Tag: no-knead dough
Cast Iron Pan Pizza-Living on the Edge

Cast Iron Pan Pizza-Living on the Edge

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A couple of years ago King Arthur Baking’s Recipe of the Year was Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza.  Not surprisingly it was delicious.  It became our go-to pan pizza.  But a recipe from Cook’s Illustrated made me stray from the tried and true one.  Don’t laugh, it wasn’t actually the recipe that prompted me to try it,  but my brand spanking new Stargazer Cast Iron Pan.

Dough Meets Edge

What caught my eye, besides “bake in your cast iron pan”, was the copious amounts of cheese (I used a combo of Jack and Cheddar) intentionally sprinkled on the edge of where the dough meets the skillet side.  You end up with this crispy, cheesy, addicting, crunchy layer on your pizza crust.  Think Frico finish to your pizza edge. So good.

Look Ma, no hands!

Got Time?

Ok, like King Arthur’s recipe, this is a no-knead dough, which means, instead of kneading, you have to patiently wait for your dough to develop.  Time instead of muscle for the gluten to develop and for the air bubbles to form to make banging pizza dough.  First, start the day before you want to have pizza.  Make the dough, place it on a pie plate, cover it, put it in your fridge and fuggedaboudit.  12 to 24 hours later it’s time to put your pizza together.  I start my dough at about 2 pm the day before I want to have pizza.

Pizza Day

Next, about 2 hours before serving pull that bad boi out of the fridge. It needs a couple of finishing touches.  While it is sitting there looking pretty, make the sauce, which is super easy.  You don’t even have to cook it.  The recipe calls for using 1/2 the sauce on the pizza. HELLO?  What am I supposed to do with the other half?  I like sauce, I used all of it on my pizza.  I leave it to you.  But if you want to skimp (lol), save the rest for another pizza.

Extra Extra, It’s All About It

The OG recipe is dough, sauce, and cheese, which is yummy…but that doesn’t mean you have to follow it…go ahead, go crazy, EXTRAS.  Keep it veggie-centric and add peppers, onions, or mushrooms.  Sauteed any of them and place on pizza in this order, crust, 1/3 cheese, sauce, extras, remaining cheese.  Carnivores, feel free to add sausage or pepperoni, pre-cooked. I saved some of my extras for the top, just so everyone knows what they are getting on their pizza.

Typical of Cook’s Illustrated, they go the extra mile, in this case, the crispy crust mile.  Check the bottom of the crust after baking, if it needs a little more crisping, throw that brand spanking new cast iron pan on the stove.  Yep, super crispy crust.

This is a pretty darn good pizza, especially if you like crunchy bits of cheese, glorious cheese.

Start today, pizza tomorrow

Whaddaya Waiting For?

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Cast Iron Pan Pizza

From Cooks Illustrated Deep Dish Pizza with crispy edges
Course Breads, Main Course, One dish meals, Pie
Cuisine American
Keyword Cast iron pan, Crispy Cheese Pan Pizza, no knead dough
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rest Time 1 day 2 hours

Equipment

  • 1 10 inch cast iron pan

Ingredients

Dough

  • 2 cups bread Flour ; 11 ounces
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Yeast ; instant or rapid rise
  • 1 cup Water 105 - 110 degrees

The Sauce

  • 1 can Whole Peeled Tomatoes ; 14.5 ounces
  • 1 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove Garlic ; minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Oregano
  • 1 pinch Red pepper flakes

Putting It Together

  • 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 ounces Monterey jack cheese ; shredded 1 cup
  • 7 ounces Whole milk mozzarella cheese ; shredded 1 3/4 cup

The Extras

  • 1 cup Mushrooms of choice! Saute' mushrooms and toss em' on your pizza in between the sauce and cheese
  • 1 cup sauteed Italian sausage, pepperoni, or whatever you like for protein TOTALLY OPTIONAL
  • 1/2 cup diced sweet onions, bell peppers, your choice

