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Homemade Deep Dish Pepperoni Pizza Recipe

Serve this bubbling hot with garlic butter, salad, breadsticks, or your favorite pizza night sides for the ultimate comfort food dinner.

This homemade deep dish pepperoni pizza is thick, cheesy, buttery, and baked until perfectly golden in a cast iron enameled dish. The crust bakes up soft and fluffy inside with crispy golden edges, while the layers of gooey mozzarella, savory sauce, and crispy pepperoni create that classic pizzeria-style deep dish flavor everyone loves.

Baking pizza in cast iron creates the perfect deep dish texture because the pan holds heat beautifully and helps create those crispy buttery edges while keeping the center soft and cheesy.

If you love thick crust pizza loaded with cheese and pepperoni, this homemade deep dish pizza is going to become one of your favorite pizza night recipes.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Thick fluffy deep dish crust
• Crispy buttery edges
• Gooey melted cheese
• Loaded with pepperoni
• Perfect cast iron pizza recipe
• Better than takeout pizza

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

• 1 1/3 cups warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Pizza Filling

• 2 cups pizza sauce
• 3–4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 package pepperoni slices
• 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil for the pan
• Optional: Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Make the Dough

In a large bowl combine:

• warm water
• sugar
• yeast

Allow to sit about 5 minutes until foamy.

Add:

• flour
• salt
• olive oil

Mix until dough forms.

Knead for about 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

2. Let Dough Rise

Place dough in a greased bowl.

Cover and let rise about 1 hour until doubled in size.

3. Prepare the Cast Iron Dish

Grease your enameled cast iron baking dish generously with butter or olive oil.

This helps create crispy golden edges.

4. Shape the Pizza

Press dough into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the dish.

Allow dough to rest about 15–20 minutes.

5. Add the Layers

Add:

1. mozzarella cheese
2. pepperoni slices
3. pizza sauce on top

Finish with extra cheese, Parmesan, or Italian seasoning if desired.

Deep dish pizza traditionally layers cheese first to help protect the crust from getting soggy.

6. Bake

Bake at 425°F for 25–35 minutes, or until:

• crust is golden brown
• cheese is melted and bubbly
• edges are crispy

7. Cool Slightly & Serve

Allow pizza to rest about 5–10 minutes before slicing.

Serve warm.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Rise Time: 1 hour
• Bake Time: 25–35 minutes
• Total Time: About 2 hours
• Servings: 6–8

Tips for the Best Deep Dish Pizza

Oil the Pan Well

This creates the crispy buttery crust edges.

Use Lots of Cheese

Deep dish pizza should feel extra cheesy and rich.

Let Dough Rise Properly

This creates the fluffy deep dish texture.

Bake Until Deep Golden Brown

The crust should be beautifully golden and crisp around the edges.

Variations

Meat Lovers Deep Dish

Add sausage, bacon, and ham.

Supreme Pizza

Add peppers, onions, mushrooms, and olives.

Hot Honey Pepperoni

Drizzle hot honey over the pizza before serving.

Garlic Butter Crust

Brush crust with melted garlic butter after baking.

Jennie’s Thoughts

There’s something about deep dish pizza baked in cast iron that just feels cozy and homemade. The crust gets so buttery and golden around the edges, and the center stays soft and cheesy.

I especially love how thick and gooey the layers become when it’s fresh out of the oven. It honestly feels like restaurant pizza at home, and the smell while it bakes is incredible.

Pizza night always feels a little more special when it’s homemade from scratch.

What to Serve with Deep Dish Pizza

• Garlic bread
• Caesar salad
• Breadsticks
• Ranch dip
• Buffalo wings
• Roasted vegetables

Storage

• Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days
• Reheat in oven or skillet for best texture
• Freeze slices individually for up to 2 months

This homemade deep dish pepperoni pizza is cheesy, buttery, thick, and baked perfectly golden in cast iron. With fluffy homemade dough, crispy edges, melty mozzarella, and savory pepperoni, it’s the ultimate homemade pizza night comfort food recipe.