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Chicago deep-dish pizza
Mix the flour, cornmeal, yeast, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the warm water, 60 g melted butter and 2 tbsp olive oil and knead for four to five minutes until smooth. Keep the kneading short; this crust should be tender, not chewy. Cover and leave to rise for an hour to an hour and a half, until doubled.
Questions about this dish
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Chicago deep-dish pizza take?
3 hr 25 min all in — 40 min prep, 35 min cook, 2 hr 10 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 8 slices. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Nut-free.
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What does it cost to cook?
A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Mixing bowl, Rolling pin, Frying pan, Oven, Kitchen scale.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.
How much sugar?
1 tsp of Sugar.
How much sugar?
1 pinch of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
30 cm cast-iron pan → A 25 cm deep cake tin or springform. Oil it well and bake it on a preheated baking tray; thin metal browns the base less than cast iron. Italian sausage → Sliced pepperoni. Lighter, saltier and spicier. Lay it in overlapping slices over the cheese.
What should I watch for?
The pan handle stays dangerously hot long after it comes out. Wrap it in a cloth.
Any tips from this recipe?
Drain the tomatoes well. A wet sauce soaks into the cheese and the crust goes soggy. For a vegetable version, skip the sausage and layer spinach, green pepper and mushrooms over the cheese, squeezed dry. Reheat leftover slices in a covered dry frying pan over low heat for eight to ten minutes. The bottom crisps again.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Reheat leftover slices in a covered dry frying pan over low heat for eight to ten minutes. The bottom crisps again.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.