Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza
King Arthur Flour
Notes
These are the basic ingredients; you are welcome to add pepperoni, parmesan, herbs, etc. depending on your taste!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon olive oil (plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for the pan)
1 1/4 cups grated mozzarella
1/2 cup pizza sauce
Directions
- Mix the flour, salt, yeast, water, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer to make a shaggy, sticky mass of dough. (This should take 30 to 45 seconds using the beater paddle.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl to gather the dough into a rough ball; cover the bowl.
- After 5 minutes, uncover the bowl and reach a bowl scraper or your wet hand down between the side of the bowl and the dough, as though you were going to lift the dough out. Instead of lifting, stretch the bottom of the dough up and over its top. Repeat three more times, turning the bowl 90° each time. This process of four stretches, which takes the place of kneading, is called a "fold."
- Re-cover the bowl, and after 5 minutes do another fold. Wait 5 minutes and repeat; then another 5 minutes, and do a fourth and final fold. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest, undisturbed, for 40 minutes. Then refrigerate it for a minimum of 12 hours, or up to 72 hours.
- About 3 hours before you want to serve your pizza, prepare your pan by pouring 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil into a cast iron skillet. If you don’t have one, use another oven-safe skillet, a 10" round cake pan, or 9" square pan. Use your fingers or a paper towel to spread some oil up the edges.
- Transfer the dough to the pan and turn it once to coat both sides with the oil. Press the dough to the edges of the pan, dimpling it using the tips of your fingers in the process. The dough may start to resist and shrink back; that’s OK, just cover it and let it rest for about 15 minutes, then repeat the dimpling/pressing. At this point the dough should reach the edges of the pan; if it doesn’t, give it one more 15-minute rest before dimpling/pressing a third and final time.
- Cover the crust and let it rise for 2 hours at room temperature. The fully risen dough will look soft and pillowy and will jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- When you’re ready to bake the pizza, sprinkle about three-quarters of the mozzarella evenly over the crust. Cover the entire crust, no bare dough showing; this will yield caramelized edges. Dollop small spoonfuls of the sauce over the cheese; laying the cheese down first like this will prevent the sauce from seeping into the crust and making it soggy. Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella.
- Bake the pizza on the bottom rack of the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the bottom and edges of the crust are a rich golden brown (use a spatula to check the bottom). If the bottom is brown but the top still seems pale, transfer the pizza to the top rack and bake for 2 to 4 minutes longer. On the other hand, if the top seems fine but the bottom's not browned to your liking, leave the pizza on the bottom rack for another 2 to 4 minutes.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and place the pan on a heatproof surface. Carefully run a table knife or spatula between the edge of the pizza and side of the pan to prevent the cheese from sticking as it cools. Let the pizza cool very briefly; as soon as you feel comfortable doing so, carefully transfer it from the pan to a cooling rack or cutting surface. This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
- Serve the pizza and enjoy!
Information
- Category
- Main Dishes, Pizza
- Yield
- 2-4 servings, depending on hunger levels
- Total Time
- 15 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds