Chicago deep-dish pizza
Thick, buttery crust filled with melted mozzarella, spiced sausage and pepperoni, topped with chunky tomato sauce — proper comfort pizza.
This is the big, indulgent Chicago deep-dish pizza you make when you want pizza to be an event. The dough is rich and sturdy so it can cradle a mountain of cheese, sausage and pepperoni with a ladleful of chunky tomato sauce on top.
It takes a little time — mostly waiting while the dough proves — but the technique is straightforward. Perfect for a weekend supper when you want something robust, shareable and unapologetically comforting.
Ingredients
- 400 g strong white bread flour
- 50 g fine semolina — adds crispness to the base
- 10 g fine sea salt
- 5 g fast-action dried yeast — one sachet
- 10 g caster sugar
- 260 ml lukewarm water
- 55 ml olive oil — 40 ml for dough, 15 ml for greasing
- 400 g tinned plum tomatoes
- 30 g tomato purée
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 1 brown onion — medium, finely chopped
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 5 ml dried basil
- 350 g grated mozzarella
- 50 g grated Parmesan
- 120 g pepperoni slices
- 300 g Italian sausage meat — removed from skins if necessary
- 1 green pepper — thinly sliced
- 10 g fresh basil leaves — to garnish
- freshly ground black pepper — to taste
Equipment
- 23 cm round deep cake tin (about 4 cm deep) or deep-dish tin
- stand mixer with dough hook (optional)
- rolling pin or hands for pressing dough
- frying pan
Instructions
Make the dough: in a large bowl combine the strong white bread flour, fine semolina and fine sea salt. In a separate jug mix the fast-action dried yeast, caster sugar and lukewarm water; leave 1 minute. Add the yeast mix and 40 ml olive oil to the dry ingredients and mix until a rough dough forms. Knead by hand for 8–10 minutes (or 6–8 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook) until smooth and elastic.
Bulk prove the dough: shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film or a clean tea towel and leave in a warm spot to double in size.
Meanwhile make the chunky tomato sauce: heat 15 ml olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the brown onion and cook for 5–7 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in the tinned plum tomatoes and break them up with a spoon, add the tomato purée, dried oregano, dried basil, a pinch of fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes until thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Cook the sausage: heat a little olive oil in a frying pan, add the Italian sausage meat and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking up any lumps, until browned and cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Turn out the proved dough onto a lightly floured surface, knock back gently and leave to rest for 30 minutes to relax the gluten — this makes it much easier to stretch into the tin.
Prepare the tin and shape the base: preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Generously oil a 23 cm round deep cake tin (about 4 cm deep) with the remaining olive oil. Dust the work surface with a little strong white bread flour, flatten the dough into a disc and press it into the tin, pushing it up the sides to form a high rim. The base should be about 0.5–1 cm thick and edge a touch thicker.
Assemble the pizza: scatter most of the grated mozzarella evenly over the dough base, followed by the cooked Italian sausage, pepperoni slices and sliced green pepper. Spoon the chunky tomato sauce on top so it covers the toppings. Finish with the remaining grated mozzarella and all the grated Parmesan.
Bake the pizza on the middle shelf for 30–35 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
Rest, unmould and serve: remove from the oven and leave to rest in the tin for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, invert or lift out if using a loose-base tin, garnish with fresh basil leaves, slice into 4 thick wedges and serve.
Tips
- Use fine semolina on the base (mixed into the dough) to give the crust a slightly crisp texture that contrasts with the soft interior.
- Proof the dough in a warm, draught-free place; if your kitchen is cool, the oven with the light on makes a cosy proving spot.
- Layer cheese beneath the sauce to stop the base going soggy — mozzarella first, sauce on top, parmesan to finish.
- If the rim browns too fast, tent with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking so the centre cooks through without burning the edge.
- Make ahead: prepare the sauce a day in advance and refrigerate; it develops better flavour and saves time on the day.
Substitutions
Italian sausage meat → 400 g chestnut mushrooms, sliced and fried until browned
Noticeably differentpepperoni slices → 120 g thinly sliced cooked ham
Stays closegrated mozzarella → 300 g mix of mozzarella and cheddar
Stays closefine semolina → 50 g polenta (coarser texture)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 1221
- Calories
- 53 g
- Protein
- 99 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 1400 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes — after the initial mix, cover and refrigerate the dough overnight. Bring it back to room temperature for 1 hour before shaping.
My base was soggy — how can I avoid that?
Be sure to layer cheese on the base before adding sauce; cook a thicker, well-reduced sauce and avoid overly wet toppings.
Can I use a standard pizza stone instead of a deep tin?
No — deep-dish needs high sides. Use a 23 cm round deep cake tin (4 cm deep) or a purpose-made deep-dish tin.
How do I know when it's cooked through?
The crust should be evenly deep golden and the tomato sauce should be bubbling in the centre. Tent with foil if edges brown before the middle is done.
Community Photos
No photos yet
Be the first to share your creation!