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Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Dough

Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Dough

This Chicago deep dish pizza crust recipe will produce a rich, buttery crust that's slightly crispy on the outside and tender inside.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Pizza
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 8 servings
Calories 279 kcal

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 teaspoon sugar, and 2¼ teaspoon 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 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoon melted butter, and 2 tablespoon 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
    1. Start with water at 110-115°F (lukewarm) - too hot will kill the yeast, too cold won't activate it
    2. In a small bowl, combine:
      • the warm water 
      • 2 teaspoons sugar (from recipe)
      • 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
    3. Gently stir to combine
    4. Let sit for 5-10 minutes in a warm spot
    How to Know It's Working:
    • 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
Keyword Deep dish pizza dough