Chicago deep dish dough calculator
A short, buttery crust for a deep pan: around 50% hydration, 20% fat, barely kneaded.
Chicago deep dish is closer to a savory pie than to any other pizza: a low-hydration, high-fat crust pressed into a deep pan, filled in reverse order and baked for half an hour. The biscuit-like tenderness comes from ~50% water and ~20% fat.
How it works
How much to knead
The King Arthur formula: 49% water, 2.1% salt, 10% oil plus 11% butter, 1.6% instant yeast, with 7% of the flour base as cornmeal. King Arthur kneads it smooth, about 7 minutes in a mixer. The purist sources say the opposite — Real Deep Dish and PizzaBlab stop at two or three minutes, before the gluten develops. Either way it is the fat that keeps the crust tender.
Reverse assembly
Press the dough into a heavily oiled deep pan (900 g for a 36 cm pan, walls included). Then build upside-down: sliced mozzarella straight onto the dough, toppings next, chunky crushed tomato on top. The cheese blanket keeps the long bake from drying the crust.
Low and slow (for pizza)
Bake at 220–230 °C for 25–35 minutes. King Arthur par-bakes the empty crust for 10 minutes first; Chicago purists skip it. Let it rest a few minutes before cutting so the filling can set.
Sources & methodology
Every percentage in this calculator traces to the published sources below — nothing is invented. Where respected sources disagree, the default sits inside the documented range.
- King Arthur — Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza — The chosen formula: all-purpose flour with 7% cornmeal, 49% water, 10% oil plus 11% butter, kneaded smooth.
- Real Deep Dish — “Holy Grail” deep dish — The “purist” camp: 50% water, corn oil, no cornmeal — recorded as the other school.
- PizzaBlab — dough formulas for every pizza style — Confirms the bands: 45–50% water, 15–20% fat.
FAQ
Does real deep dish contain cornmeal?
Contested. King Arthur adds ~7% cornmeal for crunch; Real Deep Dish, the purist source, uses none and gets its fat from corn oil (around 19% of flour). Both camps agree on ~50% water and heavy fat.
Can I use only butter, or only oil?
Yes. King Arthur blends olive oil, vegetable oil and butter; Real Deep Dish uses corn oil alone. Keep total fat in the 15–20% band PizzaBlab gives for the style.
Why is my crust tough?
Usually too little fat, or a very long knead. King Arthur kneads it smooth; the purist sources stop at two or three minutes. The fat percentages are not a typo.
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