PAN PIZZA
This week on Basics, I'm taking another look at our beloved pizza and showing you how to make great pan pizza at home using a cast iron skillet, glass pie pan, or rimmed baking sheet.
Special Equipment List
Cast iron pan
Glass pie plate
Rimmed baking sheet (quarter size)
Food processor or immersion blender (if making your own tomato sauce)
Shopping List
For the pizza dough (makes two 10-inch crusts or one baking sheet crust):
16 ounces flour, plus more for work surface
2 tsp kosher salt
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
11 ounces room temperature water
Olive oil
For the tomato sauce
1 28-ounce can of peeled San Marzano tomatoes
2-3 cloves garlic
Dried oregano and basil
Red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Olive oil (optional)
Additional toppings:
Natural casing pepperoni, thinly sliced
Low moisture, full fat mozzarella
Fresh basil
Freshly grated parmesan, for serving
Method
Glass Pie Plate Method
Start by making your pizza dough. Combine flour, kosher salt, and active dry yeast in a big bowl.
Add room temperature water and mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms and no dry clumps remain.
Generously oil a medium bowl with olive oil. Put the ball of dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 18-24 hours.
Once rested, turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Cut the dough in half, as this will make 2 crusts for the glass pie plate.
Oil the pie plate with olive oil. Place the dough in the plate and gently coax the it to the edges using your fingers.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rest for at least one hour or until doubled in size. Now is also the time to preheat your oven - turn it on to its max heat setting and put a pizza stone in the oven as well.
While your dough rises, make tomato sauce. Combine tomatoes, garlic cloves, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a food processor or large cup for an immersion blender. Pulse a few times until smooth. Optionally, add a dash of olive oil for extra flavor.
Prepare your other toppings - I love to use natural casing pepperoni, thinly sliced, as well as low moisture (full fat) mozzarella and fresh basil.
Now that the dough is ready, top it with sauce edge to edge, then add the shredded mozzarella. Top with pepperoni and basil.
Bake for about 15 minutes.
Top with freshly grated parmesan and let rest for at least 5 minutes so you don’t burn your mouth. Serve and enjoy!
Cast Iron Skillet Method
Start by making your pizza dough. Combine flour, kosher salt, and active dry yeast in a big bowl.
Add room temperature water and mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms and no dry clumps remain.
Generously oil a medium bowl with olive oil. Put the ball of dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 18-24 hours.
Once rested, turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface. Cut the dough in half, as this will make 2 crusts for the cast iron skillet.
Oil the skillet with olive oil. Place the dough in the plate and gently coax the it to the edges using your fingers.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rest for at least one hour or until doubled in size. Now is also the time to preheat your oven - turn it on to its max heat setting and put a pizza stone in the oven as well.
While your dough rises, make tomato sauce. Combine tomatoes, garlic cloves, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a food processor or large cup for an immersion blender. Pulse a few times until smooth. Optionally, add a dash of olive oil for extra flavor.
Prepare your other toppings - I love to use natural casing pepperoni, thinly sliced, as well as low moisture (full fat) mozzarella and fresh basil.
Now that the dough is ready, top it with sauce edge to edge, then add the shredded mozzarella. Top with pepperoni and basil.
Bake for about 11-12 minutes.
Top with freshly grated parmesan and let rest for at least 5 minutes so you don’t burn your mouth. Serve and enjoy!
Rimmed Baking Sheet Method
Start by making your pizza dough. Combine flour, kosher salt, and active dry yeast in a big bowl.
Add room temperature water and mix with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms and no dry clumps remain.
Generously oil a medium bowl with olive oil. Put the ball of dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 18-24 hours.
Once rested, turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface.
Oil the baking sheet with olive oil. Place the dough in the plate and gently coax the it to the edges as best as you can using your fingers.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rest for at least one hour or until doubled in size. Now is also the time to preheat your oven to 450°F.
While your dough rises, make tomato sauce. Combine tomatoes, garlic cloves, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a food processor or large cup for an immersion blender. Pulse a few times until smooth. Optionally, add a dash of olive oil for extra flavor.
Prepare your other toppings - I love to use natural casing pepperoni, thinly sliced, as well as low moisture (full fat) mozzarella and fresh basil.
Now that the dough is ready, top it with sauce edge to edge, then add the shredded mozzarella. Top with pepperoni and basil.
Bake for about 20 minutes, but start checking it around 16 minutes.
Top with freshly grated parmesan and let rest for at least 5 minutes so you don’t burn your mouth. Serve and enjoy!