Chicago stuffed pizza (a cousin of deep dish pizza) was invented by Nancy’s Pizzeria in the Chicago suburbs sometime in the 1970s. Giordano’s also makes this popular style of pizza. In this post, I’ll show you how you can make your own sourdough version of a Chicago stuffed pizza at home.
What Is Chicago “Stuffed Pizza?”
When it comes to Chicago-style stuffed pizza, we’re talking about a large pizza, baked in a deep dish pan, that has a thin layer of dough in between the cheese and the sauce.
The Typical Build of a Chicago Stuffed Pizza
A bottom layer of crust is placed in a round deep dish pan which gets topped with veggies and/or meats, and then a large quantity of shredded mozzarella cheese. After that, a second ultra-thin layer of pizza dough gets added to this pie (yes, it’s very much a pie), and then the pizza finally gets topped with a layer of flavorful tomato sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. That’s Chicago stuffed pizza.
Chicago Stuffed Pizza vs. Deep Dish Pizza
What’s the difference between Chicago stuffed pizza and Chicago-style deep dish pizza?
In general, Chicago stuffed pizza features a thin layer of dough in the middle of the pizza and Chicago-style deep dish pizza does not. Deep dish pizza usually contains sliced mozzarella cheese, whereas stuffed pizza typically contains shredded mozzarella. Stuffed pizza restaurants often layer the meat and/or vegetables underneath the cheese, and deep dish places usually lay the cheese down before the toppings. Both of these styles of pizza are similar in that they come from Chicago, they are baked in deep round pans, and they feature the sauce on top of the pizza. Well-known restaurants that serve stuffed pizza are Nancy’s Pizzeria and Giordano’s, and famous places that serve deep dish are Lou Malnati’s, Pizzeria UNO, and Gino’s East.
If you want to make a sourdough version of traditional Chicago-style deep dish pizza, I’ve got a different recipe for that here. Deep dish pizza is very similar to stuffed pizza, but not exactly the same, predating stuffed pizza by about 30 years.
Why This Recipe Works
For my sourdough Chicago-style stuffed pizza recipe, I follow the basic format for creating a Chicago stuffed pizza highlighted above: a layer of dough, vegetables/meat, shredded mozzarella, another thin layer of dough, pizza sauce, grated parmesan. In addition to this basic layering format, my recipe calls for making a batch of sourdough pizza dough instead of one that uses yeast. It’s actually the same dough recipe that I use for my sourdough Chicago-style thin crust pizza. If you can make sourdough bread, you can definitely make this pizza dough.
My process for how I make stuffed pizza was heavily influenced by a behind-the-scenes video of Nancy’s Pizzeria in Niles, IL which was posted by the Chicago Tribune back in 2016. A big thank you to Nancy’s for sharing a few of their secrets! You can view that video here.
Special Tools You’ll Need
- A Deep Dish Pizza Pan (or Alternative): I like to use this 10″ deep dish pizza pan from Lloyd’s Pans. They also have a 12″ version for larger pizzas. If you don’t want to buy a specialty pan, you can use a 10″ or 12″ round cast iron pan with relatively tall sides. I really like the results of baking deep dish pizza in cast iron. For another option, you can use a 9″ round metal cake pan for a slightly smaller pizza.
- Digital scale: I highly recommend using a digital scale to weigh your ingredients instead of trying to measure with cups and tablespoons. A scale will allow you to weigh your ingredients accurately.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Dough
- All-Purpose Flour: Any brand of all-purpose flour will work fine. I used a generic brand of flour for this recipe, but I’ve heard that many restaurants in Chicago favor the Ceresota brand of flour.
- Water: It’s best to use filtered tap water or bottled spring water for this bread dough.
- Sourdough Starter: You’ll need a 100% hydration sourdough starter for this recipe (a starter fed with equal parts water and bread flour by weight).
- Salt: I use Kosher salt for this recipe, but sea salt or plain table salt will work just as well.
- Oil: You’ll need a small amount of olive oil, vegetable oil, or corn oil for this recipe. I used extra virgin olive oil, because that’s what I tend to have on hand. Traditionally, places in Chicago likely used vegetable oil, corn oil, melted butter, or a mix of melted butter and oil.
- White Sugar: This cracker-thin dough calls for just a touch of sweetness and white sugar really is the best option.
- Cornmeal – You’ll need to dip the pizza doughs into a bowl of cornmeal before rolling out the doughs with a rolling pin. The best cornmeal to use for this type of pizza is a finely ground cornmeal. The coarsely ground whole grain cornmeal can be too gritty and cause a strange texture.
For the Pizza Sauce
- Whole Peeled Tomatoes: You’ll need one 28 oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes for this recipe, preferably San Marzano tomatoes. Get the best-tasting tomatoes that you can find. Brands that I recommend are the Cento brand of San Marzano tomatoes or the Bianco di Napoli brand of whole peeled tomatoes.
- Salt: I used Morton Kosher salt for this recipe. Any Kosher salt, sea salt, or plain table salt will work fine.
- Fresh Basil (Optional): If your can of whole peeled tomatoes doesn’t contain any basil, add 3-5 leaves of fresh basil to the tomatoes when you make the sauce for additional flavor. This was one of the secret ingredients revealed in the Nancy’s Pizza video. (My can of tomatoes already contained basil, so I didn’t add any extra.)
- Fresh Parsley (Optional): This is another one of the “secret sauce ingredients” that was revealed in the Chicago Tribune video about Nancy’s Pizza. You’ll need about 1 tsp of chopped fresh parsley per 28oz can of whole peeled tomatoes.
For the Toppings
- Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese, shredded: This style of pizza calls for shredded, whole-milk, low-moisture mozzarella cheese. To avoid starchy additives, it’s best to buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself at home with a cheese grater. I can usually find blocks of whole milk mozzarella at Walmart and Kroger-owned grocery stores. Tillamook brand usually has whole milk mozzarella in 16 oz blocks, which is more than enough for one pizza.
- Parmesan Cheese, grated: You’ll finish the pizza with a little bit of grated parmesan cheese, ideally a high-quality one like Parmigiano Reggiano, but any freshly grated parmesan cheese will do.
- Fresh Spinach (Optional): To go beyond a plain cheese pizza, try adding fresh spinach. It combines beautifully with the creamy, melted mozzarella cheese for a delightful topping combination. Spinach seems to be a classic topping for Chicago-style stuffed pizza in particular – both Nancy’s and Giordano’s feature it prominently on their menus.
- Pepperoni or Italian Sausage: My favorite meat for Chicago-style pizzas tends to be pepperoni, but raw Italian sausage is historically more traditional. You’ll need about 25 pepperoni per 10″ pizza or 11 oz. of raw sausage.
Note: Check recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and quantities.
How to Make Sourdough Chicago Stuffed Pizza
Ingredient Amounts
Sourdough Starter Feeding
- Sourdough Starter, leftover – 25 grams
- All-Purpose Flour – 50 grams
- Water – 50 grams
Main Dough
- All-Purpose Flour – 450 grams
- Water – 225 grams
- Sourdough Starter – 100 grams
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 25 grams
- White Sugar – 10 grams
- Salt – 10 grams
- Cornmeal (for Dusting) – 1 cup
Tomato Sauce
- Whole Peeled Tomatoes (San Marzano) – 28 oz. can (794 grams)
- Salt – 1 tsp (5g)
- Basil, fresh (Optional) – 5 leaves
- Parsley, fresh (Optional) – 1 tsp (0.5 grams)
Toppings (for One 10″ Pizza)
- Spinach, Fresh (Optional) – 2 cups (60 grams)
- Pepperoni (Optional) – 26-29 pieces
- Whole-Milk Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded – 11 oz.
- Prepared Tomato Sauce – 12 oz.
- Parmesan Cheese, Grated – 2 Tbsp
- Oregano, Dried – 1/2 tsp
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1/2 Tbsp (7 grams)
Toppings (for One 9″ Pizza)
- Spinach, Fresh (Optional) – 1 1/2 cups
- Pepperoni (Optional) – 21-24 pieces
- Whole-Milk Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded – 9 oz.
- Prepared Tomato Sauce – 10 oz.
