Easy Deep Dish Pizza Dough

Love pizza, but not all the work and time it takes to make it yourself? This deep-dish pizza dough recipe is easy, quick and super delicious!

When I was tweaking and testing this Easy Deep Dish Pizza Dough recipe, it took a few weeks to get it right. My husband, Scott, didn't mind that one single bit and I'm pretty sure he'd be happy if this pizza was on the menu several times each week.

Every time I serve it, he takes one bite and immediately says the same thing, "Wow, this is so... good!" I've also made it for family and friends and the response has been overwhelmingly affirmative.

I don't share this with everyone (sometimes I like to have family and friends view me as a culinary whiz) but this deep dish pizza dough is SO easy to make that it's almost ridiculous.

The yeast problem

If you've had trouble with (or hesitated to make) homemade pizza dough in the past, this is the recipe for you! There are a few easy tricks I've included that help activate the yeast. Then the 4-ingredient dough will take about 5 minutes to stir together (including measuring the ingredients).

Then it's turned out onto the counter and kneaded for 1 minute. Now your work's pretty much done. See what I mean? So easy!

So if you feel like you and yeast don't get along, I understand. But our yeasty little tricks (see recipe and Café Tips below) will ensure good results. Check out the video below to see a demonstration of this easy deep dish pizza dough recipe:

After this, who knows? You and yeast may just decide to be BFFs!

Even easier!

I've also included instructions below in the recipe for using instant yeast, which makes things even easier! Instant yeast doesn't have to be activated in water as pictured above. Simply combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, add hot water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and stir it all together. Then proceed to the kneading and remaining instructions.

Almost done!

Plop the dough into an oiled pan, cover and walk away for 15 minutes. Come back and see how it's gotten all puffy and soft. Then just spread it out to fit the pan. Add the toppings and go ahead and preheat the oven. In the meantime, your deep dish pizza dough will do a bit more rising. When the oven's ready, the pizza will be too!

And now comes the best part - the tantalizing, delicious aroma of yeasty bread combined with your toppings of choice wafting through the house!

Company coming? Pop this deep dish pizza dough into the oven (topped with your favorite ingredients) just before they arrive. When the doorbell rings the wonderful aroma that greets them will be quite irresistible!

Do I need a cast iron pan to bake this deep dish pizza dough?

Nope! Although a cast iron pan is perfect (as well as inexpensive and a lifetime kitchen tool) for making this deep-dish pizza dough, you can also use a 9-inch cake pan with good results. Because cast iron conducts heat differently than steel or aluminized steel (the metal most cake pans are made of), you'll have to adjust the temperature of the oven and baking time a bit, but I've got you covered! I've included those adaptations in the recipe instructions.

The Deep Dish Pizza Margherita pictured below was made in my 9-inch cake pan.

Wondering how to top this deep dish pizza dough? One suggestion is our Cast Iron Deep Dish Pepperoni Pizza. It's definitely one of our favorite dinners, ever! You can use your favorite store-bought pizza sauce but our Super Easy Pizza Sauce comes together quickly and is super economical in comparison to purchased sauces.

Again, we have a video to SHOW you, just how this sauce comes together super quickly:

There are lots of other ways to use this versatile sauce (suggestions in the post) but save about a generous half cup for this wonderful pizza.

Put PIZZA on your menu this coming week and give this Easy Deep Dish Pizza Dough recipe a try. I love to serve it with a big green salad for a complete meal. l promise it will be a universal hit!

