This gluten-free deep dish pizza has the perfect crispy, cheesy edges with a light and fluffy inside. It's the best of Chicago-style pizza but gluten-free.
This gluten-free deep dish pizza crust is seriously the BEST gluten-free pan pizza. This crust gets the beautiful crispy, cheesy edges you know and love. Skip the heavy, dense, gluten-free pizza crust because this crust is light and fluffy on the inside but still holds up to all the delicious toppings you decide to add to it. Trust me; you need this gluten-free crust on your next pizza night.
Jump to:
- What is Chicago-style pizza?
- Is deep dish pizza gluten-free?
- Ingredients for a gluten-free deep dish pizza.
- Can you make this a dairy-free pizza?
- How to make a gluten-free pan pizza.
- Tips and tricks to get the best deep dish pizza.
- Gluten-free pan pizza FAQ
- Storing and reheating gluten-free pizza.
- More gluten-free pizza to love.
- 📖 Recipe
What is Chicago-style pizza?
If you have never had Chicago-style pizza, you are missing out. Unlike regular pizza crust, which is stretched and rolled out, Chicago-style pizza dough is softer. It is then pushed into a pan and baked, which creates a crispy, crunchy cheese outer crust on the edges of the pizza. This makes a thicker, fluffy type of pizza crust.
Is deep dish pizza gluten-free?
I've never been to Chicago, but I have a few friends who live there, and they tell me that some places make a gluten-free crust, but most don't. That is not surprising since gluten-free pizza is a whole other animal at a pizza restaurant where flour is usually flying all over the kitchen. I sent them this recipe to test for me, and all said it's the best gluten-free deep dish pizza, which means you needed this recipe.
Ingredients for a gluten-free deep dish pizza.
- 1:1 Gluten-free Flour - I use King Arthur 1:1 Blend for this pizza crust.
- Corn Starch - You can also use arrowroot starch.
- Salt
- Baking Powder
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Olive Oil
- Warm Water
Can you make this a dairy-free pizza?
Yes, this gluten-free deep-dish pizza crust is already dairy-free. Just use your favorite dairy-free cheese to top it to make it a dairy-free pizza.
How to make a gluten-free pan pizza.
This gluten-free pan pizza crust comes together quickly and, most of the time, is entirely hands-off. Don't worry, though. You can still have a delicious gluten-free pizza night without waiting for hours.
Step 1: Mix the dough.
Step 2: Let the dough rise.
Step 3: Transfer the dough to an oiled baking pan.
Step 4: Let the dough rise again.
Step 5: Top, bake, and rest.
Enjoy the best gluten-free deep dish pizza.
Tips and tricks to get the best deep dish pizza.
- Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. - This gluten-free pizza dough must be mixed well to get the right texture. It does not work well to be mixed by hand.
- Whip the dough before letting it rise the first time. This is NOT your typical dough that is stretchy. It will look thin at first, but whipping it makes it thicker and helps to create bubbles which make the crust rise more. You want to whip on high with the paddle attachment for 4-5 minutes.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place. - This pizza dough has two different rise times, once covered and uncovered, for 30-minutes. I always like to turn my oven on and then place the dough on top of the stove, so it has a warm spot to warm up. If your oven has a proofing setting, you can also use that.
- Oil the pan well. - Be generous with your olive oil in the pan. I like to add a good two tablespoons and move it around to get a nice coating on the pan. This helps the bottom not only not stick to the pan, but also get really crispy.
- Add the cheese FIRST. - Adding a good layer of cheese over the top of the crust before adding your sauce helps to keep the crust from getting a soft layer on top by blocking some of the moisture in the sauce. Trust me, do this.
- Keep the sauce away from the edges. - Keeping the edges with just cheese allows the outer crust to get super crispy and crunchy, which is what we love about a good deep dish pizza. Also, when it comes to sauce, less is more.
- Bake in the right places. - You will start baking this gluten-free deep dish pizza at the very bottom of your oven. This might sound strange, and you're probably thinking, my pizza crust will burn. It won't. This helps the crust bake and get that beautiful crispy layer that helps to hold up all your toppings. Once the crust bakes on the bottom, it will be moved to the top of the oven to give the cheese extra melty goodness.
