Deep-dish pizzas are making a huge comeback right now.
But while they’re all thick & doughy (and DELICIOUS), there are a few differences between the more popular deep-dish pizzas.
Here’s a quick breakdown of Detroit-style vs Chicago-style vs Sicilian-style:
| Detroit | Chicago | Sicilian | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Detroit, MI, USA | Chicago, IL, USA | Sicily, Italy |
| Shape | Square or Rectangle | Round | Square or Rectangle |
| Dough | High hydration, very doughy | Med-high hydration, often closer to thick pie crust | High-hydration, very doughy. Like Foccacia bread! |
| Sauce | Tomato-based (pretty normal)–in stripes on top of the pizza! | Tomato-based (pretty normal) | Tomato-based, usually a bit more olive oil tasting. Sometimes cooked first (separately) |
| Cheese | Mozzarella (bonus points for brick cheese from Wisconsin) | Mozzarella | Mozzarella, often combined with other strong cheeses |
| Toppings | Pretty minimal. Oftentimes just cheese & pepperoni | Lots! Pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, onions, mushrooms, anything | Anything, but traditionally lots of onions, herbs (basil and oregano!) Cured meats. |
| Ingredient order | Dough on bottom, then cheese, then toppings, then 2 stripes of sauce on top | Dough on bottom, lots of toppings & cheese in middle, LOTS of sauce on top! | Dough on bottom, some people build like a normal pizza (sauce under cheese and toppings), others build like a Detroit-style |
| Bake | 12-15 mins at high temps (550F), often on baking stone/steel | Longer at medium temps (25-30 mins on 425F) | Longer at medium temps (25-35 mins at 450F) |
| Served | small squares | slices or “wedges” | small squares |
Now let’s dive deeper (get it??) into the details 👇
What is Detroit-style pizza?
Detroit-style pizza is thick & rectangular, usually with simple toppings.
Although the dough is basically bread–Detroit-style pizza is known for it’s crisp & crunchy crust.
The crunchy crust comes from 2 things:
- High bake temperatures (I personally use a baking steel underneath mine to transfer even more heat faster, but a baking stone is fine as well)
- Cheese gets baked into the dough around the edges!
Yum.
Another unique thing about Detroit-style pizza is the pan: it’s generally made in a square or rectangular steel pan with tall, slanted sides.
Related post -> Everything you ever wanted to know about Detroit-style pizza.
No, you don’t have to use a specific Detroit pan, but it does help in 2 ways:
- If you accidentally let the dough rise “too much,” the tall edges will still contain the pizza
- The slanted edges supposedly help the cheese settle down into the sides, creating a slightly burnt & crispy taste
Here’s the pan I purchased on Amazon. It’s fantastic.
But of course, you can always use any rectangular baking pan.
Another benefit to Detroit-style pizza is you can usually proof the dough in just a few hours.
Detroit-style pizza usually involves…
- Mixing the dough
- Let it rest (proof) for about 30 minutes
- Knead and shape the dough a bit more
- Proof for 2 hours-ish
- Shape into a pan
- Proof for 30 mins
- Stretch and shape into the pan again
- Proof for 30 mins
- Repeat as necessary
In total, it takes about 4-5 hours depending on your room temperature and recipe. That’s easy and quick for a same-day pizza!
Click here to see my all-time favorite Detroit-style pizza recipe.
Where did Detroit-style pizza come from?
In the early days of automobile manufacturing, factory workers in Detroit started using the equipment and machinery around to make pizzas. They would use pure steel pans to mix the dough, etc, and even use heat from machinery to cook the pizza!
What is Chicago-style pizza?
Although it is also a deep-dish pizza, Chicago-style is very different than Detroit and Silician pizza.
For one, it’s generally baked in round pans and served in slices (like traditional thin-crust pizza, etc).
And although the dough is pretty similar to other deep-dish pizzas (it’s more fluffy, bread-like, and shaped like a pie crust), Chicago-style pizza generally offers a LOT more choices for toppings.
- Detroit-style: Usually 1-3 simple toppings
- Sicilian-style: Usually 1-3 simple toppings, often herbs, onions, and other Mediterranean toppings
- Chicago-style: Just about anything available to non-deep-dish pizzas.
Meats, veggies, etc, all mixed together with the cheese inside of the crust–much like a traditional pie.
The sauce on Chicago-style pizza is located on top of everything else.
And while you can absolutely make Chicago-style pizza at home, I’d argue it’s way harder (mostly due to the crust and sauce preparation)!
The Chicago-style dough is usually proofed for longer (similar to Neapolitan or NY-style pizza), meaning anywhere from 12-48 hours.
The sauce is usually cooked on the stove top separately as well.
While making Chicago-style at home isn’t harder, it does take more time and energy than Detroit-style or Sicilian-style.
What is Sicilian-style pizza?
Sicilian pizza is another rectangular-shaped deep-dish pizza served in squares, and with minimal ingredients.
(It’s very similar to Detroit-style pizza, with the main difference being the toppings, as well as some slight differences in the dough).
In fact, it’s HIGHLY likely that Sicilian pizza is the inspiration for Detroit-style, Grandma-style, etc.
Where did Sicilian pizza come from?
Sicilian pizza, or “sfincione,” originated in Sicily, Italy, hundreds of years ago. There are dozens or variations on this deep-dish style around Italty, as local culture and traditions heavily influenced how it was made!
The main thing that sets Sicilian pizza apart is the toppings:
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Anchovies
- Other cured-meats
- Herbs and spices (basil, oregano, etc)
- A strong cheese
Most Silician recipes you can find online will stick to a Mediterranean topping list like this.
For more on Grandma vs Sicilian, see this post.
The Sicilian-style dough is another high-hydration dough (65-75% water), similar to Detroit-style, but is often proofed longer, upwards of 12-24 hours.
If you’re making deep-dish at home, you could totally make 5-hour Detroit-style pizza dough and simply use Sicilian-style toppings, but that’s not the traditional Sicilian-style crust.
Also, most people usually make Sicilian pizza with the sauce under the cheese & toppings.
More Deep-Dish F.A.Q.s
What’s the best deep-dish pizza?
This will come down to personal preference based on your preferred toppings, and whether you’re making the pizza at home or going to a pizza restaurant! Personally, I prefer a Detroit-style deep dish, as it’s easier for beginners to make at home, and also quicker (Chicago and Sicilian pizzas often cold-proof their dough in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours).
What’s the easiest deep-dish pizza to make at home?
Detroit-style is probably the quickest and easiest to make at home. The dough only requires a few ingredients and a few hours to proof (rest). Also, there’s no need to pre-cook the pizza sauce like some other deep-dish pizzas (like Sicilian), and Detroit-style pizza is usually great with common mozzarella cheeses and other toppings.
What is grandma-style pizza?
“Grandma-style” pizza is a very simple deep-dish recipe that easy and fast to make. It’s usually made in a rectangular pan (similar to Detroit or Sicilian styles), with a simple dough recipe that doesn’t need to rise for long. It’s usually thicker than thin-crust pizza, but not as thick as Detroit or Chicago-style pizzas. It’s called “grandma” style because you can basically just throw some basic ingredients on top of the dough (sauce, cheese, toppings), similar to what your grandma might have made for you.
Why does Sicilian pizza taste different?
Sicilian pizza stands out in a few different ways, including the fluffy, focaccia-style crust, and the Mediterranean-style toppings (onions, olives, herbs, etc). Additionally, Sicilian pizzas usually feature a stronger combination of cheese, rather than just mozzarella.