Chicago style deep dish pizza dough recipe
Share this recipe on FacebookThe best pizza dough recipe with step by step instructions including photos. This pizza dough can be used for making the famous Chicago deep dish pizzas but you can also use it for any other pizza you like. The resulting pizza dough is thick, crunchy, flaky, almost like a biscuit. The dough freezes well so you can double the amount of ingredients and keep them in the freezer for 1 or 2 months.
Preparation time: 150 minutes, Cooking time: 35 minutes, Serves: 8 - 10
Ingredients
1/4 oz. active dry yeast (2 tablespoons or 2 x 11 g packages)
1/4 cup bread flour
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm water
3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup medium cornmeal
1 tsp table salt
1 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
Extra flour for kneading the dough
Extra olive oil for oiling the bowl where the dough will be placed to rise
Directions
See step by step instructions with photos below.
Step 1
In a large bowl add the yeast, sugar and 1/2 cup of flour.
Step 2
Add the 1/4 cup water to the yeast mixture
Step 3
Use a fork to stir the yeast mixture
Step 4
The final result will be a sticky, dough like mixture
Step 5
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside, in a warm place, to rise, for 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 6
In another bowl add the rest of the flour, the medium ground corn meal and the salt.
Step 7
After the yeast has been set aside for 15 to 20 minutes, remove the plastic wrap and add the 1 cup of water
Step 8
Step 9
Add the 1/4 cup melted butter
Step 10
Using a fork or spoon stir well the yeast, water, olive oil and butter mixture
Step 11
Add the dried ingredients (flour, corn meal and salt) to the yeast mixture
Step 12
Use a wooden spoon to mix the dough mixture until all ingredients are well combined
Step 13
The resulting dough mixture should look like this
Step 14
Empty the dough on a well floured surface
Step 15
Dust the dough with more flour
Step 16
Knead the dough for 10 to 12 minutes, dusting with extra flour when needed. The dough will need extra flour when it sticks on your work surface, while kneading (the dough on the picture needs some more flour). Do not add a lot of flour at once though; add a little, knead and add more only when needed.
Step 17
The finished pizza dough should look like this. It should be smooth, shiny, sticky to the hands but not to the work surface
Step 18
The pizza dough needs to rest now for 1 to 2 hours, until it doubles in volume. Shape the dough into a ball, oil the bowl with olive oil, put the dough back to the bowl and roll to cover it with the oil
Step 19
Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm (room temperature) place. This will take 1 to 2 hours, depending on the humidity and temperature of the environment
Step 20
After the dough has rested it will look like this. It should be extremely soft and fluffy to the touch. When you try to take the dough out of the bowl it will 'collapse'; this is normal.
Step 21
Empty the dough on a well floured surface again, punch it down and knead it for 2 to 3 minutes more
Step 22
Divide the dough into 3 roughly equal sized balls. This amount of dough will make 3 10-inch deep dish pizzas
Step 23
If you do not plan to use all the dough, you can cover it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it or freeze it. You can refrigerate the dough for 1 or 2 days and you can freeze it for about a month. Before using it you have to let it come to room temperature. This usually takes 10 minutes if refrigerated or 20 to 30 minutes if frozen.
Step 24
To make a deep dish pizza place the dough in the center of a 10 inch by 1 inch high pizza (or pie) pan and use your fingers to press and push the dough from the center to the sides (push and turn the pan until you completely cover the bottom and sides)
Step 25
Once your pizza pan is ready, set it aside and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes more. To finish your Chicago deep dish pizza, top the dough with your favorite ingredients and bake in a preheated oven at 440 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius) for 35 to 40 minutes, until the dough is crispy and golden brown.