Deep dish pizza is a rich, thick-crusted pizza invented in 1943 by Ike Sewell of Chicago’s Pizzeria Uno, or possibly his chef Rudy Malnati. Although this pizza is referred to as Chicago style, it is more accurately referred to as Chicago style deep-dish pizza because there are two basic Chicago styles, one with a very thin crust and the other with a thick crust. The deep dish style, which has been dubbed “fattening if you even look at it” by some, has grown in popularity in the United States, with Pizzeria Uno franchises and a slew of imitators. Many people, however, believe that the real stuff can only be found in Chicago.
There are some variations on what should go into the crust, which is usually baked in a thick baking pan with a high edge. Some people believe the pizza dough should contain cornmeal, while others believe it should contain potato starch to make it fluffier. The crust may contain butter or olive oil and may have a different flavor than flatter style crusts. After the crust is layered into the pan, the pizza is topped with whatever toppings are desired, usually starting with a layer of cheese and moving on to meats or vegetables. These initial toppings are covered by a thick layer of cheese and pizza sauce, with additional cheese on top of the sauce.
A large deep dish pizza can be quite heavy, weighing in at least four to five pounds (1.81-2.27 kg) and taking considerably longer to cook than thin crust pizzas. In fact, the crust can be partially cooked before adding the toppings. After that, you’ll need to bake the finished pizza for about an hour, and some restaurants take patron orders before they’re even seated to cut down on wait time. Because individual slices are difficult to pick up and can be extremely hot, this type of pizza is best eaten with a knife and fork.
The double crusted style or stuffed pizza style, which also originated in Chicago, is one of the deep dish pizza variations. An additional crust is placed on top of the layered toppings to give the pizza a pie-like appearance. The top crust can be topped with pizza sauce and baked before serving, and it’s sometimes served inverted in individual portion sizes. Because it’s nearly impossible to pick up this thick pizza without making a significant mess, it’s also known as “knife and fork” pizza.
There’s good news if you want to try deep dish pizza. The popularity of this style has grown in the United States, and you may be able to find a deep dish restaurant near you. Alternatively, some of the Chicago restaurants that have been serving this pizza for years now offer shipping. Because these pizzas are frequently not baked, allow for a couple of hours of baking time before eating one.