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Chicago-style" deep-dish pizza must have its crust, which resembles a pie crust more than a traditional pizza-style flatbread, baked alone before toppings are added, and so takes longer to prepare it than most other types of pizza.

(A)"Chicago-style" deep-dish pizza must have its crust, which resembles a pie crust more than a traditional pizza-style flatbread, baked alone before toppings are added, and so takes longer to prepare it than most other types of pizza.

Usage of and -> so takes longer to prepare it -> unnecessary reversal of sub-verb correct so it takes longer to cook.
from meaning seems as if someone else is making the pizza
There is another point 'AND' makes clause don't have any link. but i think usage of SO clears this ambiguity . There are questions in gmat prep with correct ans as ' , and so'


(B)The crust of "Chicago-style" deep-dish pizza is more similar to a pie crust than to a traditional pizza-style flatbread and must be baked alone before adding toppings, thus taking longer to prepare than most other types of pizzas.

V-ing points to subject 'The crust' - it should be the pizza


(C)"Chicago-style" deep-dish pizza takes longer to prepare than most other types of pizza because of its crust, resembling a pie crust more than a traditional pizza-style flatbread, must be baked alone before adding toppings.

again Resembling points to Pizza rather that its crust
also for 'must be baked ..' we need a conjunction to join it -> ..., and must ...


(D)"Chicago-style" deep-dish pizza takes longer to prepare than most other types of pizza because its crust, which is more like a pie crust than like a traditional pizza-style flatbread, must be baked alone before toppings are added.

correct

(E)Because its crust is more like a pie crust than a traditional pizza-style flatbread, "Chicago-style" deep-dish pizza must have its crust baked alone before toppings are added, and so takes longer than most other types of pizzas to prepare it.

there is no need of sub-verb reversal

so it takes longer to prepare than...
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Chicago-style" deep-dish pizza must have its crust, which resembles a pie crust more than a traditional pizza-style flatbread, baked alone before toppings are added, and so takes longer to prepare it than most other types of pizza.


(A)"Chicago-style" deep-dish pizza must have its crust, which resembles a pie crust more than a traditional pizza-style flatbread, baked alone before toppings are added, and so takes longer to prepare it than most other types of pizza.
Wrong. Because "it" is not clear. We may think "it" is the pizza crust, not a pizza itself.

(B)The crust of "Chicago-style" deep-dish pizza is more similar to a pie crust than to a traditional pizza-style flatbread and must be baked alone before adding toppings, thus taking longer to prepare than most other types of pizzas.
Wrong. "thus taking longer....." modifies the subject that is "The crust", not the pizza.

(C)"Chicago-style" deep-dish pizza takes longer to prepare than most other types of pizza because of its crust, resembling a pie crust more than a traditional pizza-style flatbread, must be baked alone before adding toppings.
Wrong. "because of its crust.... must be baked" is wrong grammar. Because of + noun phrase, not a clause.

(D)"Chicago-style" deep-dish pizza takes longer to prepare than most other types of pizza because its crust, which is more like a pie crust than like a traditional pizza-style flatbread, must be baked alone before toppings are added.
CORRECT.

(E)Because its crust is more like a pie crust than a traditional pizza-style flatbread, "Chicago-style" deep-dish pizza must have its crust baked alone before toppings are added, and so takes longer than most other types of pizzas to prepare it.
Wrong. Change meaning. We may think the crust takes longer to bake, but the meaning here is the pizza takes longer to bake.
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How come here it is acceptable to use "like" in Answer D when usually we have to such "such as"?