- Parmesan Cheese, Grated – 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Oregano, Dried – 1/2 tsp
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1/2 Tbsp (7 grams)
Toppings (for One 12″ Pizza)
- Spinach, Fresh (Optional) – 3 cups
- Pepperoni (Optional) – 37-39 pieces
- Whole-Milk Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded – 16 oz.
- Prepared Tomato Sauce – 18 oz.
- Parmesan Cheese, Grated – 3 Tbsp
- Oregano, Dried – 3/4 tsp
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1/2 Tbsp (7 grams)
Suggested Timeline
| Time | Step |
|---|---|
| 10:00 PM (Day 1) | Feeding the Sourdough Starter |
| 6:00 AM (Day 2) | Mixing and Kneading the Dough |
| 6:30 AM | The First Rise (Bulk Fermentation) |
| 10:00 AM | Preparing the Sauce and Toppings |
| 11:30 AM | Dividing and Balling Up the Dough |
| 11:40 AM | Rolling Out the Pizza Dough Layers |
| 11:45 AM | Assembling the Pizza |
| 12:00 PM | Baking |
| 12:45 PM | Serving |
Step-by-Step Instructions for Sourdough Chicago Stuffed Pizza
Feeding the Sourdough Starter
In the evening, take 25 grams of leftover sourdough starter out of the fridge. Feed the starter 50 grams of water and 50 grams of all-purpose flour. Cover the jar and let the starter rise overnight for 6-8 hours, or until doubled in size. The next morning, your starter should be doubled in size.
Mixing and Kneading the Dough
In the morning, gather the ingredients for the dough. Into a mixing bowl, add the water, the active sourdough starter, the salt, the white sugar, and the oil. Mix all of these ingredients together until the starter dissolves into the water. Then, add all of the all-purpose flour and mix it into the wet ingredients with a spoon until a rough dough is formed.
Knead the dough on your kitchen counter for five minutes or so until the dough starts to hold together as a ball, then cover the dough up with the mixing bowl and let it rest for five minutes. After the short rest, uncover the dough and knead it by hand for 1-2 minutes. The dough should now feel smooth and slightly tacky.
The First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
Transfer the kneaded dough into a glass container that has been greased with a little bit of oil. Cover the dough with a lid or a damp kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for 4-6 hours at room temperature, or until it is roughly doubled in size. While the dough is rising, you can prepare the sauce and other pizza toppings.
Preparing the Sauce and Toppings
To make the sauce, open the can of whole peeled tomatoes and empty the contents of the can into a mixing bowl. Add a teaspoon of salt to the tomatoes, a teaspoon of freshly chopped parsley (optional), and a few leaves of fresh basil (optional) if your tomatoes don’t already come with basil in the can. Crush the tomatoes by hand and incorporate the herbs and salt as you hand crush the tomatoes.
To prepare the remaining toppings, shred a block of whole milk, low-moisture mozzarella with a cheese grater. Cover the cheese and store it in the fridge. Then, make sure you have the following ingredients on hand before you assemble your pizzas: grated parmesan cheese, fresh spinach, dried oregano, and extra virgin olive oil for drizzling.
Dividing and Balling Up the Dough
Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Once the dough has doubled in size, take the dough out of the bowl and press it down into a flat disc on your counter top. Using a chef’s knife or a bench scraper, cut off 1/4 of the dough. Shape the larger 3/4 of the dough into a large dough ball, and then shape the smaller 1/4 of the dough into a small dough ball. Cover up the dough balls and let them rest on the counter for 10 minutes to relax.
Rolling Out the Pizza Dough Layers
Add about one cup of finely ground cornmeal to a bowl. Dip the large ball of dough in the cornmeal so that it is dusted on all sides. Then, roll the large ball of dough with a rolling pin into a large circle. You can stop rolling once the circle of dough is about 1/8-1/4 inch thick and slightly larger in diameter than your deep dish pizza pan. Now dip the smaller ball of dough in the cornmeal and roll it out as thin as you possibly can with the rolling pin (1/8 of an inch or thinner).
Note: This smaller layer of dough will go in the middle of your pizza between the cheese and the sauce. If you roll it very thin, it will bake in the oven properly and provide a unique layer of dough underneath the sauce. If this layer of dough is rolled too thick, it won’t bake properly in the oven and might end up being too doughy in the finished pizza.