- Let it rest. - I know the urge to want to dig right in as soon as it comes out of the oven but trust me, it gets better if you wait. Letting the pizza rest about 10 minutes before cutting into it helps the cheese and toppings stay in place better but also enables it crisp up even more. Cutting it quickly, your crust will be softer.
Gluten-free pan pizza FAQ
This gluten-free deep dish pizza uses a different type of pan than traditional pizza. You don't need to go out and buy anything fancy. I use my 9x13 metal cake pan to make this pizza crust, but you could also use a nine or 10-inch round cake pan if that's all you have. The biggest thing that I've found is that dark pans give the best results. Baking this with glass pans, the crust stays softer, and you don't get the crisp edges.
The easiest way to get a deep-dish pizza out of the pan is to take the edge of a spatula and gently break the edge of the crust from the pan. Once you have the edge free, you can place the spatula under, pull the whole thing out, and place it on a flat surface.
The best way to cut a deep dish, pan pizza, is to remove it from the pan altogether. You don't want to use a regular pizza cutter for pan pizza. The best way to cut it is with a large chef knife or with kitchen shears.
Storing and reheating gluten-free pizza.
I don't tend to have leftovers when I make this gluten-free deep-dish pizza, but when I do, I find it tastes the best when it's eaten within two days. To reheat, I place it on a baking sheet lined with foil in a 375-degree oven for about 10 minutes for the best results.
More gluten-free pizza to love.
We love pizza in this house, so gluten-free pizza has been a passion of mine to get right. I never want to waste a pizza night on lousy pizza. These gluten-free pizza recipes will surely bring some fun and deliciousness to your next pizza night.
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free Deep Dish Pizza
Equipment
- Dark baking pan. This recipe makes enough for a 9x13 pan.
Ingredients
For the gluten-free deep dish crust.
- 1 ¾ Cups 1:1 Gluten-free Flour 273 grams
- 3 Tablespoons Corn Starch
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Yeast You can use quick rising or instant.
- 1 ¼ Cups Warm Water
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil Plus oil for the baking pan.
Toppings
- You can add cheese, pepperoni, sauce, and vegetables you desire.
Instructions
Make the gluten-free pizza dough.
- Bloom the yeast with the warm water and sugar.2 Teaspoons Sugar, 1 Tablespoon Yeast, 1 ¼ Cups Warm Water
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the gluten-free flour, corn starch, baking powder, and salt.1 ¾ Cups 1:1 Gluten-free Flour, 3 Tablespoons Corn Starch, 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 Teaspoon Salt
- Once the yeast has bloomed, add it to the dry ingredients and mix until all the dry flour is no longer visible.
- Add the olive oil to the dough and turn the mixer on medium-high and let it mix for about 4-5 minutes. The mixure will start off looking thin and will look like a thick cake batter after the time is up.2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
First rise.
- Once you've mixed the dough, cover the bowl and place it in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.
Transfer to a baking pan.
- Add a few tablespoons more olive oil to the pan and move it around to coat.2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Scoop the risen pizza crust to the center of the baking pan.
- Gently spread the pizza crust dough out towards the edges of the baking pan.
- Place the baking pan back into the warm place and let it rise, uncovered, for another 30 minutes.
Top, bake, rest, and enjoy.
- Move the racks in your oven. You want one rack on the very bottom of the oven and one rack on the very top of the oven.
- Once the dough has fully risen, preheat your oven to 375 °F.
- Add a layer of cheese to cover the top of the crust, making sure to take it all the way to the edges.You can add cheese, pepperoni, sauce, and vegetables you desire.
- Spoon your sauce on top of the cheese, and make sure to keep it away from the edges.
- Top with pepperoni and other toppings if desired.
- Place the pan with the pizza on the rack on the very bottom of your oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes. At this point, if your outer edge is looking crispy, transfer it to the top of the oven. If it's not, give it another 2-3 minutes.
- Once the outer edge looks crispy, transfer it to the top and bake for about 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and let it rest in the pan for about 5-10 minutes.
- After it has rested, carefully break the crust around the top edge of the pizza with a flat spatula.
- Slide the spatula underneath the pizza and carefully remove it from the pan onto a flat cutting surface.
- Use a large knife to cut the pizza into slices and enjoy.
