Chicago-Style Cheese Pizza Recipe: Thick, Cheesy, and Totally Worth the Wait

You want a Chicago-style cheese pizza recipe that hits like a cozy carb-hug, right? The kind of pizza that makes you cancel plans and “accidentally” forget to share? Same. I fell in love with Chicago-style pizza the first time I realized it doesn’t pretend to be light or subtle—it shows up loud, cheesy, and proud.

Let’s make one at home that tastes legit, slices clean (mostly), and delivers that iconic deep-dish vibe without requiring a plane ticket to Illinois.

What makes a Chicago-style cheese pizza “Chicago”?

Chicago-style (deep dish) pizza doesn’t play by thin-crust rules. It flips the script: crust acts like a buttery pan, cheese goes down first, and sauce sits on top like a dramatic red hat. Ever wondered why they put the cheese under the sauce instead of on top?

It protects the cheese from burning during the longer bake time, and it gives you that gooey layer that feels borderline illegal (in the best way). You also get a taller, more structured slice—more like a pie than a floppy triangle.

Here’s the vibe in one line: thick crust + lots of mozzarella + chunky tomato sauce + baked in a pan.

Ingredients

You can absolutely overcomplicate deep dish, but you don’t need to. I keep it simple, and I focus on texture and balance. Do you want a pizza that tastes like a bread bowl with ketchup, or do you want the real deal?

For the crust

• $2\frac{1}{4}$241 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 1 tsp sugar
• $1$1 cup warm water (around ${38}^{\circ }C$38∘C)
• $2\frac{1}{2}$221 cups all-purpose flour (plus a bit for dusting)
• $1$1 tsp salt
• $3$3 tbsp melted butter
• $2$2 tbsp olive oil
• $2$2 tbsp cornmeal (optional but very “Chicago”)

The cornmeal gives a subtle crunch and a nostalgic pizza-joint taste. IMO, it’s worth it.

For the cheese layer

• $12$12 to $14$14 oz low-moisture mozzarella, sliced (not shredded)

Sliced mozzarella melts into a thicker, stretchy layer. Shredded works, but it can melt faster and turn oily if you bake too hot. Ever fought a greasy cheese swamp? Yeah… no thanks.

For the sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can ($28$28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp oregano
• $1$1 tsp basil
• $1$1 tsp sugar (optional, but it tames acidity)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• $1$1 tbsp tomato paste (optional for thicker sauce)

I like a sauce that tastes bright but not watery. Thick sauce matters because deep dish bakes longer and can go soupy fast.

Tools and pan choices (don’t stress)

No fancy gear required. You just need something that holds heat and has sides. Ever tried making deep dish on a flat tray? That turns into “pizza soup with regrets.”

Use one of these:

• A $9$9 to $10$10-inch cast iron skillet
• A $9$9-inch cake pan (works surprisingly well)
• A deep-dish pizza pan if you own one

Cast iron gives the best crust edges, but cake pans deliver a solid result with zero drama.

Make the dough (easy, buttery, and forgiving)

Deep dish dough feels different from thin crust. It tastes richer, and it behaves more like a soft bread dough with attitude. FYI, you don’t need a long ferment to make it delicious.

1. Mix yeast, sugar, and warm water in a bowl.
2. Let it sit $5$5–$10$10 minutes until foamy.
3. Add flour, salt, melted butter, olive oil, and cornmeal (if you use it).
4. Knead $5$5–$7$7 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
5. Cover and let it rise $60$60–$90$90 minutes until it doubles.

I knead by hand when I want to feel like a rustic Italian grandma for a minute, but a stand mixer works just fine. Do you want to work harder than you need to for pizza? I didn’t think so.

Cook the sauce while the dough rises

Chicago-style sauce tastes simple, but it needs the right thickness and punch. You want it spoonable, not runny. Why ruin a great crust with watery sauce chaos?

