What's The Difference Between Deep Dish Vs Stuffed Pizza?

To many, pizza seems like a simple and universal dish, but truthfully there are actually many different types of pizza out there. That doesn't just apply to preferential ingredient choices, like using white sauces or controversial toppings either. There are actually several different styles of making pizza, many of which are regional. These different approaches to making pizza can result in amazing texture and flavor changes and combinations.

When it comes to thicker crust pizzas in particular, most people categorize them all as deep dish pizzas. Known for its high sided crusts and loads of sauce, deep dish pizzas are delicious, but they are actually not the thickest pizza out there. Stuffed pizza takes things a step further, adding another layer of dough on top, encasing the layers of cheese and sauce.

Although these two pizza styles have distinct differences, they were both invented in the same place: Chicago. What's even more ironic is that Chicago has even more pizza styles under its belt, including a lesser known thinner crust pizza. Still, when it comes to thicker pizzas, we have Chicago to thank for both stuffed pizza and deep-dish pizza. So, what really separates the two from each other? 

Deep dish pizza is made using a thicker layer of crust at the bottom, which means it often has to be cooked in a specific deep dish pan. The depth of these pans allows the dough to rise up the sides to create a larger, more fillable crust. Think of them as resembling a straight-sided pie or cake pan with a wider diameter and 2-inch-high rim. 

One of the most distinct characteristics of deep-dish pizza is how the ingredients are layered. While most pizzas start with sauce then add cheese and toppings, deep dish pizza actually layers the cheese and toppings first. Sauce is then layered on top last, and usually in quite large amounts in comparison to other pizza styles.

Deep dish pizza is typically regarded as a Chicago specialty, but there is also a Detroit-style deep dish pizza as well. The difference between the two regional styles of deep dish pizza come down to toppings. Detroit-style deep dish pizza favors Wisconsin cheese and pepperoni specifically, while Chicago style deep dish tends to use sausage.

The biggest difference between deep dish pizza and stuffed pizza is that stuffed pizza is noticeably bigger and heartier due to the extra layer of crust. The process of making a stuffed pizza is similar to deep dish pizza, with the cheese and toppings being layered first. The extra layer of dough is then added, creating the stuffed portion of the pizza.

Generally speaking, stuffed pizza has more of everything in comparison to deep dish pizza, including more crust in the bottom layer. The cheese layer is also noticeably thicker, especially in comparison to how much sauce is used, creating a gooier texture.

Unlike deep dish pizza which layers the sauce on top of the toppings and cheese, the sauce is actually placed on top of the outer dough layer in stuffed pizza. Stuffed pizza is also cut differently than deep dish pizza; it is typically segmented into squares instead of triangular slices. Overall, a stuffed pizza looks and tastes different from a deep dish pizza, although both were invented in the same city and have some similar traits.