Chicago deep dish pizza defies tradition by inverting layers to protect the cheese from burning

While traditional pizzas place cheese on top, Chicago deep dish engineering flips the script by using the sauce as a protective lid. Because these pies require 30 to 45 minutes in the oven to cook through their two-inch thick crust, a top layer of cheese would incinerate. Instead, the cheese is placed directly on the dough, acting as a moisture barrier that prevents the crust from becoming soggy.