If you like making homemade pizza, you’re gonna LOVE making homemade Chicago style deep dish pizza.

This handmade pizza with it’s thick, flaky, buttery layered crust is loaded with a bold interior of cheese and delicious garlicy sauce that will knock your socks off. Fork required!

In all my pizza making adventures, I gotta say, this recipe is my absolute favorite because of that crazy layered crust. Though it does take a double rise, which requires a bit more time, it’s totally worth the effort. If there ever was a pizza that bragged on every single bite, this is the one.

To get started, here’s what you’ll need: 2 9-inch cake pans, some all purpose flour, salt, sugar, fast-rise yeast, fine ground cornmeal, room temperature water and melted butter. Have some olive oil ready to coat the dough once it’s mixed. You’ll also need some room temperature butter.

Place the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.

Once your dough comes together and clears the sides, you’ll drizzle some olive oil on and turn to coat

Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size. (about 1 hour)

Once your dough has doubled, it’s time to break out the rolling pen.

Roll the dough out and shape it into a rectangle. (15″ x 12″) Spread the room temperature butter over the dough, leaving about 1 inch around clear.

Roll the dough into a jellyroll, pinching the ends and seam.

Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a ball. Tuck the edges underneath and pinch to seal the bottom. Place the halves back in the bowl and allow them to rise once again until doubled. (about 1 hour)

While you’re waiting on that second rise, make your sauce. For the sauce, you’ll need: butter, anchovy paste, onion (grated), garlic (minced), oregano, salt, sugar and crushed tomatoes.

Place a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the anchovy paste and cook for a minute.

Add the onions and cook until softened.

Add the garlic and cook a minute more.

Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Set the sauce aside until needed.

After your dough has gone through it’s second rise, it’s time to preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Roll the dough balls out to 13 inch rounds. Brush your cake pans generously with olive oil. Place the dough into each pan and form the edges 3/4 the way up the sides of the pan, pressing the bottom in.

Pour 2 cups of mozzarella cheese into each pan.

Spread one cup of sauce over each pie. Top them off with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

Allow the pizzas to cool at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Is your fork ready?

It’s only 9am here in Kentucky and as I’m writing this post, I’m looking at that picture, wanting a bite of that pizza! You know what’s gonna be on this weeks’ menu in the Happy Belly Foodie household? Yep, Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza!

Friends, if you love homemade pizza you’ll definitely have to give this Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza a try. It’s SO good! And, it’s fun to make.

Have a great day and as always, keep it delicious!

Much love, Connie

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

Connie Taylor

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Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 2 9-inch pizzas

Ingredients

Deep Dish Dough:
3 1/4 C all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 C fine ground cornmeal
1 1/4 C room temperature water
3 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 C butter room temperature
4 C shredded Mozzarella cheese divided
2 C pizza sauce divided
1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
Olive oil for brushing the pans
Sauce:
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp anchovy paste
1/4 C grated onion
1 clove garlic minced fine
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

Instructions

Deep Dish Dough:
Place all ingredients except the olive oil and the 1/4 cup room temperature butter in a 5 quart stand mixer bowl. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low until the dough just comes together. Scrape down sides if needed.
Turn the speed up to medium until the dough is smooth and clears the sides.
Drizzle olive oil over dough and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft free place for 1 hour. (an unheated oven is ideal)
On an un-floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle (15 inch x 12 inch) with a rolling pen.
Spread the 1/4 cup butter over the dough, leaving the outer edge free of butter.
Roll the dough into a jellyroll length wise. Pinch the ends and flatten with the rolling pen.
Cut in half with a knife.
Pinch the edges of each piece to seal and form dough balls with each.
Place the dough balls back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Let the dough rise a second time for an hour in the refrigerator.
Once the dough has finished with the second rise heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Carefully roll the dough into 13 inch rounds.
Brush the inside of two 9-inch cake pans with olive oil to coat the bottom and sides.
Press the dough into each pan, bringing it about 3/4 the way up the sides.
Spread 2 cups of mozzarella into each pie. Pour 1 cup of sauce over each pie.
Sprinkle 1/2 the Parmesan over each pie.
Place the pizzas on the middle rack in the oven. Bake 30 minutes.
Allow the pizzas to rest for 10 minutes after removing from the oven.
Slice and serve.
Sauce:
Heat a large, shallow skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the anchovy paste. Add the onion and saute until soft. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer over med/low heat for 30 minutes.