Want to see how this recipe was developed? See here.
Pan pizza is super easy to make and beats the pants off any place you can order delivery from. Best of all, you can make it using store bought pizza dough and sauce. All you need is some high-quality ingredients and a cast iron skillet.
About this recipe
- This pizza is designed to back in a 12-inch cast iron skillet with a tall rimmed edge. Lodge makes a great skillet for around $35.
- You can use any pizza sauce, jarred or canned. Marinara sauce can be used, too. Try to go for a sauce that is low in sugar and high-quality. If you want to make your own, try making J. Kenji Lopez Alt’s New York Style Pizza Sauce.
- This recipe is based off of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s No Knead Pan Pizza.
Total Time: 2 1/2 hours
Prep: 2 hours
Cook: 15 min
Yield: 1 pizza, feeds 2 to 3 people
Level: Easy
Ingredients
1 16-ounce pizza dough, store bought or homemade
1 cup pizza or marinara sauce
8 ounces low-moisture whole milk mozzarella
Toppings, as desired
1.5 ounces hard aged cheese, like Parmiggiano Regiano
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
1. Oil pan and allow dough to rest
Coat a 12-inch cast iron skillet with the extra virgin olive oil. Place the fridge temperature pizza dough in the pan (is using frozen pizza dough, allow to thaw to fridge temperature first). Using oiled fingers, lightly press the dough into a small 8-inch circle. Flip the dough to coat both sides in the oil. Cover the skillet and allow dough to rest until it reaches room temperature and stretches easily, one to two hours.
2. Turn on oven as hot as it will go
Adjust an oven rack to the bottom position and preheat oven to its highest setting, 500 to 550 degrees F.
3. Stretch the dough
Once the dough has rested, gently stretch it using oiled fingers until it fully reaches the edges of the pan’s bottom, going up the sides if necessary. Do not let the dough tear.
3. Top the dough with sauce, cheese, and toppings
Add sauce to the center of the dough and spread using the bottom of a large spoon or measuring cup until it reaches the edges of the pan. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the sauce to the edges of the pan. Add any toppings as desired.
4. Bake the pizza
Transfer pan to oven and bake until the bottom is crisp and the cheese and toppings on the pizza are golden brown and the edges are slightly charred, 12 to 13 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven. Run a knife around the edges of the pizza and carefully lift the pizza with a metal spatula. The pizza should be well-browned and crisp underneath and brown all over on top.
5. Continue cooking until browned (if necessary)
If the bottom is not browned, finish pizza by cooking it in the cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat, checking occasionally with a metal spatula, until it is well-browned and crispy. If the top of the pizza is not browned, adjust an oven rack to six inches under the broiler, turn the broiler on high, and place the pizza under it until the top is well browned all over.
6. Top with aged cheese and serve
Remove the pizza from the oven. Using two large metal spatulas or pie servers, carefully transfer the pizza to a cutting board, sheet pan, or pizza peel. Sprinkle the aged cheese over the entire surface of the hot pizza. Let rest for 5 minutes. Slice using a pizza cutter and serve.
Want to see how this recipe was developed? See here.