Thick, buttery crust piled high with cheese, chunky tomato sauce, and toppings in this beloved Chicago-style favorite.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dough
01 - 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
03 - 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
04 - 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
05 - 1 1/4 cups warm water (110°F)
06 - 1/4 cup olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
→ Tomato Sauce
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
09 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
13 - 1/2 teaspoon sugar
14 - Salt and pepper to taste
→ Cheese & Toppings
15 - 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
16 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
17 - 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni or cooked Italian sausage (optional)
18 - 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
19 - 1/2 cup sliced bell peppers
20 - 1/2 cup sliced black olives
# Cooking Steps:
01 - Combine warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy. Add flour, cornmeal, salt, olive oil, and melted butter. Mix until dough forms, then knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
02 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
03 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Generously grease a 12-inch deep-dish pizza pan or round cake pan with olive oil.
04 - Press risen dough into the prepared pan, pushing dough up the sides to form a high edge crust about 2 inches tall.
05 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the dough base. Add desired toppings (pepperoni, mushrooms, bell peppers, olives) over the cheese layer.
06 - Pour tomato sauce evenly over the toppings. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the sauce layer.
07 - Bake for 35–40 minutes until crust is golden brown and sauce is bubbling. If crust edges brown too quickly, cover with foil for the remainder of baking time.
08 - Let pizza rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving to allow layers to set.
