Gluten-Free Chicago Deep Dish Pizza (With Olive Oil Crust & Fresh Tomatoes)

This easy Gluten-Free Chicago Deep Dish Pizza features a crisp olive oil crust with a touch of cornmeal, layered with gooey mozzarella, crispy pepperoni, fresh tomatoes, Italian herbs, and Parmesan. It features the golden, puffed, crispy crust that authentic Chicago deep-dish pizza is known for.

Recipe Highlights

• Olive oil cornmeal crust: Olive oil creates a crisp, golden exterior and cornmeal adds a subtle, rustic texture that balances the tender, gluten-free crumb.
• Fresh tomato topping: Thinly sliced fresh tomatoes add fresh, delicious, juicy flavor without making the pizza overly heavy.
• Crispy pepperoni: Pepperoni bakes between the cheese and tomatoes for deliciously crisp edges.
• Easy gluten-free dough: The soft dough is pressed directly into the pans, so there is no rolling or complicated shaping.
• Two pizza option: The recipe makes two 9-inch pizzas, or you can bake the entire recipe in one 12-inch round pan. You may have to bake the pizza longer.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

Gluten-free all-purpose flour: Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum. For consistent results, weigh the flour rather than measuring it by volume, as gluten-free flour blends vary significantly in density, or use the one I used which gave me exceptional results.

Cornmeal: Fine yellow cornmeal gives the crust its distinctive flavor and texture. Avoid coarse cornmeal, which can make the crust gritty.

Tapioca starch: Helps give the gluten-free crust a softer, lighter and more flexible texture. You can also use corn starch.

Olive oil: Adds richness and helps create a crispy crust.

Butter: Butter is used only to grease the pans and lightly brush the exposed crust edges before baking. This helps the crust turn golden and adds wonderful flavor. YUM!

Fresh tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes are the signature topping in this version, replacing pizza sauce. Salting and patting dry the tomato slices before baking helps remove excess moisture and keeps the pizza from becoming soggy.

Mozzarella: Low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella melts beautifully and gives the pizza its classic cheesy layer. For the best melt, shred the cheese yourself.

Pepperoni: Use your favorite gluten-free pepperoni. You can adjust the amount to taste or substitute cooked Italian sausage. 

Pizza sauce: I prefer fresh tomatoes for this recipe because they add a better flavor. If you prefer a more traditional saucy deep-dish pizza, replace the fresh tomatoes with about 1 cup homemade or gluten-free pizza sauce. 

Optional Toppings: You can customize the pizza with up to 3 toppings. Good choices include sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, cooked Italian sausage, black olives, spinach, or banana peppers. For the best texture, avoid adding too many toppings or ingredients with excess moisture. If using mushrooms I cook them in oil briefly to remove most of the moisture (Optional).

My Tested Kitchen Tips

Weigh the flour: Gluten-free flour blends vary in density, so weighing the flour gives you the most consistent results.

Water temperature: It is crucial that the water temperature is between 115 F – 118 F for a good rise.

Yeast: Be sure the yeast is fresh, check the date that it has not expired. And I recommend to keep your yeast in the fridge for perfect rise.

The dough will be soft: This pizza dough is soft and very sticky, (don’t panic) it should be like that, thats why the crumb is light. Use lightly oiled fingers or the back of the oiled spoon to press it gently into the pans. Good thing this dough doesn’t have to be rolled.

Divide the dough evenly: For two pizzas, divide the dough equally between the two 9-inch pans. I like to weigh the dough to make sure both pizzas have the same amount.

Don’t skip drying the tomatoes: Tomatoes contain a lot of water. Salting and patting them dry helps prevent excess moisture from making the pizza soggy. THIS IS A MUST!

pizzas before baking one with pepperoni and one with tomato

Brush the crust edges with butter: After pressing the dough into the pans, lightly brush the exposed edges with the remaining melted butter. I use the brush to push the dough up the sides. This helps create a beautifully golden and flavorful crust.

Don’t worry about perfect edges: If the dough tears while you’re pressing it into the pan, simply press it back together with your fingers. The dough is very forgiving.

For one large pizza: Use the full recipe in one 12-inch round pan instead of dividing the dough between two 9-inch pans.

tomato pizza & pepperoni pizza

Storing and Reheating

Store leftover pizza covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For the best texture, reheat slices in an oven at 375°F  until the crust is crisp and the cheese is hot. Or even better use an air fryer.

Unbaked pizza can also be frozen. Wrap the whole pizza in the baking pan and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature before baking.

Make It a Gluten-Free Italian Night

Start with a bowl of Sicilian Chickpea Soup (Zuppa di Ceci) with Dumplings or Low-Carb Zuppa Toscana, add a side of Tear and Share Gluten-Free Garlic Bread, and finish sweet with a Coffee Cloud Gluten-Free Tiramisu Swiss Roll , or something refreshing like Gluten-Free Fresh Strawberry Tiramisu.

Hi, I’m Kristina, a gluten-free recipe developer creating and testing recipes since 2012. Every recipe on this site is made in my kitchen and personally tested (with the help of my very honest family!).

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and a quick review below, it helps other gluten-free cooks discover recipes they can trust.

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