One of the ways that you can tell apart varieties of pizza is by their crusts.

Some pizzas feature a thick crust while some have thinner crusts.

Deep dish pizza and Sicilian pizza are both varieties of pizza that are loved for their thick crust among other features.

While Sicilian pizza and deep-dish pizza have a thicker crust compared to regular pizza, they are not the same.

You can tell Sicilian pizza and deep dish pizza apart by using their shapes and their toppings.

In this post we go into the details about these two styles of pizzas and explain what makes them different from each other.  

Difference between Sicilian pizza and deep-dish pizza

Here are some features that can be used to distinguish these thick crust pizzas. 

Shape

Sicilian pizza is known for its rectangular shape, while deep dish pizza is usually round in shape.

Sicilian pizza is baked on a sheet pan that is rectangular in shape. Deep dish pizza is baked on a deep-dish pan or a round cake pan.

Edges

One of the important features of the deep-dish pizza is its raised edges.

The dough for deep dish pizza is pressed on the base and the sides of the pan. This gives the pizza the appearance of a container.

The edges of Sicilian pizza are flat like regular pizza.

Toppings

Another feature that makes deep dish pizza stand out from other forms of pizza including Sicilian pizza is that the toppings are arranged in the inverse order.

In deep dish pizza, the cheese is first laid out before the tomato sauce.

The toppings in Sicilian pizza are layered like regular pizza with tomato sauce at the bottom followed by cheese and other toppings.

What is Sicilian pizza?

Originally known as sifincione in Italy, the is a style of pizza originated in Sicily.

Sifincione means “thick sponge” in English

There is a Sicilian version of this pizza, which is often compared to focaccia, a flatbread. 

Sifincione was brought to US by immigrants and adopted the name Sicilian style pizza as it came into the United States. 

In the US, Sicilian pizza refers to the thick rectangular shaped crust topped with onions, anchovies, breadcrumbs, tomatoes sauce, and cheese.

Seasoning like oregano and crushed red pepper may be used for the tomato sauce.

Sicilian pizza can easily be found in Italian American restaurants.

It is traditionally topped with hard cheese although modern recipes may contain mozzarella cheese.

The dough is made from flour, yeast, water and olive oil, and the pizza is baked in a square baking pan  

What is deep dish pizza?

Deep dish pizza is Chicago style pizza that is baked in a deep-dish pizza pan.

Its exact origin is disputed; however, Pizzeria Uno in Chicago is often credited with its creation.

The dough is made from wheat flour and oil

Deep dish pizza is round with a thick crust.

The crust is about 3 inches thick, and the edges of the pizza are raised high on the pan. This creates a depression on the pizza for the various toppings. 

Deep dish pizza is topped with tomato sauce, cheese, meat, and vegetables.

More tomato sauce is used in deep-dish pizza but less cheese. The tomato sauce also has a chunky texture.

The deep-dish pizza has the same toppings as you would find on any other pizza. But the toppings are laid out in an inverse order 

The cheese is laid out first followed by the other toppings and then the tomato sauce comes on top.