Chicago-Style Deep‑Dish Breakfast Pizza

Name: Chicago-Style Deep‑Dish Breakfast Pizza
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Chicago
Ingredients: 3.25 cup all-purpose flour; 1 package active dry yeast; 1 tbsp granulated sugar; 1 tsp salt; 1 cup warm water; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 lb store-bought pizza dough; 1 lb sweet or mild Italian sausage; 1 cup tomato sauce; 2 cup mozzarella; 0.5 cup sharp cheddar; 1 small yellow onion; 1 small red bell pepper; 1 cup crimini (baby bella) mushrooms; 4 large eggs; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp dried oregano; 0.5 tsp crushed red pepper; 1 tsp kosher salt; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 2 tbsp chopped scallions; 1 tbsp hot sauce

A Chicago deep‑dish pizza reworked for brunch: a buttery, tall crust filled with tomato sauce, browned Italian sausage, sautéed peppers and mushrooms, melty mozzarella and whole eggs baked on top. Cuts into six hearty breakfast slices.

AI image

1 hr 5 min

start to finish

30 min

hands on

Some skill

difficulty

servings

6 servings

Ingredients

Dough (makes one 9" deep-dish crust)

3¼ cup all-purpose flourplus extra for dusting
1 package active dry yeast2 1/4 tsp (one 7 g packet)
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm waterabout 105–115°F / 40–46°C
2 tbsp olive oilplus extra for oiling bowl

OR (Short-cut)

1 lb store-bought pizza doughabout 1 lb / 450 g — optional substitute for homemade dough(optional)

Seasoning

1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp crushed red pepperoptional
1 tsp kosher saltplus more to taste
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

To finish

2 tbsp chopped scallionsfor garnish
1 tbsp hot sauceoptional, for serving(optional)

Contains gluten, dairy, egg. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Roughly, per serving

690 kcal30g protein48g carbs38g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

If using store-bought dough, remove it from the fridge to warm to room temperature while you prepare fillings (skip dough steps below).
In a small bowl, stir warm water, sugar and yeast; let sit until foamy.
Water should feel warm but not hot; foam means the yeast is active.
In a large mixing bowl whisk the flour and salt together.
Add the foamy yeast mixture and 2 tbsp olive oil to the flour and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6–8 minutes.
If the dough is very sticky add flour a tablespoon at a time; it should be tacky but not wet.
Oil a clean bowl, place the dough inside, cover with plastic or a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled.
About 60 minutes; if your kitchen is cool allow up to 90 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon until browned and cooked through.
Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate lined with paper towel to drain any excess fat.
Wipe the skillet, add 1 tbsp olive oil, then sauté the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms until softened and edges are golden.
Season the sautéed vegetables with 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper and set aside with the sausage.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and place a rack in the lower third of the oven.
If using homemade dough, punch it down and shape it into a rough disk; if using store-bought dough, gently stretch or roll it to fit a 9-inch cast-iron skillet or deep-dish pan.
Generously butter the bottom and sides of the 9-inch skillet (2 tbsp) and press the dough into the pan, pushing it up the sides to form a 1–1.5" rim.
Don’t worry about a perfectly smooth edge—the rustic look is classic for deep-dish.
Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the dough bottom in a thin layer.
Scatter half of the mozzarella and half the cheddar over the sauce.
Distribute the browned sausage and sautéed vegetables over the cheese layer.
Top with the remaining mozzarella and cheddar and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and crushed red pepper if using.
Make four shallow wells in the filling and carefully crack one egg into each well.
Crack eggs into a small bowl first if you’re worried about shells or runny yolks.
Bake the pizza in the preheated oven until the crust is golden and the eggs are set to your liking, about 28–32 minutes.
For runny yolks, check around 20–22 minutes; for firmer yolks bake closer to 30 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the oven and let the pizza rest 5 minutes to firm up.
Slice into six wedges, garnish with chopped scallions and serve with hot sauce at the table.

Worth knowing

Cast-iron skillet gives the best deep-dish crust; use a 9" round deep-dish pan if you don’t have cast iron.
To speed things up, use 1 lb store-bought pizza dough and skip the yeast and rise steps.
If you prefer all eggs fully cooked, lightly scramble 2 extra eggs and drizzle over before baking.
Leftovers reheat well in a 350°F oven for 8–10 minutes to refresh the crust.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.