Café Tips for making this Easy Deep Dish Pizza Dough

• Does anyone have "yeast phobia"? If you've got it, you're not alone. Lots of people are scared to death of working with yeast and it's usually because they've had one or more failed attempts with yeast dough(s). I think that many of these failures are due to trying to activate yeast in water that's not warm enough. Yeast loves a cozy warm atmosphere and most bread recipes' directions include activating the yeast in lukewarm water. If you look up the definition of lukewarm it's defined as "neither hot nor cold". "Tepid" and "room temperature" are also words included in the definition. I believe that's where the problem lies, the water often used to activate yeast is not warm enough. And even if it starts out warm enough, by the time it goes from a measuring cup to a cold bowl, the temperature has dropped enough for the yeast to protest activation.
• What to do for yeast phobia? I have a really simple little trick to make your little yeast granules amazingly happy and prolific. First of all, make sure the water you use is warm enough. It should be between 100 and 115˚F. That should feel fairly hot to the touch. Not so hot you have to pull your finger back but comfortably hot. The second trick is to warm your bowl before adding the water and yeast. This will only take about 2 minutes but will make all the difference in the world. Simply fill your bowl with hot tap water and let it sit for a few minutes. Then dump out the water and proceed with activation. Voila! Super happy, bubbly yeast!!!
• The above tips call for regular yeast but I've also included directions in the recipe for using instant yeast. That makes things even easier. The only trick is to use water that's hot enough to activate the yeast. You want hot tap water. If you want to measure, the temperature should be between 120˚F and 130˚F. That's fairly hot, if you stick your finger in the water it should feel nice and hot, not uncomfortably hot but definitely hot.
• I like to buy yeast in bulk. It comes in a 1-pound package and usually costs less than $5. A 3-pack of yeast in the grocery store generally costs about $1.50 (or more). That's ¾ of an ounce of yeast. Crazy expensive when you can buy a whole pound for less than $5! If you don't use yeast that frequently, no problem. It will keep in the refrigerator for months and you can also freeze it indefinitely. I keep a small jar of yeast in the refrigerator and then store the rest of the package in the freezer. In addition to being way... cheaper, it's also really good quality yeast. It makes a nice gift for a friend who loves to bake! Both regular (aka active dry yeast) and instant yeast can be bought in bulk.
• Recipes with yeast always instruct you to "let the dough rise in a warm place" (remember, yeast likes those cozy, warm places). That's not always so easy, especially in the cooler months of the year. Solution? A great place to let yeast doughs rise is in the microwave. You can either boil a cup of water to warm it up or just leave the light on. How do you leave the light on in a microwave? Just allow a small towel or several thicknesses of paper towel to hang out of the door when you close it. The light will stay on.

• Want to make this deep-dish pizza dough early in the day? Follow the directions in the recipe all the way through topping the pizza. Then just cover it with plastic wrap and pop the whole thing in the refrigerator. Bring it out about an hour before you want to bake, it so it can come up to room temperature. Bake as directed.
• The recipe instructions include covering the pan with foil for the first 15 minutes of baking. This ensures that the bottom gets nice and crisp and the top doesn't get too brown. I like to spray the foil with a little cooking spray before covering the pizza. That way the cheese on the top of the pizza doesn't have a chance of getting stuck to the foil.
• I mentioned above that the best way to make this deep dish pizza is in a cast iron pan. Cast iron is a wonderful, even conductor of heat and results in a beautiful, crisp crust. A cast iron pan will last a lifetime if properly cared for and they are quite inexpensive.
• That being said, you can also make this deep-dish pizza dough in a 9-inch cake pan. I love my OXO cake pans. They're super sturdy, hold up well (after lots of use!) and go through the dishwasher beautifully.

Thought for the day:

But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin,
the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you,
He who raised Christ from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies because of^[ his Spirit who lives in you.
Romans 8:10-11

What we're listening to for inspiration:

Because He Lives

If you enjoy this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.

5 from 15 votes

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Easy Deep Dish Pizza Dough

Love pizza but not all the work and time it takes to make it yourself? This deep dish pizza dough recipe is easy, quick and super delicious!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: deep dish pizza, deep dish pizza dough

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 22 mins

Total Time: 47 mins

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 245 kcal

Ingredients

If using dry active yeast:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) dry active yeast or 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• ¾ cup hot tap water 105-115˚F
• 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar this pizza has a slightly sweet crust -go with one tablespoon if you prefer
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

If using instant yeast:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups flour
• 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar this pizza has a slightly sweet crust -go with one tablespoon if you prefer
• 2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ¾ cup very hot tap water 120˚F and 130˚F - if you stick your finger in the water it should feel nice and hot, not uncomfortably hot but definitely hot.
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons kosher slat

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

If using dry active yeast:

1. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a 10-inch cast iron pan (or a heavy-duty 9-inch cake pan). Set aside.

