Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza with Sausage & Pepperoni

Back in my college days, my dad would send me six-packs of Lou Malnati’s deep dish pizzas straight from Chicago. They arrived frozen, and for a college student, it was the ultimate comfort meal. My house instantly became the most popular dinner spot on campus! Chicago-style deep dish pizza is unlike any other. With its thick, buttery crust baked in a deep pan, it eats more like a savory pie than a traditional slice. The crust is layered with gooey cheese, hearty toppings like sausage or pepperoni, then finished with a chunky tomato sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Each slice is rich, cheesy, and satisfying – truly a full meal on its own.

Of course, no trip to Chicago is complete without debating the best spot for deep dish. Some swear by Lou Malnati’s, others by Gino’s East or Pizzeria Uno, while locals often argue for smaller one-off shops. Wherever you land in the debate, one thing is certain: Chicago deep dish pizza is an unforgettable classic. For a more classic thin-crust take on pizza check out this burrata pizza.

How is Deep Dish Pizza Layered?

• Dough pressed into a pan
• Cheese
• Pepperoni
• Sausage
• Sauce
• Parmesan

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Authentic Chicago flavor at home. You don’t need to travel to the Windy City to enjoy a classic deep dish; this recipe recreates the rich, cheesy layers and buttery crust right in your own kitchen.
• A full meal in one slice. Hearty sausage or pepperoni, plenty of cheese, and chunky tomato sauce make this pizza as filling as it is delicious.

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Dough – This pizza dough is different than the dough I use for my thin crust pizza. Instead it’s made with the addition of a bit of cornmeal. Adding cornmeal creates a crunch in this thick crust, pressed into a pan and layered with the ingredients.
• Yeast – This recipe calls for active dry yeast (different from instant yeast) – meaning it needs to be activated before use.
• Sausage –  I use both mild and hot Italian sausage with the casings removed in this recipe for meat lovers pizza. I use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage as it cooks in the pan.
• Pepperoni – I use pre-sliced pepperoni for this pizza so that it’s cut evenly and as thin as possible. You can typically get larger slices of pepperoni from the deli-counter.
• Mozzarella – I use deli-sliced part-skim mozzarella cheese for this pizza. I find the deli-slices make it easy to layer the bottom of the pie though shredded works well too! Part skim melts the best and is the best way to attain the perfect cheese pull!
• Parmesan – Parmesan-Reggiano is definitely one of my favorite cheeses and is used to sprinkle over the top of the sauce in this Chicago-style pizza. It’s a hard cow’s milk cheese aged for different lengths of time. I’d recommend buying a roughly cut piece of wrapped cheese from the grocery store – it’s typically a higher quality cheese.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

For the dough:

1. Bloom the yeast. Add the yeast to a small bowl then stir in 1½ cup lukewarm (110ºF to 115ºF) water until the yeast is dissolved. Let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Combine the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, yellow cornmeal, salt, and vegetable oil then add the water and yeast mixture and turn the mixer on medium speed, until the dough comes together and becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Let the dough rise. Place the dough in a bowl lightly oiled with the olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until the dough doubles in size, at least 1 hour or refrigerate overnight. When ready to make the pizzas, punch down the dough.

For the deep dish pizza:

1. Bring the dough to room temperature if needed. Let the dough come to room temperature.
2. Make the sauce. To make the sauce heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat through. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds then stir in the tomatoes, basil, oregano and pepper flakes. Cook until sauce becomes slightly dry and chunky, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat oven. Heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
4. Add the dough to the pan. First, rub a 12-inch cake pan, deep dish pizza pan or cast-iron frying pan with the remaining olive oil then, spread out the pizza dough. Next, use your hands to push the pizza dough in the pan so that the dough reaches about 1½-inches up the side of the pan.
5. Cook the sausage. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the sausage to the pan, using a spatula to break it up into small pieces. Sauté until cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
6. Assemble the deep dish pizza. Start by arranging the slices of mozzarella into the bottom of the crust. Next, arrange the pepperonis in an even single layer over the cheese. Finally, add sausage on top followed by the tomato sauce.
7. Cook the pizza. Bake until crust is golden brown, about an additional 25 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes then top with Parmesan and cut into slices.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this Chicago-style deep dish pizza recipe, I recommend checking out some of these homemade pizzas:

• Lamb Sausage Pizza with Tomato Confit and Fennel
• Spicy Sausage Pizza with Calabrian Chilies and Honey
• Orecchiette with Collard Greens, Sausage and Mixed Mushrooms
• Garlic Butter Tomato Cheese Bread

Made this dish? Be sure to rate the recipe and drop a comment below! Your feedback means everything (and helps others find it too)!

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza with Sausage & Pepperoni

By Kylie Mazon-Chambers

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Serves 6

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Equipment:

• ▢
  Round, high-edged pizza pan (or a cast-iron skillet)

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• ▢ 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
• ▢ 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ cup cornmeal
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

For the deep dish pizza:

• ▢ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ▢ 1 cup diced yellow onion
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ Kosher salt, as needed
• ▢ Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
• ▢ ¼ pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• ▢ ¼ pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
• ▢ 1 pound deli sliced part-skim mozzarella cheese
• ▢ 2 ounces thinly sliced Pepperoni
• ▢ 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Instructions:

For the dough:

• Add the yeast to a small bowl then stir in 1½ cup lukewarm (110ºF to 115ºF/ 43ºC – 46ºC) water until the yeast is dissolved. Let sit for 10 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and vegetable oil then add the water and yeast mixture and turn the mixer on medium speed, until the dough comes together and becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Place the dough in a bowl lightly oiled with the olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until the dough doubles in size, at least 1 hour or refrigerate overnight. When ready to make the pizzas, punch down the dough.

For the deep dish pizza:

• Let the dough come to room temperature.
• To make the sauce heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat through. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds then stir in the tomatoes, basil, oregano and pepper flakes. Cook until sauce becomes slightly dry and chunky, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
• Rub a 12-inch cake pan (deep dish pan) or cast-iron frying pan with the remaining olive oil then spread out the pizza dough. Use your hands to push the pizza dough in the pan so that the dough reaches about 1½-inches up the side of the pan.
• Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the sausage to the pan, using a spatula to break it up into small pieces. Sauté until cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Arrange the slices of mozzarella into the bottom of the crust. Arrange the pepperonis in an even single layer over the cheese. Add sausage on top followed by the tomato sauce.
• Bake until crust is golden brown, about an additional 25 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes then top with Parmesan and cut into slices.

Nutrition:

Calories: 913kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 1476mg | Potassium: 560mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 584IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 600mg | Iron: 6mg

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