Assembling the Pizza
Grease your deep dish pizza pan with around two tablespoons of butter. Lay the large layer of pizza dough on the bottom of the pan. Press it down into the pan so that there aren’t any air bubbles. The dough should almost reach the top of the pan and it might even hang slightly over the edge. Next, place the spinach or vegetables on top of the dough, followed by the full amount of shredded mozzarella cheese. After that, place the smaller layer of dough on top of the cheese. Crimp the edges of the small layer of dough into the larger layer of dough so that they stick together (similar to making a pie), then cut off any excess dough that is handing over the edge. Poke 4-8 holes in top of the dough with a knife to allow steam to escape. Lastly, spread the full amount of prepared pizza sauce on top of the dough and spread it all the way to the edges. Finish off the pizza with a sprinkling of grated parmesan, some dried oregano, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Baking
Slide the pizza into the preheated oven and bake it at 450°F (232°C) for 30-35 minutes. The pizza shouldn’t burn, but if you notice the crust getting dark too quickly, you can cover the pizza loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil for the second half of the baking time. Once the pizza is fully baked, remove the pizza from the oven and allow the pizza to cool in the pan for five minutes. Then, remove the pizza from the pan carefully and confidently with a pie server or spatula and transfer it onto a cutting board.
Serving
Slice the pizza into six or eight slices with either a standard pizza cutter, a chef’s knife, or a large pizza rocker. Top the finished slices with more grated parmesan cheese (optionally), and then serve the slices immediately. Enjoy your sourdough Chicago stuffed pizza!
Sourdough Chicago Stuffed Pizza
This sourdough version of Chicago stuffed pizza is similar to what you would get at Giordano's or Nancy's Pizza in Chicago. Melty mozzarella cheese, golden-brown crust, the toppings (stuffings) of your choice, and an easy homemade pizza sauce make this sourdough Chicago stuffed pizza a meal you won't forget.
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter Feeding
- Sourdough Starter, leftover - 25 grams
- Water - 50 grams
- All-Purpose Flour - 50 grams
Main Dough
- All-Purpose Flour - 450 grams
- Water - 225 grams
- Sourdough Starter - 100 grams
- Vegetable or Olive Oil - 25 grams
- White Sugar - 10 grams
- Salt - 10 grams
- Cornmeal (for Dusting) - 1 cup
Pizza Sauce
- Whole Peeled Tomatoes (San Marzano) - 28 oz. can
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Basil, Fresh (Optional) - 5 leaves
- Parsley, Fresh, Chopped (Optional) - 1 tsp
Toppings for One 9" Pizza
- Spinach, Fresh (Optional) – 1 1/2 cups
- Pepperoni (Optional) – 21-24 pieces
- Whole-Milk Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded – 9 oz.
- Prepared Pizza Sauce – 10 oz.
- Parmesan Cheese, Grated – 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Oregano, Dried – 1/2 tsp
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1/2 Tbsp (7 grams)
Toppings for One 10" Pizza
- Spinach, Fresh (Optional) – 2 cups
- Pepperoni (Optional) – 26-29 pieces
- Whole-Milk Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded – 11 oz.
- Prepared Pizza Sauce – 12 oz.
- Parmesan Cheese, Grated – 2 Tbsp
- Oregano, Dried – 1/2 tsp
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1/2 Tbsp (7 grams)
Toppings for One 12" Pizza
- Spinach, Fresh (Optional) – 2 cups (60 grams)
- Pepperoni (Optional) – 26-29 pieces
- Whole-Milk Low-Moisture Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded – 11 oz.
- Prepared Pizza Sauce – 12 oz.
- Parmesan Cheese, Grated – 2 Tbsp
- Oregano, Dried – 1/2 tsp
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1/2 Tbsp (7 grams)
Instructions
Feeding the Sourdough Starter
In the evening, take 25 grams of leftover sourdough starter out of the fridge. Feed the starter 50 grams of water and 50 grams of all-purpose flour. Cover the jar and let the starter rise overnight for 6-8 hours, or until doubled in size. The next morning, your starter should be doubled in size.
