Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Whole Wheat Dough
- 220 g all-purpose flour
- 110 g whole wheat flour
- 200 ml water, warm (40°C)
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 45 ml olive oil
- 5 g sugar
- 6 g salt
Spinach & Cheese Filling
- 225 g mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
- 150 g swiss cheese, sliced
- 300 g fresh spinach
- 2 garlic, minced
- 15 ml olive oil
Vegetables & Sauce
- 400 g canned plum tomatoes, whole peeled
- 2 fresh plum tomatoes, sliced rounds
- ½ green bell pepper, sliced into rings
- ½ red bell pepper, sliced into rings
- 30 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 10 g fresh basil leaves
- 2 g dried oregano
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 764 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbohydrates
- 83 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fiber
- 14 g
- Sugar
- 17 g
- Sodium
- 1296 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 15 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 50 mg
- Potassium
- 1953 mg
- Calcium
- 1122 mg
- Iron
- 9.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 211 mg
- Phosphorus
- 955 mg
- Zinc
- 6.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 964 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 100 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 388 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.43 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.62 mg
- Niacin
- 3.7 mg
- Folate
- 228 mcg
- Water
- 196 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Whisk warm water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a mixer. Let stand for 5 minutes until frothy.
Add olive oil, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and salt. Knead on low speed (or by hand) until the dough is smooth and tacky, but not sticky.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.
While dough rises, sauté spinach and minced garlic in olive oil over medium heat until fully wilted. Season with a pinch of salt.
Transfer wilted spinach to a clean towel or cheesecloth. Squeeze firmly to remove as much excess liquid as possible. Chop roughly.
Crush the canned plum tomatoes by hand into chunky pieces. Mix with dried oregano. Drain any excess liquid.
Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Generously oil the deep-dish pan. Press the dough into the bottom and 4cm up the sides of the pan.
Layer the ingredients in this exact order: Sliced Mozzarella and Swiss cheese on the bottom (directly on dough), followed by the dry spinach, then fresh sliced peppers and fresh tomato rounds.
Top with the crushed canned tomato sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
Bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Let the pizza rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Top with fresh basil leaves just before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Swiss cheese adds a distinct, nutty 'Alpine' flavor that pairs beautifully with spinach, distinguishing this from a standard pizza.
- Do not use fresh mozzarella balls packed in water for deep dish; the water content is too high. Use block mozzarella.
- The order of assembly (Cheese -> Veg -> Sauce) is the inverse of thin crust pizza and is essential for deep dish physics.
- For the sauce, hand-crushing whole peeled tomatoes provides a better texture than using tomato puree or store-bought pasta sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Reheat in oven or toaster oven to maintain crust texture.
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap slices individually in foil.
Reheating: Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 10-15 minutes.
Troubleshooting
Pizza crust is soggy on the bottom
Cause: Excess moisture from spinach or vegetables released during baking
Fix: Bake on the lowest oven rack for an additional 5-10 minutes to crisp the bottom
Prevention: Ensure spinach is squeezed very dry and use low-moisture mozzarella
Crust edge burns before filling is hot
Cause: Oven temperature too high or rack too high
Fix: Cover the crust edges loosely with aluminum foil for the remainder of the bake
Prevention: Use middle rack and monitor color
Cultural Context
Originating in Chicago in the 1940s, deep-dish pizza is characterized by a high edge that allows for large amounts of cheese and chunky tomato sauce. Unlike Neapolitan pizza which is eaten quickly, deep-dish is a knife-and-fork meal, often seen as a casserole-pizza hybrid.
