Make a Chicago deep dish pizza at home, in a skillet and with just 6 ingredients (pantry staples)! Skip the takeaway this pizza night and serve up this delicious and easy to make pizza.
Pizza night is always something we look forward to, but this week I decided to ditch the takeout and serve up this homemade deep dish pizza for dinner instead. Super easy to make, and spoiler alert, it was a huge hit!
How To Make Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza
Be sure to scroll down to get the full recipe!
Prep: Brush the skillet with olive oil and roll the frozen bread dough in it to cover it. Let the dough thaw at room temperature. Pre heat the oven.
Make: Place the thawed dough in the skillet and stretch and press it into the skillet. Pour the tomatoes over the dough and top with the cheese.
Bake: Bake the pizza in the pre heated oven until the top is golden brown.
Serve: Sprinkle with fresh basil. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Skillet Pizza Recipe
Making this pizza in a skillet makes this recipe so easy and it’s a great way of getting that Chicago deep dish at home. I kept this pizza simple and vegetarian, but feel free to add on some sausage or pepperoni if you fancy!
Tip: This is the time to pull out that cast iron skillet! This pizza bakes so beautifully in cast iron, and the seasoning of the skillet keeps it from sticking.
Pizza With Pre-Made Dough
By using frozen bread dough (I use Rhodes) you take the hassle out of making a tasty homemade pizza. The bread dough works so well to make that wonderfully doughy crust and because it is cooked in a skillet the bottom gets wonderfully crispy.
Can you make it ahead of time?
As with all pizzas, this is best served straight out of the oven, but if you have any leftovers you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3 days. Reheat the pizza in the oven to serve.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- The dough can be thawed at room temperature, 4-5 hours (depending on the temperature of the room) or overnight in the fridge.
- A 13×9-inch casserole dish can be substituted for the cast iron skillet.
- Ensure that the dough is fully thawed before using it.
- If the Chicago deep dish pizza is browning too quickly when it is baking, tent it loosely with some foil.
- Let the pizza sit for 5 minutes before you slice and serve it.
More Pizza Recipes
- Veggie Crescent Roll Pizza
- Pretzel Crust Pizza with Cheese Sauce
- Meat Lovers Breakfast Pizza
- Easy White Sauce Pizza
- Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1 pound loaf frozen bread dough, thawed (Rhodes works well)
- 1 28 ounce can Basil, Oregano Diced Tomatoes
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan Grana Padano or Romano Cheese
- Chopped fresh basil optional
Instructions
- Brush the inside of a 12-inch, well-seasoned, cast-iron skillet with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Place the frozen bread dough in the skillet and roll it around in the olive oil to coat all sides. Cover loosely with sprayed plastic wrap and let the dough thaw, about 4-5 hours, at room temperature.
- Heat oven to 375°F and adjust oven rack to lower-middle position.
- Carefully remove the plastic wrap. Stretch and press the dough onto the bottom and halfway up the sides of the skillet. If the dough isn’t cooperating and staying in-place, it helps to press and stretch it in intervals, giving a few minutes rest in-between stretches.
- Once the dough is in-place, pour the tomatoes evenly over the dough, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the dough and top evenly with the grated Parmesan.
- Bake at 375°F for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the pizza is bubbly from the edges to the middle. If the pizza is browning too quickly, tent loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh basil, if desired.
- Let cool 5-7 minutes, cut and serve.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- The dough can be thawed at room temperature, 4-5 hours (depending on the temperature of the room) or overnight in the fridge.
- A 13×9-inch casserole dish can be substituted for the cast iron skillet.
- Ensure that the dough is fully thawed before using it.
- If the pizza is browning too quickly when it is baking, tent it loosly with some foil.
- Let the pizza sit for 5 minutes before you slice and serve it.