Instructions

  • For the dough Start the day before!!!
  • Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir flour, salt, and yeast together in bowl. Add warm water and mix until most of flour is moistened. Using your hands, knead dough in bowl until dough forms sticky ball, about 1 minute. Spray 9 inch pie plate or cake pan with oil spray. Transfer dough to prepared plate and press into7 - 8 inch disk. Spray top of dough with oil spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 - 24 hours.
  • For the Sauce (so easy, no cooking. Ok, or use your favorite marinara, it’s okay)
  • Place tomatoes in fine-mesh strainer and crush with your hands. Drain well, then transfer to food processor. Add oil, garlic, sugar, salt oregano and pepper flakes and process until smooth, about 30 seconds.
  • For Pizza (You will need to start 2.5 hours before eating time)
  • Two hours before baking, remove dough for refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Coat bottom of 12 inch cast-iron skillet with oil. Transfer dough to prepared skillet and use your fingers to flatten dough until it is 1/8 inch from edge of skillet. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rest until slightly puffy, about 1.5 hours.
  • Thirty minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup sauce evenly over top of dough. Sprinkle Monterey Jack evenly over the border. Press Monterey Jack into side of skillet, forming 1/2 to 3/4 inch tall wall. (Not all cheese will stick to side of skillet). Evenly sprinkle mozzarella over sauce. Bake until cheese at edge of skillet is well browned, 25 - 30 minutes.
  • Transfer skillet to stovetop and let sit until sizzling stops, about 3 minutes. Run butter knife around rim of skillet to loosen pizza. Using thin metal spatula, gently lift edge of pizza and peek at underside to assess browning. Cook pizza over medium heat until bottom crust is browned, 2 - 5 minutes. Using two spatulas, transfer pizza to wire rack and let cool for ten minutes.
Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza, Knighted by King Arthur… Flour That Is

Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza, Knighted by King Arthur… Flour That Is

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In this topsy turvy year, where flour has been in short supply since the COVID crisis, King Arthur Flour selected a pizza as their recipe of the year.  It’s easy to make with the caveat it does require a good amount of time, so plan in advance.  But it is so worth the time, it’s delicious.  

Years of pizza filled kids’ events-birthday parties, sports parties, playdates at Chuckie Cheese, and school functions, have left me with an aversion to pizza.  But the kids have grown up, no more bad pizza, only pizza by choice, my choice.  

During quarantine, our daily routine always includes someone asking, what’s for lunch?  To which Wes has lately been replying, how about pizza?  A couple of friends have raved about King Arthur’s 2020 recipe, Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza which meant, pizza time baby.

Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza-Doing the Happy Dance

If you haven’t ever made your own bread, this is a great place to start.  This is one of those insanely popular, deservedly so, no-knead bread recipes.  Zero intimidation, a little bit of folding and lots of raves at the end, yep, it’s a keeper. The extended rest time gives rise (lol) to a crispy, airy, yummy crust.  The center is soft and pillowy and as you move to the perimeter it takes on a nice crunch.  

I’m sure the flour shortage during the time of COVID was pushed to new heights with this recipe. I used a 00 flour from Central Milling, I was out of KA AP flour.  You could sub bread flour by Gold Medal of Pillsbury as the protein content is a little higher and closer to King Arthur AP flour.  You make the dough, let it rest overnight in the fridge before putting on the final touches, TOPPINGS and then baking.

So a day later, take the dough out of the fridge and  smoosh it into a cast-iron skillet, I used my Staub pan or a 9-inch cake pan would work too.  But, keep in mind a heavy bottom skillet, especially cast-iron, enhances the crispiness.

Toppings

The King Arthur Flour recipe is all about the crust, no toppings so I went in search of a BOSS tomato sauce for the pizza.  First and last stop, Serious Eats.  New York Style Pizza Sauce, easy, tasty, a little spicy, a little sweet, a touch of basil, onion, and oregano, the perfect match.  Then the killer, butter is added to the sauce, which accentuates the crust.  OMGoodness, make this pizza.

