Chicago-Style Deep Dish Meat & Cheese Pizza
Prep time: 30 minutes (+ 1 hour rise time) | Cook time: 30–35 minutes | Servings: 6 to 8 slices (10-inch deep dish)
Ingredients
Deep Dish Crust
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose or bread flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) instant active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 cups warm water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (or melted and cooled)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil (for greasing the pan)
Meat & Cheese Filling
- 1 lb lean ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 cups (12 oz) low-moisture mozzarella cheese, sliced or coarsely shredded
Crushed Tomato Sauce
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed plum tomatoes (drained of excess liquid)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (for topping)
Instructions
- Make the Crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm water and softened butter. Knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth. Form into a ball, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour until doubled in size.
- Brown the Meat: In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef (or Italian sausage) with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper until browned and cooked through. Drain excess grease thoroughly and set aside to cool slightly.
- Assemble in Deep Pan: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Generously grease a 10-inch springform pan or deep-dish cake pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roll out the risen dough on a lightly floured surface into a large circle (about 14 inches wide). Press the dough into the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the pan.
- Layer 1 – Cheese: Place the sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese directly on top of the raw dough crust in an even layer (layering cheese first keeps the crust from getting soggy).
- Layer 2 – Meat: Spread the cooked ground beef or sausage in an even, thick layer directly over the cheese.
- Layer 3 – Sauce: Mix the drained crushed tomatoes with minced garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Spoon the tomato sauce evenly over the top of the meat layer. Sprinkle grated Parmesan and a touch of dried oregano across the top.
- Bake & Rest: Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the crust edges are deep golden brown and the sauce is hot and bubbly. Allow the deep-dish pizza to rest in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing to let the thick cheese and meat layers set.