2. Fill a medium-size bowl with hot tap water. Let sit for 2 minutes to warm up the bowl, then discard water. Add ¾ cup hot tap water (around 105-115˚F), sugar and yeast to the bowl. Stir until the yeast is mostly dissolved (it’s okay if the mixture is a little lumpy). Allow to sit for 4-5 minutes, until mixture starts to bubble and foam (the bubbling and foaming means the yeast has been activated).

3. Once the yeast is activated add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and stir to combine. Add flour and salt. Using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula, stir until all flour is incorporated. At first, it might seem like too much flour. Just keep stirring and it turns into a shaggy dough.

4. Sprinkle a work surface lightly with flour. Transfer the dough to the floured surface and knead for about 1 minute, until a nice smooth ball forms.

5. Place the dough ball into the prepared cast iron pan and rub it around the pan to coat the bottom and sides with oil. Then turn the dough over so the oiled side is up. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Allow to rest in a warm place for 15 minutes.

6. Remove the plastic wrap (don’t discard) and flatten the dough with your hand. Working with your fingers, dimple and push the dough to cover the bottom of the pan. Don’t push it up the sides.

7. Top with sauce, cheese and desired toppings to within a half inch of the edges. Cover again with the plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Allow to sit in a warm spot for 20 minutes while the oven is preheating. (At this point you could refrigerate the pizza for several hours. Allow it to come to room temperature again before baking.)

8. If using a cast iron pan, preheat the oven to 450˚F with a rack on the lowest level. If using a cake pan preheat to 425˚F with a rack in the center of the oven.

9. When ready to bake, cover with foil (see Café Tips above) and bake for 15 minutes on the lowest rack of the oven. Remove foil and bake another 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melty and edges are light golden brown. Run a knife around the edge of the crust and transfer the pizza to a cutting board with a metal spatula. Slice and enjoy! You can also serve it right from the pan if you prefer.

If using instant yeast:

1. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a 10-inch cast iron pan (or a heavy-duty 9-inch cake pan). Set aside.

2. Combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a medium-large bowl. Stir well to combine.

3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the hot water and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

4. Using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula, stir until all flour is incorporated. At first, it might seem like too much flour. Just keep stirring and it turns into a shaggy dough.

5. Sprinkle a work surface lightly with flour. Transfer the dough to the floured surface and knead for about 1 minute, until a nice smooth ball forms.

6. Place the dough ball into the prepared cast iron pan and rub it around the pan to coat the bottom and sides with oil. Then turn the dough over so the oiled side is up. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest in a warm place for 15 minutes.

7. Remove the plastic wrap (don’t discard) and flatten the dough with your hand. Working with your fingers, dimple and push the dough to cover the bottom of the pan. Don’t push it up the sides.

8. Top with sauce, cheese and desired toppings to within a half inch of the edges. Cover again with the plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Allow to sit in a warm spot for 20 minutes while the oven is preheating. (At this point you could refrigerate the pizza for several hours. Allow it to come to room temperature again before baking.)

9. If using a cast iron pan, preheat the oven to 450˚F with a rack on the lowest level. If using a cake pan preheat to 425˚F with a rack in the center of the oven.

10. When ready to bake, cover with foil (see Café Tips above) and bake for 15 minutes on the lowest rack of the oven. Remove foil and bake another 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melty and edges are light golden brown. Run a knife around the edge of the crust and transfer the pizza to a cutting board with a metal spatula. Slice and enjoy! You can also serve it right from the pan, if you prefer.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

NOTE: There are separate instructions depending on whether you're using dry active yeast or instant yeast. You'll notice the order of ingredients is different as well as the instructions.

Calories 245kcal

Fat 7g

Saturated fat 1g

Sodium 584mg

Potassium 92mg

Carbohydrates 37g

Fiber 2g

Sugar 4g

Protein 6g

Calcium 6%

Iron 2.1%

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