Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

By Becky Hardin

Updated Aug 25, 2025

ShareJump to Recipe

I love sinking my teeth into this Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. Thick homemade pizza dough serves as the signature base to a robust sauce made from scratch, gooey mozzarella cheese, and both pepperoni and hearty Italian sausage. I guarantee one slice is sure to fill you up, but that won’t stop you from coming back for more!

Easy Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

When I make Chicago deep dish pizza at home, I always start with pizza dough baked to thick, soft, chewy perfection. Then I layer on a bed of my homemade sauce, plenty of gooey mozzarella, and all the hearty meats I love—it’s comfort food at its best! No wonder this style has been winning hearts since it was first created back in 1943.

What makes Chicago deep dish so special to me is how unmistakable it is—the extra-deep crust, the overload of toppings, and that saucy finish on top. I love how it’s built differently from your average pizza, with the cheese tucked on the bottom, the toppings piled next, then the sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan to seal the deal. Every bite feels like a little celebration.

Tips for Beginners

• Which yeast to use? Active dry yeast helps the dough to rise, but you can also use instant yeast. Be sure to read the instructions on how to use it properly.
• Want a chewier pizza crust? Swap the all-purpose flour for bread flour.
• Check if dough is properly kneaded. Dough should slowly spring back when pressed with one finger. If it springs back too quickly, it is under-kneaded. If it does not spring back at all, it is over-kneaded. 
• Let dough rest. If the dough retracts when you try to stretch it in the pan, cover it and let it rest for a few minutes before trying again.
• Keep sauce thick. Make sure your sauce is nice and thick, otherwise it could leak out of the pizza or cause it to become soggy.

Recipe Card

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

4.67 from 9 votes

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 55 minutes mins

Rest Time: 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total: 3 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Servings: 16 slices

Author: Becky Hardin

Print Rate Pin

Make a classic Chicago-style pizza completely from scratch for the most delicious deep-dish slice you'll ever taste.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Save this recipe!

Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you, plus new recipes weekly!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Name *

Email *

Go

Equipment

• Kitchen Scale (optional, for the dough)
• Stand Mixer
• Rolling Pin
• 2 9-inch Round Cake Pan

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

For the Dough

• ▢ 1½ cups water 341 g, warm (105-110°F)
• ▢ 2¼ tsp active dry yeast 7 g (1 envelope)
• ▢ 1½ tsp granulated sugar 9 g
• ▢ 3½ cups all-purpose flour 420 g
• ▢ ½ cup yellow cornmeal 78 g
• ▢ 1½ tsp kosher salt 5 g
• ▢ 3 tbsp olive oil 38 g, divided
• ▢ 4 tbsp unsalted butter 57 g, room temperature (½ stick)

For the Sauce

• ▢ 1 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ ½ onion finely chopped
• ▢ ½ tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ 1 tsp Italian seasoning store-bought or homemade
• ▢ 28 oz. crushed tomatoes (1 can)
• ▢ 1½ tsp granulated sugar

Meat and cheese:

• ▢ 8 oz. mozzarella cheese shredded (1 block)
• ▢ 6 oz. pepperoni slices (1 package)
• ▢ 1 lb. ground Italian sausage cooked
• ▢ ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Video

Instructions 

For the Dough

• Add the water, yeast, and sugar to a small bowl, and let the yeast bloom for a few minutes.
  1½ cups water, 2¼ tsp active dry yeast, 1½ tsp granulated sugar
• Add the flour, cornmeal, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until combined.
  3½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup yellow cornmeal, 1½ tsp kosher salt
• Add in the yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons oil. Mix on low for a couple of minutes, until the dough comes together.
  3 tbsp olive oil
• Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, toss it in the olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 1½-2 hours, until it has doubled in size.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Roll it out into a 9×12-inch rectangle.
• Spread the butter over the dough. Then, roll the dough up to create a log, seam side down.
  4 tbsp unsalted butter
• Fold the dough into thirds to create a small rectangle.
• Cut the rectangle in half, and shape each piece into a ball.
• Return the balls of dough to the bowl, and let rest in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.

