This Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza has a thick crust that is chewy on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. Topped with pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and your favorite toppings, this is a quick and easy homemade version of the Chicago classic.
Looking for more homemade pizza recipes? You can also try our classic Homemade Pizza Recipe, Combination Pizza, Easy Homemade Stuffed Crust Pizza, or this colorful Rainbow Veggie Pizza.
Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza
This recipe is for pizza lovers out there who either can’t get their hands on Chicago-style pizza in their area, or just want to try a simple version at home. It is baked in a cast iron skillet that has been liberally greased with olive oil which ends up almost frying the dough in the oven. The result is a pizza crust that is both chewy and crisp with loads of flavor.
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A true Chicago-style cast iron skillet deep dish pizza will involve a special dough with cornmeal and butter laminated into it which tastes amazing, but takes time. For this recipe, we stuck with our regular pizza dough to keep things simple. We promise you won’t be disappointed!
My family loves pepperoni so that is our usual go-to topping, but feel free to try this Homemade Deep Dish Pizza with any and all of your favorites.
Key Ingredients
- Pizza Dough – this is a simple pizza dough recipe that works great for deep dish pizza.
- Olive Oil – you’ll need a couple tablespoons of cooking oil to completely coat the inside of your cast iron skillet before adding the pizza dough. You could also use melted butter to give it more flavor.
- Pizza Sauce – you can use your favorite brand of pizza sauce, tomato sauce, or marinara sauce. Or, make your own homemade pizza sauce using our favorite recipe.
- Mozzarella Cheese – you can use pre-shredded or shred your own.
- Toppings – you can use pepperoni, Italian sausage, sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers or just keep things easy cheesy!
How to Make Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza
- Make the dough. Make your Homemade Pizza Dough. If you are making the dough ahead of time, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight. Otherwise, cover the bowl with a towel or plastic and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
- Stretch the dough. Add 2 Tablespoons of cooking oil to a 14″ cast iron skillet or deep dish pizza pan. Lightly flour your hands, then stretch and shape your dough into the bottom of the pan. If it begins to resist, let the dough relax for a couple of minutes and then continue.
- Add the sauce and toppings. Spread the pizza sauce over the dough evenly, leaving about 1″ around the edge. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and add any of your favorite toppings.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 20-22 minutes, or until the bottom of the pizza is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
A cast iron skillet is the key to getting the crispy outer layer to the deep dish pizza crust. However, you could also use a similarly sized round cake pan or even bake the pizzas in 2 smaller round cake pans.
This recipe makes a quick and easy homemade version of Deep Dish Pizza. If you want to go true Chicago style, you’ll want to add about ½ cup of yellow cornmeal into your pizza dough. Either use a smaller skiller or use 1 ½ times the amount of dough, then press into your skillet and make sure it covers at least 1” up the sides. Add your cheese first, then your toppings and then your pizza sauce. Bake as directed, although the bake time may be slightly longer. Voila!
Yes! If you’d like, go ahead and make the dough, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge overnight. The next day, while preheating the oven, pull it from the fridge for at least 30 minutes before stretching and shaping into your cast iron skillet.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: store leftovers either wrapped in foil or inside an airtight container.
- To reheat: if you’re in a rush, you can microwave leftover Deep Dish Pizza for about 30 seconds on high. If you want to retain that crisp but chewy crust, it’s best to reheat in a preheated 350-degree oven on a baking sheet until warm.
Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
Deep Dish Pizza Dough
- 1 cup water, warm (95-110 degrees F)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Pizza Toppings
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for cast iron pan
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup toppings
Instructions
To Make the Pizza Dough
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast and mix well. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, or until it becomes frothy and bubbly.
- Once your yeast has “proofed,” add the olive oil, salt and about 1 1/2 cups of flour. Using a paddle or dough hook, mix until all the ingredients are completely combined. Add in the rest of the flour, about a 1/4 cup at a time just until the dough pulls away from the edges of the bowl.
- Mix on low speed for another 1-2 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and shape the dough into a ball.
- If you are making the dough ahead, wrap it tightly and store in the fridge overnight. Otherwise, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm place for about 30-45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Building and Baking Deep Dish Pizza
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
- Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to a 14" cast iron skillet or deep dish pizza pan. Stretch and shape your dough into the bottom of the pan. If it begins to resist, let the dough relax for a couple of minutes and then continue.
- Spread the pizza sauce over the dough evenly, leaving about 1" around the edge. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and any of your favorite toppings.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 20-22 minutes, or until the bottom and edges are golden brown and the cheese has melted.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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This Deep Pan Pizza recipe is a quick and easy version of the Chicago-style classic. It’s cooked in a cast iron skillet, giving it a thick and tender crust with a crispy outside.
best pizza dough recipe, i will not be getting pizza from a pizza chain anymore will keep this recipe for sure it’s a keeper????????