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April 5th is National Deep Dish Pizza Day, one of 12 annual pizza holidays. That’s a lot of pizza parties, but for today: the history of Chicago-style pizza, also known as deep dish pizza.
The differences between Chicago deep dish pizza, stuffed pizza, and Detroit-style pizza follow.
> A year of 12 pizza holidays.
> 40 different types of pizza.
> The history of pizza in Italy.
THE HISTORY OF CHICAGO-STYLE DEEP DISH PIZZA
Chicago deep-dish pizza, also called Chicago-style pizza, is a pizza cooked in a pan with high edges, instead of on a baking tray or a flat pizza peel.
The deep pan affords a pie of several times the toppings/fillings of conventional pizza, and a crust almost as thick as a tart crust (and much taller—photos #1 and #2).
The layers are different, too. Because the deep dish needs to bake longer, the sauce layer is on top so the cheese doesn’t burn.
Thus, the fillings are layered in an inverted order, with the cheese at the bottom, meat and poultry, seafood, vegetables, and fruits (chiles, olives, pineapple) in the middle, and lastly, the sauce.
You should select the fillings that meet your fancy, including leftover meats and even leftover pasta!
Deep-dish pizza sauce is often chunky, not the smooth marinara that tops a regular slice. While the tastes are familiar, the experience is delightfully different.
Pizzeria Uno’s founder, Ike Sewell. is often credited with inventing Chicago deep dish pizza, in 1943. But the reality is slightly different.
According to Tim Samuelson, Chicago’s official cultural historian, there is not enough documentation to determine with certainty who invented Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. A 1956 article from the Chicago Daily News asserts that Uno’s original pizza chef Rudy Malnati developed the recipe.
And Michele Mohr from the Chicago Tribune reports that, according to the descendants of Saverio Rosati, the menu at Rosati’s Authentic Chicago Pizza has included deep-dish since the restaurant opened in 1926 [source].
Regardless, we’re glad it made out out of Chicago so the rest of us can have our share.
The Differences Between Chicago Deep Dish Pizza & Chicago Stuffed Pizza
Stuffed pizza was also invented in Chicago, but with differences. It is a variant of deep dish pizza created by Rocco Palese, owner of Guy’s Pizza and Nancy’s Pizza, based on his mother’s recipe for scarciedda.
A savory Italian Easter cake, scarciedda is stuffed with ricotta cheese, meats and other fillings (here’s a recipe).
The Crust. Deep-dish pizza has a crust that rises up the sides of the pan, to a height of two inches or so. Stuffed pizza is even deeper. Scarciedda, which inspired it, has an additional layer of crust, like the top crust on a pie (photo #3).
The Cheese. Deep-dish pizza has more tomato sauce and less cheese in comparison to stuffed pizza. Stuffed pizza is a cheese lover’s delight, loaded with much more cheese (several ounces!) and less sauce.
The Density. Stuffed pizzas fillings are typically much more dense—pressed as closely together as a frittata (photo #3 and #4).
Stuffed pizza was created by Rocco Palese’s wife, Nancy Palese, in 1974 at the eponymous Nancy’s Pizza. It had a completely different taste than deep-dish, with more crust and loaded with even more ingredients.
Here’s more about it.
The Differences Between Chicago Deep Dish Pizza & Detroit-Style Pizza.
Pizzerias in Detroit, Michigan, created their own version of the Chicago deep-dish pizza, called, unsurprisingly, Detroit-style pizza (photo #4).
Instead of a round pizza, Detroit chose a rectangular pan 8″ x 10″ x 2.25″. It has a lighter crust with an exterior crunch.
Brick or white Cheddar cheese is added to the mix of mozzarella and romano. Here’s a recipe.
As with Chicago-style pizza, Detroit uses an inverted-layers approach with cheese on the bottom, then meats and vegetables, with the sauce on top.
Here’s a fun idea for a pizza dinner: One of each pie!
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[1] Make this deep dish pizza at home, with five suggested toppings. Here’s the recipe (photo © Ambitious Kitchen).
[2] Here’s another Chicago deep dish pizza recipe (photo © The Recipe Critic).
[3] Scarciedda, the savory Easter pie that inspired stuffed pizza (photo © Nancy’s Pizza).
[4] The side crust view of a Detroit-style pizza (photo © Joy Ride Pizza).
[4] A tall stuffed pizza (photo © Nono’s Stuffed Pizza).
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