Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza

A tall, flaky, buttery crust baked in a round pan, filled with a thick layer of mozzarella and topped with a chunky tomato sauce and Parmesan. Eat it with a knife and fork.

Why it works the kitchen science

Step by step

1. Step 1

   Mix the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast in a stand mixer with the dough hook on low. Add the water and melted butter and mix 1 to 2 minutes, then knead on medium 4 to 5 minutes, until smooth. Turn into a bowl greased with 1 tsp oil, cover and let rise 45 to 60 minutes, until nearly doubled.

2. Step 2

   Meanwhile melt 2 tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the onion, oregano and salt and cook 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then the tomatoes and sugar, and simmer 25 to 30 minutes, until reduced to about 2 1/2 cups. Off the heat stir in the basil and 1 tbsp oil.

3. Step 3

   Roll the dough to a 15 x 12-inch rectangle and spread the softened butter over it, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Roll it up tightly from a short side, flatten the log into an 18 x 4-inch strip and cut it in half. Fold each half in thirds, pinch into a ball and refrigerate, covered, 40 to 50 minutes.

4. Step 4

   Set a rack in the lower position and heat the oven to 425°F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tbsp oil each.

5. Step 5

   Roll each ball to a 13-inch round about 1/4 inch thick, lay it in a pan and press it into the corners and 1 inch up the sides.

6. Step 6

   Fill each pan with 2 cups mozzarella, spread 1 1/4 cups sauce over the cheese right to the edge, and sprinkle with 2 tbsp Parmesan.

7. Step 7

   Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Rest 10 minutes in the pans, then lift out with a spatula and cut each pie into 6 wedges.

Tips

• Shred your own mozzarella from a block; America's Test Kitchen says to avoid pre-shredded cheese and prefers whole-milk mozzarella.
• For a sausage pie, press 8 oz raw bulk Italian sausage in a thin layer over the cheese before the sauce, the way Lou Malnati's tops its sausage pie with a whole disc of sausage (Serious Eats). It must reach 160°F.
• Dark metal pans give a browner, crisper bottom than glass or shiny pans.

The rules people argue about

What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.

• Cheese under the sauce. Documented (Lou Malnati's; Cook's Illustrated; Serious Eats).
• Eaten with a knife and fork. Documented as the usual way (Lou Malnati's).
• Who invented it. Disputed: Uno credits Ike Sewell; the Culinary Historians of Chicago, National Geographic and historian Tim Samuelson credit Ric Riccardo; Lou Malnati's says Grandpa Malnati "helped create" it in 1943. The Culinary Historians say there is no primary evidence Rudy Malnati created it.
• Alice Mae Redmond changed the dough. Disputed on the date: National Geographic says the cook introduced today's richer dough in the 1950s; the Culinary Historians call it "certainly possible" she modified it from the late 1940s.
• Cornmeal in the crust. Disputed: Cook's Illustrated uses it; the 1945-based NYT recipe and America's Test Kitchen's 2023 My Pi-style recipe use none. We found no authoritative source on what the restaurants use.
• Buttery crust. Documented as the house style at Uno and Lou Malnati's ("buttery"); the 1945 recipe uses milk and a little butter, and National Geographic credits Redmond with adding oil.
• Cooked or uncooked sauce. Disputed: Cook's Illustrated cooks it; Lou Malnati's, the NYT 1945-based recipe and America's Test Kitchen's 2023 version use chunky uncooked tomatoes.
• Chicagoans don't really eat it. Disputed: see our Chicago Tavern-Style Thin-Crust Pizza recipe.