Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza
Casserole-tall, knife-and-fork pizza. Different beast from NY.
Why this dish belongs to Chicago
Chicago deep-dish was invented at Pizzeria Uno (now Uno Pizzeria & Grill) in 1943 by Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo. The dish is structurally a casserole more than a pizza: 2-inch-tall layered creation with a buttery cornmeal-flour crust, mozzarella cheese pressed against the dough (not on top), fillings (sausage and vegetables), and chunky tomato sauce on TOP — the inverted layering keeps the cheese from burning during the long 30-minute bake. The technique evolved from the deep-dish styles common in Italian-American immigrant cooking. Lou Malnati's, Giordano's (which makes 'stuffed' pizza, a related but distinct style), Pequod's (caramelized cheese crust), and Gino's East are the canonical Chicago deep-dish institutions. Chicago has a separate 'tavern-style' (thin and crispy, square cut) which most locals actually eat more often, but deep-dish is what Chicago is famous for nationally. The home version requires a deep cake pan or specifically a deep-dish pizza pan, plus 30 minutes baking. It's a special-event pizza, not a weeknight one.
Method · 12 steps
- 1
Make the dough: combine flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in a stand mixer bowl. With dough hook on low, add warm water and oil. Mix 6–8 minutes until smooth. Dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
- 2
Cover and rise 60–90 minutes until doubled.
- 3
While dough rises, make sauce: hand-crush drained tomatoes in a bowl. Stir in salt, sugar, oregano, basil, garlic powder. Don't cook the sauce — it goes on raw.
- 4
Brown sausage: cook crumbled sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat for 8 minutes until cooked through and browned. Remove with slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.
- 5
In the same pan, sauté onion and bell pepper for 4 minutes until softened. Set aside.
- 6
Preheat oven to 425°F.
- 7
Grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet or 10-inch deep-dish pizza pan generously with olive oil — about 1/4 cup, especially the sides. Yes, that much.
- 8
Punch down dough. Press into the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the oiled pan. The dough should be about 1/2 inch thick on bottom and sides.
- 9
Layer the pizza FROM BOTTOM TO TOP: (1) Sliced mozzarella covers the entire bottom. (2) Crumbled sausage and sautéed vegetables. (3) Pour the tomato sauce over the toppings — about 2 cups total. (4) Sprinkle Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- 10
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top.
- 11
Bake at 425°F for 30–35 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
- 12
Rest 10 minutes before slicing — the structure firms up. Cut into 6 wedges. Serve hot, with a knife and fork.
Chef's notes
- →The cornmeal in the crust is non-negotiable for Chicago-style. It gives the buttery, slightly grainy texture that makes deep-dish different from regular pizza dough.
- →Use sliced (not shredded) mozzarella. Sliced creates a moisture barrier between the dough and sauce. Shredded melts faster and the texture is wrong.
- →Sauce goes ON TOP, not between cheese and dough. This is the inverted Chicago layering. Putting sauce on the dough first = soggy bottom.
- →Cast iron skillet works perfectly. A 12-inch skillet makes a slightly bigger pizza than a true deep-dish pan but the technique is identical.
- →Don't skip resting after baking. The pizza is structurally a casserole — needs time to set or it falls apart.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat in 350°F oven for 12 minutes (covered loosely with foil so the top doesn't burn). Microwave makes the bottom soggy. Freezes well — wrap individual slices.
Frequently asked
- Why is sauce on top of the cheese?
- Two reasons: (1) The mozzarella shields the toppings from the long 30-minute bake at 425°F, preventing burnt sausage and dried-out vegetables. (2) The sauce on top doesn't sit directly on the dough, preventing a soggy bottom. The inverted layering is structurally engineered for the long bake.
- Deep-dish vs stuffed pizza?
- Deep-dish (Lou Malnati's-style): one layer of crust, fillings, sauce on top. Stuffed (Giordano's-style): two layers of crust with a thin top layer covering all the cheese and meat, then sauce on top of that crust. Stuffed has more dough; deep-dish has less. Both Chicago specialties.
- Can I make deep-dish in a regular pizza pan?
- Probably not — too shallow. The 'deep' in deep-dish refers to the 2-inch tall cake-like construction. Use a cast iron skillet (12-inch), a deep cake pan, or a dedicated deep-dish pan. Regular pizza pans are too thin (1/4 inch).
- Why does Chicago deep-dish take so long to bake?
- 30 minutes at 425°F is needed to cook through the thick crust and the layered fillings. NY-style pizza bakes in 8 minutes at 700°F because it's thin. Deep-dish is essentially a casserole; it needs casserole bake times.
- Is tavern-style or deep-dish more popular in Chicago?
- Tavern-style (thin, crispy, cut into squares — Vito & Nick's, Marie's Pizza) is what Chicago locals eat more often for casual meals. Deep-dish is for Friday night out, tourist visits, or when you want to celebrate. Both are Chicago. Tourists know deep-dish; locals split their pizza loyalties.
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