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Make fluffy, homemade dough in under 20 minutes! It’s fresh, with a few simple ingredients, and you’ll get to enjoy the proud moment of creating a deep dish pizza recipe completely from scratch!
This recipe will not only show you how to make a quick, and delicious pizza dough, but also how to make the classic deep dish pizza!
Table of Contents
What is Deep Dish Pizza?
Ever been to Chicago? If you have, then you may have tried their famous signature pizza, the deep dish pizza.
A deep dish pizza is a pizza that’s baked in a pan! Why? Because the dough fluffs up around the center, leaving the pizza deep in the middle. This way your pizza lays beautifully on a thick layer of delicious homemade pizza crust.
It’s a must try for all pizza lovers! Make the best deep dish pizza from the comfort of your home using simple household ingredients.
Why you’ll love this recipe
This homemade pizza dough is fluffy, soft on the inside but crunchy out and chewy. The perfect dough to use for a deep dish pizza.
I’ll share my secret to getting the perfect, crunchy pizza crust using this homemade dough. What’s even better, you can make this one pan pizza recipe using a cast iron skillet!
Ingredients in Deep Dish Pizza Dough
- All-purpose flour: You can also use bread flour.
- Yeast: Be sure to use INSTANT yeast for this. I always use Fleischmann’s RapidRise Yeast.
- Sugar: Helps the yeast activate.
- Salt: to enhance flavor
- Water: very warm water
- Olive Oil: For moisture in the dough
How to make this deep dish pizza recipe
- Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Heat the water to between 120-130° and add it along with the oil to the dry ingredients.
- Stir the dough until you can’t stir anymore – this is called a shaggy dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead it until the dough forms a ball – it will spring back when touched with two fingers. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Press the dough into a 9-inch round cake pan that’s been greased with oil or nonstick cooking spray.
- Sauce: Top the dough with sauce to your liking. I used tomato sauce on this pizza but we love using pesto too!
- Add toppings: Then add cheese and toppings. Use ANY toppings you like! We love making 2 pizzas, one for us and one for our picky daughter.
- Bake: The key to a crunchy crust – no matter the pizza – is baking at a high temperature. This deep pan pizza is baked at 425° until it’s cooked through and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Expert Tips
For that perfect crunchy crust, you will want to bake at a high temperature. This will give your deep dish pizza that almost flaky crust you will love! This pizza is baked at 425° until it’s cooked through and golden brown, for about 20 minutes.
FAQs
Since we’re making the pizza in a pan, the dough will rise up around the center and the cheese with any other ingredients will weigh down the middle from rising.
Yes, you can. It makes the process quicker and easier on your hands.
You can! When you finish making your pizza dough, place it in a plastic bag and seal it well in the freezer.
Store your deep dish pizza in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
For a fresh pizza feel, pop your deep dish in the oven for just a few minutes.
Have You Made This Recipe?
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Deep Dish Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
CRUST:
- 1 ¾ to 2 ¼ cups (217-279g) all-purpose flour
- 1 package Fleischmann's® RapidRise Yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (158ml) very warm water (120° to 130°F)
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) olive oil
TOPPINGS
- ½ to 1 cup pizza sauce
- Other toppings as desired
- 1 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Combine 1 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
- Place water in a measuring cup or bowl that is microwave safe. Heat until it reaches 120-130°F (it’s easiest to test this with an instant read thermometer). Add the oil to the water mixture.
- Add water mixture to flour and mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky.
- Knead on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Press your pizza dough into the prepared pan.
- Spread with pizza sauce. Top with desired toppings and sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake on lowest oven rack for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and crust is browned.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- If you don’t have a 9-inch round cake pan you can also use a 9-inch square pan, 9×13-inch pan or make this a traditional pizza.
- Be sure to use INSTANT yeast NOT active dry.
Recipe Nutrition
This post was originally sponsored by Fleischmann’s Yeast (the only yeast I still use) in 2020.
Other Favorite Pizza Recipes
- Ultimate Pizza Dough (Regular, Whole Wheat, GF)
- Mushroom Sausage Pesto Pizza
- Hawaiian Pizza
- French Bread Pizza
Easy homemade Deep Dish Pizza! Learn how to make a simple homemade pizza dough and turn it into a deep dish pizza – this is our favorite way to make pizza!
Last Updated on January 15, 2023
I made the dough and had to let it sit for a few hours while I ran some errands. Turned out wonderfully. My new go to crust!
I made this today. It was wonderful! So easy to make. I will definitely start using this as my go to crust. Thank you for sharing this!
Disappointed in crust. No flavor & tough
I’m sorry about that! It’s a pretty neutral flavor but you can always add spices or herbs or extra salt. And be sure to use a good olive oil too. As for it being tough, make sure the yeast is activated and you’re using fresh yeast and that the dough rests for the correct amount of time. And don’t over bake.
Crust very easy to do. Pizza looks pretty darn good !!!
I made pizza at home but l couldn’t make it properly. Very simply shown here. I like it very much. The style shown here is a little different.
I tried this before and it did not rise to a deep dish. Was a hard as a rock….thick crust pizza.
A friend said let it rise, poof it down , let it rise again, turned out well tonight.
Yes I used the fast rise. Flavor is off a bit also
Made today, dough got crispy but didn’t care for the flavor. Sugar? Idk just didn’t taste right.
Taste is so subjective! I appreciated your comments.
Tried it. Liked it. My new go to pizza dough recipe. Thanks!
Used a 12 inch deep dish pan. Garlic white sauce. Yum!
Tried it. Liked it. My new go to pizza dough recipe. Thanks!
Can you use the kitchen aid with dough hook to mix the ingredients?
Yes!
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