Pan Pizza
A thick, oiled-pan crust that effectively fries as it bakes, for a crisp, almost fried bottom.
Makes 1 10-inch pan pizza · Prep 20 min · Rise 120 min · Bake 22 min
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 1/2 cups Bread flour
- 1 cup Water, warm
- 3/4 tsp Instant yeast — Instant/quick-rise: stir straight into the dry ingredients, no proofing needed.
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
Pan
- 3 tbsp Olive oil — for the pan, not the dough
Topping
- 1 cup Pizza sauce
- 2 1/2 cups Low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
Instructions
Dough
- Whisk the flour and yeast together, then stir in the water and oil to form a soft, wet dough. Add the salt and knead until smooth.
Rise
- Cover and let rise in a bowl until doubled.
- Cover and let rise in the pan until puffy.
Pan
- Pour the pan oil into a 10-inch cast iron or heavy steel pan, tilting to coat evenly. Press the dough into the pan, pushing it out to the edges — it will spring back some; let it rest 5-10 minutes and press again if needed. (Tip: This dough is too wet and slack to shape freehand — pressing it directly into the oiled pan is what supports its shape while it finishes rising.)
Prep
- Heat the oven to 230°C (450°F).
Bake
- Top with sauce and cheese and bake until the top is bubbling and golden and the bottom, checked by lifting an edge with a spatula, is deeply browned and crisp.
Tips
- Bottom didn't crisp: Not enough oil in the pan, or a thin pan that lost heat too fast once the cold dough was pressed in. A generous oil pool and a heavy cast iron or steel pan both matter here.
- Cheese to the edges: Pushing the mozzarella all the way to the crust, right against the pan, gives a caramelised, slightly crisp cheese rim once baked — a signature of this style.