is chilling, make the sauce.

Melt some butter in a pot. Grate your onion right into it – yeah, grate it like cheese. Let that cook for about 5 minutes.

Throw in your garlic, the whole can of tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, sugar, and salt. Turn the heat down low and let it simmer for like 30 minutes. You want it thick and smelling incredible.

This sauce is weirdly sweet compared to regular pizza sauce. That’s the Chicago thing. First time I made it I thought I did something wrong. Nope, it’s supposed to be like that.

Putting It All Together

Crank your oven to 425 degrees.

Take one of those dough balls from the fridge (leave the other one in there). Roll it out into a 12-inch circle. Lay it in your cake pan and press it down into the corners. Cut off any extra dough hanging over the edges.

Now here’s the order – and don’t mess this up or you’ll regret it:

Cheese first. Like 2 cups of it per pizza.

Then your toppings. Pepperoni, bacon, whatever you’re into.

Then dump about a cup and a quarter of that sauce right on top of everything.

Sprinkle some parmesan over the whole thing.

Stick both pans on a baking sheet (in case anything bubbles over) and bake for about 25 minutes. Check on them around 15 minutes – if the crust is browning too fast, cover them with foil.

Pull them out when the crust looks golden and gorgeous. Let them sit in the pans for 10 minutes before you try to cut them. Otherwise you’ll have a molten cheese explosion situation.

Things I Learned the Hard Way

The butter folding thing isn’t optional. First time I made this I skipped it because it seemed like too much work. The crust was fine but it wasn’t right. Wasn’t flaky. Wasn’t buttery enough. Do the butter folding.

Don’t rush the sauce. Let it simmer the full 30 minutes. I tried cutting it short once and the sauce was too watery and bland.

Use real mozzarella. Shred it yourself from a block. The pre-shredded stuff has coating on it that makes it weird. Fresh mozzarella is ten times better.

These are filling. One pizza feeds two hungry adults. Maybe three if you’ve got sides. Don’t try to eat a whole one yourself unless you want to be horizontal for the rest of the day.

Making It Your Own

I stick with pepperoni and bacon because that’s what everyone in my house agrees on. But you can do whatever.

Sausage is classic Chicago-style. Just cook it first and crumble it up.

My friend adds green peppers and onions. Not my thing but she loves it.

You can even do just cheese if you’re feeding picky kids.

Planning Ahead

The dough can hang out in the fridge for a full day after you make it. Just punch it down before you roll it out.

You can freeze the dough balls too. Wrap them good, freeze for up to 2 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight then bring to room temp for an hour before using.

The sauce keeps in the fridge for a couple days or freezes great.

Leftovers reheat pretty well in a 300-degree oven for about 20 minutes. Don’t microwave them – the crust gets weird.

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Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

I’ve been to Chicago twice and both times I ate deep dish pizza until I thought I’d explode. Worth it. When I got home, I couldn’t stop thinking about that thick, buttery crust and all that melty cheese buried under a mountain of tomato sauce.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 4hours hrs

Cook Time: 30minutes mins

Total Time: 4hours hrs 30minutes mins

 Servings: 2

Ingredients

Pizza Crust (makes 2 pizzas):

• 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup yellow cornmeal
• 1¼ tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  
• 2¼ tsp instant yeast 1 packet
• 1¼ cups warm water
• ½ cup unsalted butter ¼ cup melted, ¼ cup softened
• Olive oil for coating

Tomato Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 small onion grated
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
• 3 garlic cloves minced
  
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• ¼ tsp granulated sugar

Toppings:

• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ½ cup sliced pepperoni optional
• 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled (optional)

Get Ingredients

Instructions

Make the Crust:

• In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast. Mix briefly.
• Add warm water (about 90°F) and ¼ cup melted butter. Mix on low speed or by hand until dough comes together and becomes soft and pulls away from the bowl, about 4-5 minutes. Add 1 tsp water if too stiff or 1 Tbsp flour if too sticky.
• Form dough into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with foil and let rise in a warm spot for 1-2 hours until doubled.
• Punch down dough and roll into a 15×12-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Spread ¼ cup softened butter over the dough. Roll up lengthwise and cut in half. Form each piece into a ball, return to greased bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Make the Sauce:

• Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add grated onion, salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook 5 minutes until onion browns slightly.
• Add garlic, crushed tomatoes, and sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes until thick and fragrant. Set aside to cool.

Assemble the Pizzas:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Roll one dough ball into a 12-inch circle. Press into a 9×2-inch cake pan, fitting it snugly and trimming excess. Repeat with second dough ball. Brush top edges with olive oil.
• Layer each pizza: 2 cups mozzarella cheese on bottom, then toppings, then 1¼ cups sauce, then ¼ cup parmesan.
• Place both pans on a baking sheet. Bake 20-28 minutes until crust is golden brown. Cover loosely with foil after 15 minutes if browning too quickly.
• Let cool in pans for 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

• You need two 9×2-inch deep dish cake pans or 9-inch springform pans
• Don’t skip the butter lamination step – it makes the crust flaky
• Can use any instant or active dry yeast
• Dough can be refrigerated up to 1 day or frozen up to 2 months
• Sauce can be made 2 days ahead or frozen up to 2 months
• Leftovers keep 5 days refrigerated; reheat at 300°F for 15-20 minutes

Nutrition (per serving, 1/4 of one pizza)

Calories: 420 | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 685mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g