Cast Iron Pan Pizza

This cast iron pan pizza brings that iconic Chicago deep dish vibes straight to your kitchen, with a dough that bakes up golden and crisp in a hot skillet. Loaded with layers of melty whole milk mozzarella, a rich, seasoned tomato sauce, and that signature caramelized cheese edge, it’s the kind of deep dish that delivers bold flavor and texture in every bite.

If you have ever been to Chicago and tried to explain deep dish pizza to someone who hasn’t, you know how quickly the debate starts. Chicagoans themselves will argue about it endlessly. Most locals actually eat thin crust on a regular Tuesday night. The deep dish is more of a celebration food, a “take the out-of-towners somewhere special” food. But when people outside of Chicago picture Chicago pizza, they picture that thick, saucy, cheese-loaded pan pizza, and honestly, they’re not wrong to love it.

This recipe is a cast iron pan pizza built in the style of Pequod’s, one of the most talked-about Chicago deep dish spots for a reason. 

What makes Pequod’s different from the classic Giordano’s or Lou Malnati’s deep dish? The cheese crust. Instead of a towering pie with cheese buried under the sauce, Pequod’s presses mozzarella up against the sides of the pan so it caramelizes directly against the cast iron. You get this crispy, almost lacquered cheese edge that is completely different from anything else in the deep dish category. That’s what we’re recreating here, so you can also do this at home!

Chicago Deep Dish: What Are You Actually Ordering?

Before we get into the recipe, it helps to understand that “deep dish” is not one single thing. Chicago has at least a few distinct styles that often get lumped together, and knowing the difference makes you sound like you actually know what you’re talking about when you walk into a local pizzeria.

Classic Deep Dish (Giordano’s, Lou Malnati’s): This is the one that gets photographed the most. A thick, buttery crust pressed up the sides of a deep pan, layered with cheese on the bottom, toppings in the middle, and a thick chunky tomato sauce on top. It’s almost more of a casserole than a pizza, and it usually takes 45 minutes to bake. The crust is tender and flaky, almost pie-like.

Stuffed Deep Dish (Giordano’s specialty): Two layers of dough with cheese and toppings stuffed between them, then topped with sauce. Even thicker than standard deep dish. This is the one that truly confuses visitors who expected something pizza-shaped.

Pan Pizza (Pequod’s, Burt’s Place): This is the style this recipe targets. Shorter sides, a thicker but more bread-like crust, and the defining feature: cheese pressed against the edge of the pan so it caramelizes into a crunchy, almost fried cheese border. The sauce goes on top. It’s saucier and less fussy than stuffed deep dish, and it comes together faster.

Thin Crust (What Chicagoans Actually Eat): The truth is that Chicago thin pizza crust, cut in squares (party cut), is what most Chicagoans eat on a weeknight. It’s crispy, cracker-thin, and topped simply. If you ask a Chicagoan what their regular order is from their local pizza shop, nine times out of ten, it’s not deep dish. Deep dish is a special occasion thing.

This recipe lands in that Pequod’s pan pizza camp: bread-like dough, caramelized cheese edges, thick tomato sauce on top. It’s a project worth doing on a weekend, and once you get the method down, it becomes a regular part of your pizza night rotation.

Why This Recipe Works

• A 50/50 flour blend gives you the right dough texture. All-purpose flour keeps the crust tender while bread flour adds chew and structure. After lots of testing flour combos, I found this was the best of both worlds for getting texture and flavor that yields the best results. 
• The double rise builds flavor and strength in the dough. One rise gets you dough that’s functional. Two rises get you dough that actually tastes like something and holds up to all that sauce and cheese without turning soggy.
• Lining the edge with mozzarella before pressing the dough creates the caramelized crust. This is the Pequod’s move. The cheese sits between the hot pan and the dough edge and fries as it bakes. You cannot skip this step and call it the same thing.
• Sauce on top means the dough stays crispier. It sounds backward compared to what you’re used to, but putting sauce over the cheese protects the cheese from burning and keeps steam from making the bottom of the crust wet.

Ingredients

Dough Ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Bread flour
• Hot water (warm enough to activate yeast, not hot enough to kill it, around 105-110°F)
• Active dry yeast (or one standard packet)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• A little sugar
• Salt

For the Sauce

• One 28 oz can of marinara sauce (Dell’Alpe brand is a solid pick if you can find it at your grocery store, and worth seeking out for this one)
• Tomato Paste (deepens the flavor)
• Dried oregano
• Dried basil
• Garlic powder
• Sugar
• Salt and pepper

For Assembly

• Whole milk mozzarella cheese, deli-sliced (not shredded)
• Cornmeal
• Pepperoni or your favorite toppings
• Optional: red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves after baking

Substitution notes:

• If you can’t find Dell’Alpe, any quality marinara from a jar at the grocery store variety level works. Look for something with a short ingredient list and no added sugar beyond what the tomatoes bring naturally.
• Italian sausage works great in place of pepperoni. Both hold up well under that layer of sauce during the bake.

