Homemade Pan Pizza

It’s official:
the first week of school completed, the after school activities began, and the football {high school, college, and the NFL} season is here.

It was a busy week for our family, and when it came time for dinner, the thought of ordering out was tempting, but I didn’t.  With a few preparations made earlier in the week I was able to put together some quick and easy dinners.  One popular item our family couldn’t get enough of lately is homemade pan pizzas {twice in a week}.  I made the dough a few days ahead and kept it in the refrigerator until needed. The supply of grated mozzarella cheese was in the freezer.  Ready made pizza sauce was in the pantry.  I used what pizza toppings I had on hand.  With salad as a side dish, dinner was served.

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Hot and delicious pan pizza with melted cheese and crispy/puffy crust.
The pizza dough recipe will make two 10-inch pan pizzas.  I used a cast-iron skillet  and  a LaCreuset pan to bake them in.  They will tolerate high heat and make the crust crispy.

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{print recipe, here}

makes two 10-inch pan pizzas
serves 4-6

Ingredients
1      pizza dough {recipe below}, divide in half to make two 10″ pizzas
12-16 oz   mozzarella cheese, grated
6-8  tablespoons pizza sauce  {more if needed}
4      tablespoons olive oil
pizza toppings {peperoni, sausage, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes…}

Instructions
preheat oven to 425°F

1.  Place the dough on a generously floured surface and knead into a smooth ball.  Divide the dough in half, form two round balls, cover each loosely with plastic wrap, let them rest for 10-15 minutes.

2.  Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to each pan and coat the surface {it will help to keep the dough from sticking to the pan}.

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{I like thick crust pizzas}

3.  Two methods to shape the dough into a pizza:

Method 1, roll the dough out with a rolling pin and transfer it into the pan and adjust it to fit.

Method 2, place the dough in the pan, with your floured fingertips press and stretch it out from the center {see image above}.

If the dough becomes sticky, sprinkle the dough/hand/rolling pin with more flour.

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4.  Top each pizza with 3-4 tablespoons pizza sauce and 6-8 ounces of cheese.

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{pizza toppings from bottom to top: tomato sauce, cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, basil, and parmesan cheese}

 5.  Add your favorite pizza toppings.

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{sprinkle fresh basil leaves and parmesan cheese before serving}

6.  Bake pizza for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese melted.

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Overnight – Pan Pizza Dough

makes two 10-inch pizzas

You can substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour or use half all-purpose and half bread flour.  I have tried all three ways and the pizzas turned out great.  Bread flour is higher in gluten and will make the pizza crust crispier.

Ingredients
3        cups bread flour {can substitute all-purpose flour}
1 ½   cups water
1 ½   teaspoons salt
1        teaspoon sugar
½      teaspoons yeast
olive oil/cooking spray to coat the container

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Instructions
1.  In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients and stir until a sticky dough forms.

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{I used “PAM” oil spray to coat the inside of a resealable plastic bag.} 

2.  Transfer dough to an oiled bowl/resealable plastic bag and cover bowl with plastic wrap or seal the  bag, set aside and let it rise 12-18 hours or overnight.

To use the dough at a later date, put it in the refrigerate for up to five days until needed.

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I doubled the recipe.

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My kids favorite topping is {turkey} pepperoni.

{print recipe, here}

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Posted by Kay