Chicago stuffed pizza

A further development of Chicago deep-dish, credited to Nancy's Pizza in the 1970s, adding a second, thin top layer of dough over the filling before a final layer of sauce, effectively 'stuffing' the pizza between two crusts.

• A second, thin top layer of dough seals the filling between two crusts, unlike deep-dish's single crust
• Even taller than standard deep-dish given the additional dough layer
• Sauce is applied on top of the second dough layer, similar in principle to deep-dish

Hydration

45-55 percent of flour weight (typically 50 percent of flour weight)

Salt

2-2.5 percent of flour weight (typically 2.2 percent of flour weight)

Oil

8-15 percent of flour weight (typically 12 percent of flour weight)

Bulk fermentation

2-4 hours (typically 3 hours)

Mixing: Machine mixed, similar richness to deep-dish dough

Kneading: Brief kneading

Shaping: Base pressed up the sides of the pan as with deep-dish, plus a second thin sheet rolled out to cover the filling

Expected crumb: Dense at the base, thinner in the top sealing layer

Tolerance: The top dough sheet must be sealed well to the base crust to contain the filling during baking

Calculate this dough with the dough calculator →

• All-purpose flourTraditionalGenerally accepted

  Same flaky, low-gluten-strength crust logic as Chicago deep dish, needed for two rolled layers plus a full filling.

1. Press base dough into the pan
2. Add cheese and toppings
3. Cover with a second thin dough layer, sealing the edges
4. Top with sauce
5. Bake

Traditional method: Deep round pan, domestic or commercial oven, 220-230C, 40-50 minutes

• Rolling pin shapingDefiningGenerally accepted

  Produces the two thin sheets needed to fully enclose the filling before the thin top crust and sauce layer go on.

• DockingCommonly usedLimited evidence

  Vents steam from the heavy filling, preventing the top crust from ballooning or bursting.

Similar richness to deep-dish, with an additional thin, bread-like top layer beneath the sauce

Cut into wedges and served with a knife and fork

Cut into wedges · One or two wedges per person given its richness and height

Derived from this style’s own structural ingredient data — see the construction order & topping load guide for why order varies by style.

1. Filling: Low-moisture mozzarella, Italian sausage
2. Post-bake addition: Cooked tomato sauce

Adapts naturally to a domestic oven and deep pan, similar to deep-dish

• Confusing stuffed pizza with deep-dish — the defining difference is the second sealing dough layer over the filling

• Derived from Chicago deep-dish pizza

  Chicago stuffed pizza is a further development of deep-dish, adding a second sealing dough layer over the filling.

• Similar to Fugazzeta

  Both stuff a cheese filling between two dough layers, though they developed independently in different countries with different toppings and sauce conventions.