This Gino’s Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza Copycat is so incredibly good. It’s loaded with melty cheese on bottom, then topped with meat and marinara sauce.
Gino’s Deep Dish Pizza Copycat
Years ago I watched a big special about Gino’s East on Travel Channel and couldn’t wait to try it on my upcoming trip to Chicago. I had a few things on my Chicago to do list, but going to Gino’s East (along with seeing the giant bean and taking an architecture tour by boat). Gino’s East was everything I had imagined it would be and MORE. Believe the hype. It’s THAT good!
You’ve Just Gotta Try It…
I am happy to report our version is VERY close to the original. Don’t take my word for it though, read all those comments below from our readers who have made it. I LOOVVVE this pizza! It’s so fun that the cheese is on the bottom and the sauce is on the top. Probably some of the best home-made pizza I have ever had. YUM! Try it and let me know what you think!
Tips for Making Gino’s East Pizza At Home
- First, you are going to need a deep dish pan. HERE is a link to the one that I have.
- Use San Marzano tomatoes in the sauce. The flavor is so rich and it really makes it taste like the sauce at Gino’s East
- Don’t have a deep dish pan? Use a couple of cake pans instead. The pizzas will be smaller but it will still be delicious!
How to Make Gino’s East Deep Dish Pizza (Copycat)
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 c. water
- 1 pkg yeast
- 1/3 c. corn oil
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 lbs Bread Flour
Pizza Sauce:
- 28 oz plum roma tomatoes (or San Marzano (my favorite) tomatos – less ¼ c of the sauce before you mush it)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- a pinch of basil
- a pinch of oregano
- fresh ground black pepper
- Toppings:
- 16 oz. mozzarella about 4 c. Low-moisture part skim (NOT low fat. It won't turn out good if you use low fat)
- Pepperoni
- Italian sausage uncooked, pinched into little pieces
Instructions
Crust:
- In a bowl, put water (luke warm), then yeast, oil, cream of tartar, and sugar. Mix with hand until yeast dissolves.
- Pour in bread flour a little at a time. Mix with your hand. Just curve your hand like a dough hook and hold the bowl and mix. Then, knead it until it gets firm. Add more flour if needed.
- The secret is the kneading. Knead it for about 10 minutes straight. Then, roll it into a ball, and put it in a bowl with oil brushed in the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let sit overnight unrefrigerated. Only let it rise once. Portion and use.
Pizza Sauce:
- Take the tomatoes and sauce and place into a bowl. Using a potato masher or just your hands, mash the tomatoes up so that there are no chunks bigger around than a quarter.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Do not use too much basil or oregano.
Assembly:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Prepare your deep dish pizza pan (or a round cake pan with straight sides) by coating the inside of it with a very healthy coating of melted butter or oil.
- Roll the dough out to about 3 inches larger than the bottom of the pan, then place inside the pan and pinch the dough up along the sides.
- Now put the cheese in (right on the crust). Then add the pepperoni and sausage pieces, and finally the sauce (Don't worry, the sausage will cook through completely in the oven).
- Bake in the oven until the crust is starting to brown and cheese is starting to bubble up through the sauce. The little edges of the pepperoni should also be starting to crisp and the sausage should be cooked through (about 45 minutes).