Mixing and Kneading the Dough
In the morning, gather the ingredients for the dough. Into a mixing bowl, add the water, the active sourdough starter, the salt, the white sugar, and the oil. Mix all of these ingredients together until the starter dissolves into the water. Then, add all of the all-purpose flour and mix it into the wet ingredients with a spoon until a rough dough is formed.
Knead the dough on your kitchen counter for five minutes or so until the dough starts to hold together as a ball, then cover the dough up with the mixing bowl and let it rest for five minutes. After the short rest, uncover the dough and knead it by hand for 1-2 minutes. The dough should now feel smooth and slightly tacky.
The First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
Transfer the kneaded dough into a glass container that has been greased with a little bit of oil. Cover the dough with a lid or a damp kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for 4-6 hours at room temperature, or until it is roughly doubled in size. While the dough is rising, you can prepare the sauce and other pizza toppings.
Preparing the Sauce and Toppings
To make the sauce, open the can of whole peeled tomatoes and empty the contents of the can into a mixing bowl. Add a teaspoon of salt to the tomatoes, a teaspoon of freshly chopped parsley (optional), and a few leaves of fresh basil (optional) if your tomatoes don’t already come with basil in the can. Crush the tomatoes by hand and incorporate the herbs and salt as you hand crush the tomatoes.
To prepare the remaining toppings, shred a block of whole milk, low-moisture mozzarella with a cheese grater. Cover the cheese and store it in the fridge. Then, make sure you have the following ingredients on hand before you assemble your pizzas: grated parmesan cheese, fresh spinach, dried oregano, and extra virgin olive oil for drizzling.
Dividing and Balling Up the Dough
Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Once the dough has doubled in size, take the dough out of the bowl and press it down into a flat disc on your counter top. Using a chef’s knife or a bench scraper, cut off 1/4 of the dough. Shape the larger 3/4 of the dough into a large dough ball, and then shape the smaller 1/4 of the dough into a small dough ball. Cover up the dough balls and let them rest on the counter for 10 minutes to relax.
Rolling Out the Pizza Dough Layers
Add about one cup of finely ground cornmeal to a bowl. Dip the large ball of dough in the cornmeal so that it is dusted on all sides. Then, roll the large ball of dough with a rolling pin into a large circle. You can stop rolling once the circle of dough is about 1/8-1/4 inch thick and slightly larger in diameter than your deep dish pizza pan. Now dip the smaller ball of dough in the cornmeal and roll it out as thin as you possibly can with the rolling pin (1/8 of an inch or thinner).
Note: This smaller layer of dough will go in the middle of your pizza between the cheese and the sauce. If you roll it very thin, it will bake in the oven properly and provide a unique layer of dough underneath the sauce. If this layer of dough is rolled too thick, it won’t bake properly in the oven and might end up being too doughy in the finished pizza.
Assembling the Pizza
Grease your deep dish pizza pan with around two tablespoons of butter. Lay the large layer of pizza dough on the bottom of the pan. Press it down into the pan so that there aren’t any air bubbles. The dough should almost reach the top of the pan and it might even hang slightly over the edge. Next, place the spinach or vegetables on top of the dough, followed by the full amount of shredded mozzarella cheese. After that, place the smaller layer of dough on top of the cheese. Crimp the edges of the small layer of dough into the larger layer of dough so that they stick together (similar to making a pie), then cut off any excess dough that is handing over the edge. Poke 4-8 holes in top of the dough with a knife to allow steam to escape. Lastly, spread the full amount of prepared pizza sauce on top of the dough and spread it all the way to the edges. Finish off the pizza with a sprinkling of grated parmesan, some dried oregano, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Baking
Slide the pizza into the preheated oven and bake it at 450°F (232°C) for 30-35 minutes. The pizza shouldn’t burn, but if you notice the crust getting dark too quickly, you can cover the pizza loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil for the second half of the baking time. Once the pizza is fully baked, remove the pizza from the oven and allow the pizza to cool in the pan for five minutes. Then, remove the pizza from the pan carefully and confidently with a pie server or spatula and transfer it onto a cutting board.
Serving
Slice the pizza into six or eight slices with either a standard pizza cutter, a chef’s knife, or a large pizza rocker. Top the finished slices with more grated parmesan cheese (optionally), and then serve the slices immediately. Enjoy your sourdough Chicago stuffed pizza!