Toppings are whatever your heart desires.  Our usual includes sausage and the triple-play of mushrooms, onions, and peppers.  Pre-cook toppings first.  My latest kick is adding arugula or micro-greens to the finished pizza.

Let me reiterate…Make this pizza, SOON.

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Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza

King Arthur Flour 2020 Recipe of the Year Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian-American
Keyword Crispy Cheese Pan Pizza
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting Time 1 day
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Cast-iron skillet or heavy bottom pan

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 240g I used 00 flour from Central MIlling
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast
  • 3/4 cup lukewarm water 170g
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 13g
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil for the pan 18g

Toppings

  • 6 ounces mozzarella, grated about 1 1/4 cups, loosely packed* 170g
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup tomato sauce or pizza sauce 74g to 113g homemade or storebought
  • freshly grated hard cheese and fresh herbs for sprinkling on top after baking optional
  • handful of fresh greens like arugula optional
  • toppings of choice

Tomato Sauce from Serious Eats

Instructions

  • Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. I really like using a scale.  Place the flour, salt, yeast, water, and 1 tablespoon (13g) of the olive oil in a medium-large mixing bowl.
  • Stir everything together to make a shaggy, sticky mass of dough with no dry patches of flour, about 1 minute by hand, using a spoon or spatula. 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. It'll rise slowly as it chills, developing flavor; this long rise will also add flexibility to your schedule.
  • Refrigerate it for a minimum of 12 hours, or up to 72 hours. It'll rise slowly as it chills, developing flavor.
  • About 3 hours before you want to serve your pizza, prep pan. Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons (18g) olive oil into a well-seasoned cast iron skillet that’s 10” to 11” diameter across the top, and about 9” across the bottom. Heavy, dark cast iron will give you a superb crust; but if you don’t have it, use another oven-safe heavy-bottomed skillet of similar size, or a 10” round cake pan or 9” square pan. Tilt the pan to spread the oil across the bottom, use a brush to spread some oil up the edges, as well.  
  • Transfer the dough to the pan and turn it once to coat both sides with the oil. After coating the dough in 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 jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
  • About 30 minutes before baking, place one rack at the bottom of the oven and one toward the top (about 4" to 5" from the top heating element). Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  • When you’re ready to bake the pizza, sprinkle about three-quarters of the mozzarella (a scant 1 cup) evenly over the crust. Cover the entire crust completely for those crispy, caramelized edges. Spread small spoonfuls of the sauce over the cheese. The first cheese layer helps prevent sogginess from the sauce. 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. Home ovens can vary a lot, so use the visual cues and your own preferences to gauge when you’ve achieved the perfect bake.
  • Remove the pizza from the oven and place the pan on a heatproof surface. 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 a little then transfer to a cooling rack or cutting surface. No soggy crusts.

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New York-Style Pizza Sauce

Perfect sauce for King Arthur Crispy Chessy Pan Pizza
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian-American
Keyword New York Style Pizza Sauce
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Equipment

  • Food mill, food processor, or hand blender

Ingredients

  • 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 medium cloves garlic grated on microplane grater (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 2 6-inch sprigs fresh basil with leaves attached
  • 1 medium yellow onion peeled and split in half
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

  • Combine butter and oil in medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Add garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and large pinch salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant but not browned, about 3 minutes.
  • Add tomatoes, basil sprigs, onion halves, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to lowest setting (bubbles should barely be breaking the surface), and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by 1/2, about 1 hour.
  • Discard onions and basil stems. Season to taste with salt. Allow to cool and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

The sauce makes enough for 2 12 inch pizzas so you will have plenty.  Keep the onion, don't discard it.  This sauce would probably work over some pasta too, with that onion!