Description
A delicious recipe for Chicago-Style Deep Dish Cheese Pizza, featuring a thick crust, layers of cheese, and a rich tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ¼ tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast
- 1 ½ cups warm water (40–45°C)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup fine cornmeal
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for greasing)
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 500 g (1 lb) low-moisture mozzarella, shredded or sliced
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can (28 oz / 800 g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp red chili flakes (optional)
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- Add flour, cornmeal, salt, and melted butter. Knead until smooth (about 8 minutes).
- Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about 1 hour (until doubled in size).
- Heat olive oil in a pan. Sauté onion until soft, then add garlic.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20–30 minutes until thickened.
- Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Grease a 9-inch deep-dish pan with butter or oil.
- Roll out dough and press it into the pan, letting it climb up the sides.
- Layer mozzarella evenly at the bottom. Sprinkle Parmesan, oregano, and basil.
- Spoon the tomato sauce generously over the cheese layer. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes until the crust is golden and cheese is bubbling.
- Let rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing — this keeps the cheese from spilling out.
Notes
- For a spicier pizza, add more red chili flakes.
- Let the pizza cool slightly before slicing to maintain the cheese structure.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 40mg