Authentic Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Dough | Easy Homemade Recipe
Alright pizza fans, gather ’round because today we’re diving deep (pun totally intended) into the real star of Chicago deep dish pizza – that incredible crust. Sure, everyone gets excited about the towers of cheese and chunky sauce, but let me tell you something: without this buttery, flaky, cornmeal-kissed dough, you’ve just got a fancy cheese casserole. This Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Dough recipe is the real deal.
This is part of my new series Taste the Nation where week by week, I’ll explore the foods and flavors of America and recreate the most popular recipes from all 50 states.
Why This Dough is Different
First off, forget everything you know about regular pizza dough. Chicago deep dish pizza dough is basically what happens when a pie crust and a pizza dough have a beautiful baby. It’s rich, it’s tender, and it’s got this incredible flaky thing going on that’ll make you forget all about that thin, floppy stuff.
And that yellow color? That’s from our secret weapon: cornmeal. Being that this recipe is from Illinois (hello, corn capital!), this makes total sense. The cornmeal adds this subtle crunch and nutty flavor that’s just… delightful!
Let’s Gather Up the Ingredients
Organizing all of your ingredients ahead of time not only streamlines the cooking process but also ensures you have everything required to complete the dish successfully. You can find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.
Here’s what you’ll need to make two 9-inch or one 14-inch deep dish crust:
- All-purpose flour (just the regular stuff from the grocery store)
- Yellow cornmeal (don’t skip this!)
- Kosher salt
- Sugar
- Active Dry yeast (one packet)
- Warm water
- Butter, melted
- Butter, softened (yes, more butter – trust me)
- Olive oil
Now Let’s Get Cooking
Here’s where I’m going to get real with you about making this dough. It’s not hard, but there are some tricks:
- Bloom the yeast: Combine water, sugar, and yeast into the bowl of your Stand Mixer. Give it a stir and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can do this by hand. You will just need a large bowl and some elbow grease. I can’t imagine life without my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. It was one of the appliances I refused to give up even when we moved into the RV full-time.
- The Mix: Add the flour, cornmeal, salt, melted butter, and olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- The Knead: This is where the magic starts. Knead it for about 7-10 minutes by hand (or 5-7 in a stand mixer). You’re looking for smooth and elastic, not sticky. It should feel rich and a bit heavier than regular pizza dough.
- The Rise: Let it hang out in a greased bowl for an hour. It should puff up nicely, but don’t expect it to double like crazy – all that butter and cornmeal makes it a bit more modest in the rising department.
- The Secret Step: Here’s the game-changer – lamination. Roll out the dough, spread it with soft butter (like you’re making cinnamon rolls), and roll it up. If you are making two pizzas, cut the log of dough in half and then roll the two halves into balls. Otherwise, just roll the whole thing up. Put it back in the bowl and let it rise in the fridge while you make the sauce. This step creates those heavenly flaky layers that make Chicago deep dish legendary.
Common Dough Disasters (And How to Avoid Them)
Listen, I’ve messed this up enough times to know:
- If your dough is too sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time. Too dry? A few drops of water. You want it soft but not sticky.
- Cold dough is your enemy. If it’s fighting back when you roll it, let it warm up for 15 minutes.
- Don’t rush the rise. The dough needs that time to develop flavor.
Can you freeze this dough?
Yes! And future-you will be so grateful. After the first rise, punch it down, wrap it tight in plastic, then stick it in an airtight freezer bag, and pop it in the freezer. It’ll keep for 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge when pizza cravings hit.
One Last Thing
Remember: this dough needs to be treated with respect. It’s not your throw-together pizza dough – it’s more like a pastry. Take your time with it. The result should be a crust that’s crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and sturdy enough to hold up to whatever toppings you throw at it (and Chicago deep dish gets LOADED).
When you cut into that first slice and see those flaky layers, you’ll understand why Chicago deep dish is so different.
Next week we’ll talk about what goes ON the Chicago Deep Dish Pizza dough, but honestly? This crust is so good, you might be tempted to just bake it and eat it on its own. (No judgment here!)
Tip for success: Keep your dough warm while working with it, but keep your butter cool. Warm dough + cool butter = maximum flakiness.
If you are enjoying my Taste the Nation series, explore more of the iconic recipes I have recreated from around the United States.
- Tennessee– “KFC” Nashville Hot Chicken Recipe
- Connecticut– The Best White Clam Pizza | New Haven Style
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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As always, I will be back next week with more delicious recipes from my RV kitchen to yours!
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Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Dough
Equipment
- Kitchen aid mixer w/ dough hook attachment optional
- 2 9-inch deep pans or 1 14-inch deep pan You can use a cast iron skillet, spring from pan, or cake pan
Ingredients
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast 1 packet
- 1¼ cups warm water 110-115°F
- 3 tablespoons butter melted. Be sure to let the melted butter cool for at least 5 minutes before adding it to the yeast mixture so that you don't kill the yeast.
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Combine 1¼ cups water,2 tsp sugar, and 2¼ tsp yeast into the bowl of your stand mixer. Give it a stir and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes (see note below).
- Add 3¼ cups flour, ½ cup cornmeal, 1½ tsp salt, 3 tbsp melted butter, and 2 tbsp olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead the dough by hand for 7-10 minutes or with a stand mixer for 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until visably puffy.
- Punch down the dough to remove any air bubbles and roll the dough into a large 15×12-inch rectangle. This does not have to be exact.
- Spread the softened butter over the dough surface.
- Roll the dough up like a jelly roll (from the short edge). Cut the dough log in half. Form the two pieces of dough into balls and place them back into your greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in the refrigerator (not in a warm place) for 1 hour until they are puffy and you are ready to assemble your pizzas. If you just want to make 1 large pizza skip the step of cutting the dough in half and just make one large dough ball.
- This recipe will make enough dough for two 9-inch pizzas or one 14-inch pizza
Tips for success:
- The cornmeal gives the crust its characteristic crunch and yellow color
- Don’t skip buttering the dough – this creates the flaky layers
- Use a proper deep dish pan for best results
- The dough should be soft but not sticky
Notes
-
Blooming the Yeast
- Start with water at 110-115°F (lukewarm) – too hot will kill the yeast, too cold won’t activate it
- In a small bowl, combine:
- the warm water
- 2 teaspoons sugar (from recipe)
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- Gently stir to combine
- Let sit for 5-10 minutes in a warm spot
- The mixture should become foamy and bubbly
- It should smell yeasty/fragrant
- The volume should roughly double
- If nothing happens after 10 minutes, your yeast might be dead or your water was the wrong temperature