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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.
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