By Shane O'Neill, CMO
Known for its thick, buttery crust, rich tomato sauce, and generous layers of cheese and toppings, this iconic pizza hails from the Windy City and has captivated taste buds across the globe. Unlike your traditional pizza, Chicago Deep Dish offers a hearty, pie-like experience that is both indulgent and satisfying. Whether you're a pizza aficionado or just looking to try something new, this recipe will walk you through every step to ensure you achieve that perfect, golden crust and ooey-gooey center. Prepare to impress your family and friends with a pizza that is truly a meal in itself.
Ingredients:
- 5 cups flour, all-purpose, 11-12%, preferably Ceresota
- 1 3/4 cups water, cold
- 3 tbsp lard
- 2 1/2 tsp sea salt, fine
- 1 3/4 tsp malt
- 1 1/2 tsp (1 pack) yeast, instant and dry
Instructions:
- Add water, then yeast and whisk together.
- Add flour, then malt and begin to slowly mix.
- After it begins to come together, give the bowl a scrape to get remnants on bottom.
- Add lard in the middle and gently mix together. Add salt.
- Once bowl is fairly clean, remove dough and give a quick knead by hand.
- Place back into bowl, cover with saran wrap and let sit 4 - 5 hours.
- Roll out dough until it’s big enough to put into a deep dish pan.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Coat bottom and sides of a 12-inch cake pan or traditional Chicago style pizza pan with melted butter. Spread out about three-quarters of dough across the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Cover bottom in 100% mozzarella cheese, all the way up to the edge. Add your favorite toppings and spread out to the edge. Top with grated parmesan.
- Bake about 25 min or until done.
