1940s-present - Chicago tavern owners, Italian American pizzeria cooks, and neighborhood party hosts

Chicago Tavern-Style Pizza

Name: Chicago Tavern-Style Pizza
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 24 h
Yield: 2 pizzas, 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast; 3/4 cup water; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 cup thick pizza sauce; 2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella; 1/2 pound cooked Italian sausage or pepperoni; Dried oregano; Grated Parmesan

A cracker-thin Chicago tavern-style pizza with edge-to-edge toppings, a crisp crust, and small square slices.

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Difficulty

Hard

Prep time

35 minutes

Cook time

15 minutes

Total time

24 hours including curing dough

Servings

2 pizzas, 4 to 6 servings

Region

Chicago neighborhood taverns and pizzerias

Era introduced

1940s-present

Introduced by

Chicago tavern owners, Italian American pizzeria cooks, and neighborhood party hosts

Recipe tools

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The Story

Chicago tavern-style pizza is the local counterpoint to deep dish: thin, crisp, edge-to-edge, and cut into little squares. The style is tied to neighborhood taverns that served pizza as a salty snack with drinks and later to family parties where the square cut could feed a crowd. Its appeal is texture: dry enough to snap at the edges, sturdy enough to hold sausage and cheese.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup thick pizza sauce
2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
1/2 pound cooked Italian sausage or pepperoni
Dried oregano
Grated Parmesan

Equipment

Skillet
Oven
Cutting board
Chef's knife
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups and spoons

Directions

Mix flour, sugar, salt, yeast, water, and oil into a firm dough.
Knead until smooth, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
Let dough stand at room temperature 1 hour.
Roll very thin into two 12-inch rounds.
Dock dough lightly with a fork.
Top with sauce, mozzarella, sausage or pepperoni, oregano, and Parmesan all the way near the edge.
Bake on a hot stone or steel at 500 F until crisp and browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
Cut into small squares.

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