Deep Dish Pizza
If you've got fine cornmeal, active dry yeast and low-moisture mozzarella, sliced, you're most of the way to this vegetarian: about 70 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (5)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Stir the sugar into the warm water (about 40 C), sprinkle the yeast over the top and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, cornmeal and salt, then add the yeast mixture and olive oil and mix until a shaggy dough forms; knead for about 8 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, simmer the crushed tomatoes with the garlic and oregano for 15 minutes until thickened, then season with salt and set aside to cool slightly.
- Punch down the dough and press it into a well-oiled 23 cm round deep cake or cast-iron pan, pushing it up the sides to form a high wall, and preheat the oven to 220 C.
- Lay the mozzarella slices over the dough base, then spread the thick tomato sauce on top of the cheese and scatter over the parmesan.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the crust is deep golden and crisp and the sauce is bubbling, then let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing so the layers set.
You'll use: Oven · Pan · Large pot · Saucepan
Ingredient substitutions
- Parmesan
- pecorino · grana padano · aged asiago
Tips & common questions
How long does Deep Dish Pizza take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of parmesan?
Try pecorino. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Deep Dish Pizza vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Deep Dish Pizza is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Deep Dish Pizza PD.jpg by Telluride, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.