This chicago deep pan pizza features a buttery crust, rich tomato sauce, and layers of gooey cheese. A true deep pan classic you can make at home!
David has wanted to make a chicago deep pan pizza for ages...and now he's finally done it...and it's delicious!! It's a perfect game night dish, party food, and family dinner favourite in our house.
This recipe brings all the rich flavours and crispy crust right to your kitchen!
Tips
- Gluten-free option – use a gluten-free flour blend designed for yeasted dough.
- Dairy-free option – replace the mozzarella with dairy-free cheese alternatives.
- Vegetarian option – replace the pepperoni with mushrooms and green peppers.
- Toppings – try different toppings on your Chicago deep pan pizza, like caramelised onions, spicy sausage or jalapeños for a twist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlike regular thin crust pizza, a Chicago deep pan pizza has a thick, buttery crust, layers of cheese and toppings, and a chunky tomato sauce spread on top.
A deep, round cake pan or a cast-iron skillet works best to achieve the signature thick crust.
Yes - the dough can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and kept in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before using.
Placing the cheese directly on the dough before adding sauce helps create a barrier that prevents sogginess.
Yes - bake the pizza, let it cool completely, then wrap and freeze. Reheat in a hot oven to maintain crispiness.
Reheat in a preheated oven at 180C/160C fan/gas 4 (350F) for about 10 to 15 minutes to keep the crust crispy.
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HOW TO MAKE THIS CHICAGO DEEP PAN PIZZA
Ingredients
Pizza dough:
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 7g dried yeast
- 375ml warm water
- 550g strong white bread flour, plus extra for assembling
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp polenta (cornmeal), plus extra for cooking
- 1.5 tsp salt
Tomato sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp sugar
Toppings:
- 180g grated mozzarella
- 125g pepperoni slices
- 20g freshly grated parmesan
Instructions
- Make the pizza dough first - add the olive oil, yeast and warm water (the water should be around 35C – you can check this with a meat thermometer) to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl, if making the dough by hand), stir then leave it to sit for 5 minutes while you get everything else ready.
- Add the flour, sugar, polenta and salt into the mixing bowl. Gradually mix the liquid with the dry ingredients until fully combined. Knead for 5 minutes, if using a stand mixer, or 10 minutes by hand.
- Transfer the dough to another bowl that has been lightly greased with oil. Cover with lightly greased cling film and put it in a warm place to prove for 1 hour 30 minutes. After 1 hour of proving, preheat the oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8.
- Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce - heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan, add the sliced garlic and fry on a low heat for 1 minute, taking care that it doesn’t burn. Add the onions and increase the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tins of tomatoes, salt, oregano, chilli flakes and sugar. Stir to combine and cook on a simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the pizza.
Assemble and bake:
- Remove the proved dough from the bowl and place it onto a floured surface. Roll it out into a circle, 5cm larger than the diameter of a cast-iron skillet (our skillet is 30cm, so the dough is rolled into a 35cm circle).
- Sprinkle some polenta over the surface of the skillet and then using a rolling pin as a guide, place the dough over the skillet. Use your fingers to press the dough into the skillet, making sure it fits tightly inside it. Now fill the pizza – first with the grated mozzarella, then the slices of pepperoni, followed by the tomato sauce and finally sprinkle the top with the grated parmesan. Trim off any excess dough from around the edges with a small sharp knife.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set. Check after 15 minutes, if it looks like the edges are starting to brown too much, cover the skillet with tin foil for the remaining time. Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
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Chicago Deep Pan Pizza
Equipment
Ingredients
Pizza dough:
- 2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for greasing
- 7 g (0.2 oz) dried yeast
- 375 ml (12.7 floz) warm water
- 550 g (2 ⅓ cups) strong white bread flour plus extra for assembling
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp polenta (cornmeal) plus extra for cooking
- 1.5 tsp salt
Tomato sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 onions chopped
- 2 x 400 g (28.2 oz) tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp sugar
Toppings:
- 180 g (1 ½ cups) grated mozzarella
- 125 g (4.4 oz) pepperoni slices
- 20 g (¼ cups) freshly grated parmesan
Instructions
- Make the pizza dough first - add the olive oil, yeast and warm water (the water should be around 35C – you can check this with a meat thermometer) to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl, if making the dough by hand), stir then leave it to sit for 5 minutes while you get everything else ready.
- Add the flour, sugar, polenta and salt into the mixing bowl. Gradually mix the liquid with the dry ingredients until fully combined. Knead for 5 minutes, if using a stand mixer, or 10 minutes by hand.
- Transfer the dough to another bowl that has been lightly greased with oil. Cover with lightly greased cling film and put it in a warm place to prove for 1 hour 30 minutes. After 1 hour of proving, preheat the oven to 230C/210C fan/gas 8.
- Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce - heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan, add the sliced garlic and fry on a low heat for 1 minute, taking care that it doesn’t burn. Add the onions and increase the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tins of tomatoes, salt, oregano, chilli flakes and sugar. Stir to combine and cook on a simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the pizza.
Assemble and bake:
- Remove the proved dough from the bowl and place it onto a floured surface. Roll it out into a circle, 5cm larger than the diameter of a cast-iron skillet (our skillet is 30cm, so the dough is rolled into a 35cm circle).
- Sprinkle some polenta over the surface of the skillet and then using a rolling pin as a guide, place the dough over the skillet. Use your fingers to press the dough into the skillet, making sure it fits tightly inside it. Now fill the pizza – first with the grated mozzarella, then the slices of pepperoni, followed by the tomato sauce and finally sprinkle the top with the grated parmesan. Trim off any excess dough from around the edges with a small sharp knife.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set. Check after 15 minutes, if it looks like the edges are starting to brown too much, cover the skillet with tin foil for the remaining time. Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Gluten-free option – use a gluten-free flour blend designed for yeasted dough.
- Dairy-free option – replace the mozzarella with dairy-free cheese alternatives.
- Vegetarian option – replace the pepperoni with mushrooms and green peppers.
- Toppings – try different toppings on your Chicago deep pan pizza, like caramelised onions, spicy sausage or jalapeños for a twist.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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