1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and cook $30$30 seconds.
3. Stir in crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper.
4. Simmer $15$15–$25$25 minutes until thick.
5. Stir in tomato paste if you want it even thicker.

Taste it. Adjust salt. If it tastes bland now, it tastes bland later, and nobody wants sad pizza.

Assemble it the Chicago way (yes, cheese goes first)

This part feels backwards if you grew up on regular pizza. Trust the process. Do you want authentic Chicago-style cheese pizza, or do you want a regular pie wearing a trench coat?

Layer order that actually works

1. Oil your pan generously (olive oil or butter, or both if you feel bold).
2. Press the dough into the pan and push it up the sides.
3. Add mozzarella slices across the bottom.
4. Spoon sauce over the cheese.
5. Add a little grated parmesan on top (optional but delicious).

That’s it. No overload of toppings here—we’re doing a Chicago-style cheese pizza recipe, not a kitchen-sink casserole.

How thick should the crust be?

Aim for about $6$6–$8$8 mm on the bottom, a bit thicker on the sides. The dough should hold the filling like a pie shell. If it tears, patch it and move on—pizza doesn’t judge you 🙂

Bake time and temperature (aka: the “be patient” section)

Deep dish takes longer than regular pizza. It needs time to set, brown, and stop acting like molten lava. Ever bitten into deep dish too early and lost all feeling in your mouth? Same mistake, every time.

• Preheat oven to ${220}^{\circ }C$220∘C.
• Bake $25$25 minutes, then rotate the pan.
• Bake another $10$10–$15$15 minutes until the crust turns deep golden.

If the top sauce darkens too fast, loosely cover with foil for the last $10$10 minutes.

The most important step: rest the pizza

Let it rest $10$10–$15$15 minutes before slicing. This helps the cheese set so you get slices instead of a cheese landslide. Resting matters more than people admit.

Tips that make your deep dish taste “restaurant-level”

I’ve made every mistake so you don’t have to. Want that crisp edge and rich flavor without guessing?

• Use low-moisture mozzarella to avoid watery layers.
• Slice the cheese for a thicker, even melt.
• Simmer the sauce until it thickens and tastes bold.
• Oil the pan heavily to crisp the crust edges.
• Let it cool before cutting so it holds its shape.

If you crave extra flavor, add a tiny pinch of chili flakes to the sauce. Don’t go wild unless you want spicy tomato soup energy.

Chicago-style vs regular cheese pizza (quick and honest)

Both have their place. I eat thin crust when I want snacky slices, and I eat deep dish when I want a full-on event. Which one fits your mood today?

• Chicago-style deep dish: rich, thick, knife-and-fork vibes, longer bake time
• Regular cheese pizza: faster, lighter, more “grab a slice and go”

Deep dish tastes like comfort food. Thin crust tastes like convenience. Neither wins forever, but deep dish wins on rainy days.

Common problems (and how you fix them fast)

You don’t need perfection—you need a plan. Here’s what usually goes wrong and how you fix it without panicking.

Soggy middle

You usually use watery sauce or fresh mozzarella.

Fix it:

• Simmer sauce longer
• Use low-moisture mozzarella
• Rest the pizza before slicing

Crust stays pale

Your pan doesn’t hold heat, or you didn’t oil enough.

Fix it:

• Use cast iron or a heavier pan
• Add more oil to the pan
• Bake on a lower rack

Cheese overflows and burns

You packed too much cheese or pushed it into the edges.

Fix it:

• Leave a small border near the sides
• Use slightly less cheese next time (I know, tragic)

Conclusion: go make the cheesy “pizza pie” already

You can absolutely nail a Chicago-style cheese pizza recipe at home with a buttery dough, a thick simple sauce, and that classic cheese-first layering. You don’t need special training—you just need a pan, patience, and a willingness to wait $15$15 minutes before slicing (the hardest part, honestly).

So, are you making this for a cozy night in, or do you plan to flex on friends like you run a secret Chicago pizzeria? :/