Notes
- Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. - This gluten-free pizza dough must be mixed well to get the right texture. It does not work well to be mixed by hand.
- Whip the dough before letting it rise the first time. This is NOT your typical dough that is stretchy. It will look thin at first, but whipping it makes it thicker and helps to create bubbles which make the crust rise more. You want to whip on high with the paddle attachment for 4-5 minutes.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place. - This pizza dough has two different rise times, once covered and uncovered, for 30-minutes. I always like to turn my oven on and then place the dough on top of the stove, so it has a warm spot to warm up. If your oven has a proofing setting, you can also use that.
- Oil the pan well. - Be generous with your olive oil in the pan. I like to add a good two tablespoons and move it around to get a nice coating on the pan. This helps the bottom not only not stick to the pan, but also get really crispy.
- Add the cheese FIRST. - Adding a good layer of cheese over the top of the crust before adding your sauce helps to keep the crust from getting a soft layer on top by blocking some of the moisture in the sauce. Trust me, do this.
- Keep the sauce away from the edges. - Keeping the edges with just cheese allows the outer crust to get super crispy and crunchy, which is what we love about a good deep dish pizza. Also, when it comes to sauce, less is more.
- Bake in the right places. - You will start baking this gluten-free deep dish pizza at the very bottom of your oven. This might sound strange, and you're probably thinking, my pizza crust will burn. It won't. This helps the crust bake and get that beautiful crispy layer that helps to hold up all your toppings. Once the crust bakes on the bottom, it will be moved to the top of the oven to give the cheese extra melty goodness.
- Let it rest. - I know the urge to want to dig right in as soon as it comes out of the oven but trust me, it gets better if you wait. Letting the pizza rest about 10 minutes before cutting into it helps the cheese and toppings stay in place better but also enables it crisp up even more. Cutting it quickly, your crust will be softer.
Christie says
I have not had a Chicago Style deep crust pizza since being diagnosed with celiac. This pizza crust checks all the boxes for my family and me! Light and fluffy, perfect chewy texture, similar to traditional Chicago style pizza from what I remember from years ago, and…it was simple and fast! This is our new go to for our family pizza night! My entire family says this is 5 stars!!! Thank you for your recipe! Now I am looking forward to trying more!
Stefanie Duggan says
My family has declared this as the best gluten free pizza they have ever had - and we've been gluten free for 10 years now! They love the thick crust - so tired of the paper thin crunchy gluten free crusts! My teenager daughter has asked me to make this 3 times now including for her birthday dinner. We are dairy free as well and have found the Field Roast Chao Shreds works great. Thank you for such a great recipe!!
Susan says
Followed it to the T, it’s ok but I’m going to stick with my frechetta frozen pizza.
Yarrow West says
It didn't rise as high as I hoped, but I had troubles with the timer not setting, so that could be to blame. It stuck to the bottom really well, but that could be because the only oil I had wasn't olive oil, or because my son set it on top of the oven which was cooking something else for a while. The texture and flavor were great. I couldn't tell if I wasn't looking for it. I am so thankful that you shared this recipe. I will make it again as soon as I get more olive oil. Thank you so much.
Elaine DeRamus says
This recipe is absolutely amazing! The most difficult trek in my 18 years of gluten free has been the search for a good pizza crust alternative. I made this last night and followed the recipe exactly except my oven took a few minutes longer to cook. My husband and I were in Pizza Heaven! It was so far beyond my expectations, and if I hadn't made it myself I would have never believed it was gluten free!
Thank you so much for our new go-to pizza crust recipe we could proudly serve to anyone!
Mandy Taylor says
I just made this! Amazing! I also used a cast iron pan at 400. This is the best gluten free pizza I have made! Thank you so much, it’s been so long since I’ve had a good pizza. This is on the weekly menu now!
Kay says
Wow! This pizza crust was super easy to make and tasted so good, I couldn't tell it was gluten-free. Neither could my gluten-loving boyfriend. I made it in a large cast-iron skillet and used King Arthur Gluten-Free '00' Pizza Flour--highly recommend. Maybe due to the thickness of the skillet, I found that baking it at 375 went very slowly. So I just cooked for a shorter amount of time at 400+, which worked great.
Sara Vaughn says
So glad you guys like this gluten-free deep dish pizza!