Ingredients
Dough:
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1 ⅓ cups warm water
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2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
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¼ cup olive oil
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¼ cup melted butter
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2 teaspoons white sugar
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1 ½ teaspoons fine salt
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½ cup cornmeal
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3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
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2 teaspoons olive oil, or as needed, divided
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4 cups pizza sauce, or to taste
Fillings and Toppings:
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4 ounces sliced provolone cheese
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8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
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1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
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4 ounces shredded part-skim, low-moisture mozzarella cheese
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2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
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1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
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Make the dough: Pour water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Sprinkle in yeast and let dissolve, about 10 minutes. Add olive oil, melted butter, sugar, salt, cornmeal, and most of the flour, in that order. Knead, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides and adding more flour as needed, until smooth and elastic.
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Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead in extra flour if needed. Roll into a ball and transfer to a bowl greased with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Cover with a plate and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, 1 to 2 hours.
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While the dough is rising, simmer pizza sauce in a pot over low heat until very thick, 60 to 90 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
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Poke dough to deflate and turn out onto your work surface. Press and stretch out dough into a round shape 3 to 4 inches larger than a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Brush the skillet with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place dough into the skillet; stretch and pull to evenly distribute it over the bottom and sides.
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Apply fillings and toppings in order as follows: Lay provolone cheese over the bottom of the crust. Scatter fresh mozzarella over provolone, then add Italian sausage and firm mozzarella. Ladle pizza sauce generously over top. Grate Parmesan cheese over pizza sauce, then fold the crust edges in towards the center to seal in the sides. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over crust and center of pizza.
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Bake in the center of the preheated oven until crust sounds hollow when tapped and pizza is beautifully browned, about 35 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
![close up view of a slice of Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza on a white plate]()
Chef John
Chef's Notes
Instant and rapid-rise yeast both work in this recipe.
Two ounces Parmesan cheese equals about 1 cup finely grated Parmesan.
Feel free to make a double batch of my pizza sauce for this recipe.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 613 | Calories |
| 32g | Fat |
| 53g | Carbs |
| 25g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 10 | |
| Calories 613 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 32g | 42% |
| Saturated Fat 14g | 71% |
| Cholesterol 75mg | 25% |
| Sodium 1487mg | 65% |
| Total Carbohydrate 53g | 19% |
| Dietary Fiber 3g | 12% |
| Total Sugars 5g | |
| Protein 25g | 51% |
| Vitamin C 10mg | 11% |
| Calcium 416mg | 32% |
| Iron 4mg | 22% |
| Potassium 215mg | 5% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