How to Make Cast Iron Pan Pizza

Step 1: Make the Dough

Combine both flours and salt in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let that sit for about 5 minutes until it blooms and gets foamy. That foam tells you the yeast is alive and active.

Add the olive oil and the yeast mixture to the flour and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Then either use a dough hook on a stand mixer or turn it out and knead by hand for 5 to 10 minutes. You’re looking for a smooth, elastic dough that springs back when you poke it.

Step 2: First Rise

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise for 1.5 hours in a warm spot. If your kitchen runs cold, a turned-off oven with just the light on works well.

Step 3: Punch Down and Second Rise

After the first rise, punch the dough down and let it go for another hour. This second rise is where the dough develops real flavor. Use this time to make the sauce.

Step 4: Make the Sauce

Combine the marinara sauce with oregano, basil, garlic powder, a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature while the dough finishes its second rise. The spices have time to rehydrate and blend into the sauce, which makes a noticeable difference in the final flavor.

Step 5: Prep the Pan and Preheat

Preheat your oven to 500°F. (the high heat temp here is essential). Take your deli-sliced mozzarella and cut each slice in half. Line the edge of your 12-inch cast iron pizza pan with the mozzarella halves, standing them upright and pressing them flush against the side of the pan. This is the easiest way to build that caramelized cheese crust. Sprinkle a small amount of cornmeal across the bottom of the pan (do not oil the pan). 

Step 6: Press the Dough

Dump the dough out into the pan and press it flat toward the edges. Do not press it up the sides. You want a flat disc of dough that sits level in the pan. The cheese does the work at the edges. Dimple the top of the dough with your fingers, cover loosely, and let it rest while the oven preheats, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Step 7: Final Press and Top

Once the oven is preheated, press the dough one more time to make sure it’s fully spread and dimpled. Layer the remaining mozzarella slices across the top of the dough in an overlapping pattern. You should not see any exposed dough. Pour all of the sauce over the cheese layer, spreading it to the edges. Add your pepperoni or toppings on top of the sauce.

Step 8: Bake

Place the pizza on the middle rack. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil loosely on the top rack above the pizza to protect the sauce from direct top heat. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes until the cheese at the edges is caramelized, the top is golden brown, and the bottom of the crust is crispy. You’ll hear it sizzling in the pan.

Step 9: Rest Before Cutting

This part matters. Let the pizza sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting. The sauce is extremely hot and very liquid right out of the oven. If you cut too early, it runs everywhere and the slices fall apart. Set a timer. Move the pizza to a cutting board after 10 minutes, slice, and serve.

Tips, Variations, and Storage

On the dough: The hot water temperature matters more than people expect. Too cold and the yeast won’t fully activate. Too hot and you kill it before it starts. Aim for warm bath temperature, not hot tea temperature.

On the cheese: Deli-sliced whole milk mozzarella works far better here than pre-shredded. Shredded mozzarella has a starch coating that prevents it from melting and browning the way you need it to for the edge crust. Slice it yourself or buy it sliced from the deli counter.

On the cast iron: A 12-inch cast iron pizza pan or deep cast iron skillet is what you need. Lodge cast iron skillets are widely available and work great here. The mass of the cast iron holds and distributes heat evenly, which is what creates the crispy bottom crust. A stainless steel skillet will not give you the same result. You don’t need a pizza stone for this recipe at all.

On toppings: Italian sausage and pepperoni are the classics. But this dough and sauce base also works well for a white pizza (skip the red sauce, use ricotta and garlic), a BBQ chicken pizza with barbecue sauce instead of marinara, or even a loaded version with pepperoni and Italian sausage together. The method stays the same regardless of what goes on top. If you want a truly unique Chicago experience, try adding my homemade, authentic Chicago Italian beef with hot giardiniera on it too. 

On spice: Red pepper flakes or chile flakes sprinkled over the top before baking add a nice kick. A drizzle of spicy honey after baking is genuinely good and very much a real thing people do.

Storing and reheating: Leftover slices keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a lid on. This brings the crust back to crispy without making the sauce dry out. The microwave works in a pinch, but you lose the crust texture.

Make-ahead option: The dough can be made through the first rise, punched down, and stored covered in the fridge overnight. Pull it out an hour before you plan to use it so it comes fully to room temperature before you press it into the pan.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Recipes To Try

Authentic Chicago Italian Beef

Chicago Style Hot Giardiniera

Smoked Rib Tips

Chicago Mild Sauce Recipe

Chicago Hot Dog Sliders