Chicago Style Pizza Recipe
Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

This Chicago style pizza recipe was inspired by Emeril and is simple and delicious. Try this deep dish pizza recipe for yourself. It's awesome!

This Chicago style pizza speaks to my heart. I love lots of dough and tomato-y goodness, and this recipe has both. Chicago style is known for its deep dish dough and lots of cheese, meat and tomato to fill it up and make it a savory piece of heaven.

This is a Chicago style pizza recipe I adapted from Emeril Lagasse. It's quite delicious. I will put his ingredients below and also show you how I altered it a bit (I'm quite sure his version would be even better). The ingredient list may seem long, but it's all simple stuff that you most likely have in your pantry. Enjoy!

Start this recipe off with a Chicago deep dish pizza crust (repeated below).

Crust Ingredients

• 1 packet active yeast  
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose bread flour, (Emeril uses 3-1/2 cups all-purpose and 1/2 cup semolina flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (plus a tsp of olive oil for the bowl)
  Butter-flavored Pam cooking spray (for greasing pan - or you can use olive oil)

Chicago Deep Dish Crust Directions

(See sauce directions below). (This Chicago style pizza recipe makes 2 deep dish pizzas.)

Combine the yeast, water and sugar in a large bowl and stir. Let the mixture sit for about 3-5 minutes or until it gets bubbly and foamy.

Add 2 cups of flour (or 1-1/2 of all-purpose and 1/2 of the semolina if you are using it), 1/2 cup of oil and salt. Emeril says to mix by hand, but I used my Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook to mix it up. Mix until it's smooth. Continue to add the flour; 1/4 cup at a time, mixing the dough after each flour addition, until all the flour is in and the dough is still slightly sticky.

Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead it with the palm of your hand for about 3-5 minutes. The dough should be smooth but still slightly tacky.

Oil a large mixing bowl with vegetable oil (I'm sure olive oil would work too). Rub the olive all over the sides of bowl to coat it.

Place dough in the oiled bowl, flipping it once to coat all sides.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for about 1 hour - or until the dough has doubled in size.

*While the dough is rising make your sauce recipe, which is below.

You want to start your sauce pretty early in the process because it will need time to cool before pouring into the dough.

Also, preheat the oven 475 degrees.

(after about 1 hour)

Divide dough into two equal portions. You can make two Chicago style pizza recipe or place 1/2 of the dough in an oiled Ziploc bag and put in the fridge or freezer for another day.

Spray a deep dish pan with Butter-flavored Pam cooking spray (you can use oil, but I wanted to have a buttery flavored crust and the Pam worked great).

Take 1/2 the dough mixture and press into a deep dish pizza pan. Press or stretch the sides up about 1/2 - 2 inches.

Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes after you pressed it into the pan.

At this point hopefully your sauce (see below) has cooled and you've browned your Italian sausage so you're ready to fill the pie.

Filling for your Chicago Style Pizza Recipe

Slice up a ball of fresh mozzarella and place on dough (yes, we are starting with the cheese!).

Place your Italian sausage, peppers, onion and pepperoni on top of the mozzarella.

Great fillings for a Chicago style pizza recipe

• Italian sausage
• fresh mozzarella
• sliced mushrooms
• sliced pepperoni
• green peppers
• thinly sliced yellow onion

Pour your sauce over the meat and veggies and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Because my pan was a little on the small size (too small really), my pie was pretty full. I placed it on a broiler pan (or you can use your pizza stone) to prevent the sauce from spilling over into the oven.

Bake for about 15-25 minutes or until the crust is nice and golden brown. The first time I made this I took the pie out after 10 minutes because the crust was golden, but it was a tad underdone.

This Chicago style pizza recipe actually past the test with my husband who is a pretty picky pizza eater. It tastes similar to what you would find at Old Chicago Pizza.

Chicago Deep Dish Sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 gloves (or 1 tablespoon) minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil (I used 1 tsp dry basil)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (I only had dried oregano on hand - used about 1 tsp)
• 1/4 fennel seeds (I didn't use - but Emeril recommends)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chili or red pepper flakes
• 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes (Emeril used plum tomatoes, I used canned crushed roma)
• 1 tablespoon dry red wine
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Heat olive oil in medium saucepan and add garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds. Add the herbs, seasonings, salt, pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes, wine and sugar and bring to a boil (*note: I didn't use the wine, but I did add a tablespoon of vinegar and it was quite good).

Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely before pouring into dough.

Enjoy this Chicago style pizza recipe!

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