Authentic Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza Recipe Chicago, United States of America

Unlike regular pizza dough, deep dish pizza dough is made with more oil and is not tossed but pressed into the bottom and sides of a deep pizza pan, providing a sturdy casing for the topping. A layer of sliced, not shredded, low-moisture mozzarella is placed on the bottom, followed by the traditional but not obligatory layer of raw Italian sausage. A layer of crushed, uncooked tomatoes placed on top covers the entire pizza and has the role of protecting the lower layers of pizza topping from overcooking and charring. Often, the tomato sauce is sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese and/or hard cheese. The pizza is baked for about 35 minutes and served, unlike many other pizzas, with a knife and fork. Additional topping layers like mushrooms, onions, spinach, and pepperoni may be placed either under or on top of the tomato sauce.