Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza
King Arthur Flour 2020 Recipe of the Year Crispy Cheesy Pan Pizza
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.