Homemade Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza Recipe

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup yellow cornmeal
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 ¼ cups room temperature water
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon + 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

For the Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup grated onion
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the Toppings:

• 1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)
• (Optional: Pepperoni or other toppings)
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Prepare the Dough:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast.
2. Add water and melted butter. Mix on low speed with a dough hook until fully combined (1-2 minutes), occasionally scraping the bowl.
3. Increase speed to medium and knead until the dough is glossy, smooth, and pulls away from the bowl sides (4-5 minutes). This can also be done by hand.
4. Coat a large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl using a greased spatula, turning to coat with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume (45-60 minutes).

Prepare the Sauce:

1. While the dough rises, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add onion, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and the onion is golden brown (about 5 minutes).
3. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Stir in tomatoes and sugar. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer, then reduce to medium-low and simmer until reduced to about 2½ cups (25-30 minutes).
4. Off the heat, stir in basil and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Laminate the Dough:

1. Turn the dough onto a dry work surface and roll into a 15×12-inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over the dough surface, leaving a ½-inch border.
2. Starting at the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. With the seam side down, flatten the cylinder into an 18×4-inch rectangle.
3. Cut the rectangle in half crosswise. Fold each half into thirds like a business letter, pinch seams to form a ball, and return to the oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator until nearly doubled (40-50 minutes).
4. Preheat the oven to 425°F and adjust the oven rack to the lower position.

Bake the Pizzas:

1. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons of olive oil each.
2. Roll one dough ball into a 13-inch circle on a dry work surface. Transfer to the pan by loosely rolling the dough around a rolling pin and unrolling it into the pan.
3. Press dough lightly into the pan, working into corners and 1-inch up the sides. If it resists, let it relax for 5 minutes and try again. Repeat with the second dough ball.
4. For each pizza, sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella evenly over the dough. Add any meat or veggie toppings at this stage.
5. Spread 1¼ cups of tomato sauce over the cheese (or toppings) and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the sauce. Bake until the crust is golden brown (20-30 minutes).
6. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy your delicious homemade Chicago style deep dish pizza!