Tacoma is located approximately 2000 miles from Chicago, the birthplace of deep dish pizza. So, it’s no wonder we sometimes get questions about our pies – from “what is this?” to “how do I eat this?” to “isn’t this actually just a casserole!?” For those of you familiar with deep dish, feel free to move right onto our menu. For those of you scratching your heads, don’t stress. We’ve got ya.
I. What’s the difference between deep dish pizza and ‘regular’ pizza?
Deep dish pizza, or “Chicago-style” pizza, gets its name from the 2 to 3” deep pan that it’s baked in. Because of this baking style, deep dish pizza has tall crusts that get slightly fried from the oil in the pan. In a way, this makes Chicago-style pizza a lot more like a pie than a flatbread. Similarly, the toppings seem a bit more like fillings, since they “fill” the pizza rather than “top” it.
II. How long does deep dish pizza take to cook?
Like any thick, dense recipe, Chicago-style pizza must stay in the oven for a hot minute. On average, it takes about ten minutes longer than its flatbread counterpart. At Katie Downs, our pies take about 20-25 minutes to bake. But some at-home recipes even call for 40 minutes of baking time. This is to ensure that the oven’s heat completely infiltrates the dense inner layers of the pizza (after all, there’s nothing worse than hitting a cold spot – we’ve all had that Hot Pocket experience before).
III. Should I be eating deep dish pizza with a fork and knife?
Ultimately, the decision is up to you. Buuut, you may be more inclined to use silverware with a deep dish pizza than your run of the mill flatbread. Let’s return to the deep dish as a pie analogy. You could eat a slice of apple pie with your hands, but would you want to? With precious ingredients dripping out the sides? You open yourself up to the same mess – and loss of delicious filling – when you eat a slice of deep dish with your hands. For that reason, you may find silverware the best way to go.
IV. How do you cut a deep dish pizza?
When it comes to cutting your deep dish pizza, you must once again consider its pie-like structure. With deep dish pizzas, your typical circular pizza cutter might not cut it – literally. Many kitchens use chef’s knives to get the job done, and those who do use pizza cutters (like us!) understand the extra muscle needed to wrangle these thick pies.
V. Is deep dish pizza the same as pan pizza?
Often, these terms get used interchangeably. However, they are not quite the same thing. Pan pizza typically refers to flatbread pizza with a thick crust. Deep dish pizza, on the other hand, isn’t thick crust, but rather tall crust, so to speak. That’s because deep dish pizza is a lot like a casserole with a thin pie crust.
VI. What does deep dish pizza look like?
Lucky for you, we love taking pics of our deep dish pizza. (Do we love them like our own cheesy children? Maybe). See for yourself below – and head to our menu if something catches your eye.