For the Sauce

• While the dough is resting again, add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat.
  1 tbsp olive oil
• Add in the onion, sprinkle with salt, and cook until softened. Add in the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
  ½ onion, ½ tsp kosher salt, 2 cloves garlic
• Stir in the tomato paste and Italian seasoning, then add in the crushed tomatoes and sugar.
  1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 28 oz. crushed tomatoes, 1½ tsp granulated sugar
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Taste, and add salt if needed.

Assembly and Baking

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Generously coat two 9-inch round baking pans with olive oil.
• Firmly press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
• Spread the shredded cheese in an even layer over the crust.
  8 oz. mozzarella cheese
• Top with pepperoni and Italian sausage.
  6 oz. pepperoni slices, 1 lb. ground Italian sausage
• Spread the sauce over the pepperoni and sausage, then sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the sauce. Make sure to layer the pizza as directed, this will help prevent it from becoming soggy.
  ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Repeat for the 2nd crust.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
• Let the pizza rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 403kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 15gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 859mgPotassium: 340mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 321IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 120mgIron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

How to Make Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Step by Step

Activate the yeast: Add the 1½ cups water, 2¼ tsp yeast, and 1½ tsp sugar to a small bowl, and let the yeast bloom for a few minutes.

Make the dough: Add 3½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup yellow cornmeal, and 1½ tsp kosher salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until combined.

Add the yeast mixture and 2 tbsp oil. Mix on low for a couple of minutes, until the dough comes together.

Let dough rest: Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, toss it in the olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 1½-2 hours, until it has doubled in size.

Transfer and roll out dough: Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Roll it out into a 9×12-inch rectangle.

Spread 4 tbsp butter over the dough. Then, roll the dough up to create a log, seam side down.

Fold the dough into thirds to create a small rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half, and shape each piece into a ball.

Return the balls of dough to the bowl, and let rest in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.

Make the sauce: Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat.

Add in ½ onion, sprinkle with ½ tsp salt, and cook until softened. Add 2 cloves garlic, and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste and 1 tsp Italian seasoning, then add 28 oz crushed tomatoes and 1½ tsp sugar.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Taste, and add salt if needed.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Generously coat two 9-inch round baking pans with olive oil.

Prepare the pizza: Firmly press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

Spread 8 oz. of shredded cheese in an even layer over the crust.

Top with 6 oz. pepperoni and 1 lb. Italian sausage.

Spread sauce and bake: Spread the sauce over the pepperoni and sausage, then sprinkle ¼ cup grated Parmesan over the sauce. Make sure to layer the pizza as directed, this will help prevent it from becoming soggy. Repeat for the 2nd crust.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Let the pizza rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Slice and enjoy: Once the pizza has finished resting, slice and enjoy.

Variations on Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

I love the classic combination of pepperoni and sausage, but you can really make this pizza any way you like. Try your hand at some local classics, such as:

• Chicago Fire: spicy sausage, fire roasted red peppers, and red onions.
• Meat Lovers: bacon, Canadian bacon, sausage, and pepperoni.
• Jalapeño Blue: bacon, blue cheese, and sausage, plus jalapeños stuffed with bacon and blue cheese.
• Spinach Margherita: spinach, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil.
• Chi-Talian Stallion: Italian beef, roasted sweet peppers, giardiniera.
• Taco: ground beef, taco seasoning, Mexican cheese blend, beans, onions, and black olives.
• Buffalo Chicken: Buffalo sauce, ranch, blue cheese crumbles, red onion, and Buffalo chicken.
• Hawaiian: Canadian bacon and pineapple.
• Vegetarian: mushroom, onion, and green pepper.

How to Store

You can prepare the dough through step 4 and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours to slowly rise rather than letting it rise on the countertop.

Store leftover Chicago deep dish pizza in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freeze Chicago deep dish pizza whole or cut into individual slices tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a 350°F oven loosely covered with foil for 15-20 minutes, until warmed through.

What to Serve with Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza

There’s no denying that this hearty pizza is a meal all by itself, but I love to serve a pizza shop spread when I make my pizzas. A fresh chopped salad helps to cut through the richness of the pizza for an easy weeknight meal. Or opt for a more classic Caesar salad. For a party or family gathering, sides like Buffalo wings or mozzarella sticks help fill up a large group.

more pizza recipes we love

Meat Lovers Breakfast Pizza (Sheet Pan Breakfast Pizza)

English Muffin Breakfast Pizza

Mexican Pizza Recipe

Air Fryer Pizza