A pizza made out of thick, fluffy dough and a crispy crust simultaneously: a delicious US alternative to the crispy, thin version from Italy!
Taste and Occasion
While it can't be thin and crispy enough for classic Italian pizza, the typical pizza from the US impresses with significantly high and fluffy dough. Another unique feature of the pan pizza recipe I'm presenting today is its preparation. As the name suggests, a pan plays an important role here.
In Germany, US pizza is mainly known by Pizza Hut and Co. I have honestly never visited this restaurant, but I believe that the foundation there is yeast dough. However, my pizza alternative from the cast iron pan is made waaaaay faster. Because it doesn't require any resting time. So just the thing when the pizza craving is once again enormous - and the patience for waiting, accordingly small 😉 .
Ingredients
I have oriented myself to our extremely quick and easy pizza dough without yeast and rising time. The result is a mixture of pan bread, focaccia, and pizza. There are also recipes where pan pizza is just baked on the stovetop, meaning no oven. For my recipe, you'll need a skillet and an oven. Why? Due to the initial browning in some oil and the heat from the pan's bottom, the pizza dough becomes crispy on the bottom. But stays, overall, nice and soft and fluffy. In addition, cheese melts only really nicely when you grill it over. And it should be an authentic pan pizza, not a topped cheese bread 😉 .
How to make the Pan Pizza
Let's get started, pizza-lovers: We start with mixing all the ingredients for the dough with a food processor or dough hook until smooth. Then, preheat oven to 440°F/220°C.
Now, heat oil in a large cast-iron, ovenproof pan (about 11 in / 28 cm); alternatively, use two smaller pans. Roll out dough with a rolling pin to about the size of the pan and place in the pan with hot oil. Then, spread again with your hands to the edges if necessary.
Fry the dough for 3-5 minutes over medium heat, then bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove, top with tomato sauce, grated cheese, and toppings, and bake in the lower third of the oven for another 5-10 minutes until the desired browning and you're done!
Top Tip
The pan pizza recipe without yeast is super easy and quick to make. However, you will need a cast iron pizza pan (which you can use for all other pan dishes, from the Austrian kaiserschmarrn and French crêpes to pancakes and pan bread). The pan you use must be oven safe and have a cast iron handle. There are also those with wooden handles that cannot be removed. You can't put them in the oven (like the one in the pictures 😉 …).
Recipe Card
Pan Pizza
Ingredients
For the dough
- 180 grams (1 ⅖ cups) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 100 milliliters (7 tablespoons) milk, or vegetable alternative
- 1 ½ teaspoon (1 ½ teaspoons) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (⅓ teaspoon) salt
For frying
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For topping
- 80 grams (⅓ cup) tomato sauce
- 80 grams (¾ cup) grated cheese
- Vegetables, salami etc. for topping
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for the dough with a food processor or dough hook until smooth. Preheat oven to 440°F/220°C.
- Heat oil in a large cast-iron, ovenproof pan (about 11 in / 28 cm); alternatively, use two smaller pans. Roll out dough with a rolling pin to about the size of the pan. Then, place in the pan with hot oil, and spread again with your hands to the edges if necessary.
- Fry dough for 3-5 minutes over medium heat, then bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove, top with tomato sauce, grated cheese, and toppings, and bake in the lower third of the oven for another 5-10 minutes until the desired browning.
Ingredient substitutions
Variations
Personally, we do like the classic Italian alternative the best. But this American pan pizza is a great alternative - even more so if you do not have much time. The only disadvantage is that if you don't have several oven-safe pans (as most probably do 😉) the portion for four people turns out a bit smaller - or you just eat easily one after the other.
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