This simple skillet pan pizza recipe may turn out to be your all-time favorite. The dough is combined in the morning, let to rise all day to develop a wonderful yeasty flavor, then flattened into a pan, topped with your preferred toppings, and baked.
I have also included the recipe for the finest pizza sauce I have ever made—ride or die. I personally adore pepperoni and sausage on my skillet pan pizza, but feel free to top it as you choose!
What is Skillet Pan Pizza?
The name should go without saying, but to achieve a thick and crispy crust, pizza dough is squeezed into a pan, covered, and cooked at a high temperature in the oven. The crust is my favorite component of this dish; it’s chewy but thick, and the edges and bottom are wonderfully crispy.
This is a simple pizza-making method that eliminates the need for forming dough balls and requires no pizza stone. This is a fantastic choice for a weekday supper that will make your family very happy!
Is Pan Pizza the same as Deep Dish Pizza?
Kind of. For me, authentic Chicago deep-dish pizza that is around 3 inches deep is what I consider to be deep dish pizza. A Chicago deep-dish crust also has entirely distinct components. Having said that, this pizza dough is baked in what some would describe to as a deep-dish pan and is unquestionably thicker than a pizza crust made in New York or Naples.
The appeal of pan pizza is in the way the oil from the skillet sears the pizza’s bottom and edges while retaining a chewy and tasty inside crust. This pizza crust really reminds me a lot of Detroit-style pizza dough, but that’s a different tale and recipe for another day!
How to make Easy Skillet Pan Pizza
This recipe couldn’t be easier to make, even on a weeknight!
TOOLS NEEDED
SHAPING SKILLET PAN PIZZA
This is the very simple part—true “shaping” is not necessary! When the dough is ready to bake and has risen, just stretch and push it onto a pan. If the dough appears somewhat resistant, allow it to rest for a few minutes to allow the gluten to loosen up and expand more. You’re done when it stretches to the skillet’s edges!
CAN YOU USE ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR IN THIS RECIPE?
Yes, in a nutshell, but it won’t be the same, so procced at your own peril. The increased protein (read: gluten) proportion of bread flour, which results in a chewier/holier dough, is what makes it so beautiful. The trapped gases in the dough cause it to stretch throughout the rising process, giving it strength and enabling the gasses to remain trapped within, producing a thick but airy crust.
If you have access to high-gluten flour, it is recommended since it will yield better results than all-purpose flour. The bread flour from King Arthur Baking Co. is my favorite brand and can be found in most grocery shops.
CAN SKILLET PAN PIZZA BE MADE VEGAN?
Happy news! My sauce and bread are vegan already. All you need to do is swap out your preferred plant-based toppings, and your vegan pizza will be ready to eat!
WHAT’S THE BEST CHEESE TO USE ON PIZZA?
To be honest, I really like this question. I’ve put a lot of effort and study into figuring out the ideal cheese combination for skillet pizza. Of course, mozzarella is an absolute must. Use whole milk, low moisture mozzarella cheese instead of fresh mozzarella because it has a lot more taste and won’t make the pizza soggy.
Because provolone has a flavor similar to parmesan, I prefer to add it for a little salt and funk. Lastly, I like to add some fontina since it melts pretty beautifully and has a hint of salt. My own pizza cheese blend is created by combining the three ingredients! All of these cheeses are available at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, HEB, and well-stocked supermarket shops.
CAN YOU USE PRE-SHREDDED CHEESE?
PLEASE NOT YES. Please, don’t do that. Using a box grater, shredding cheese by hand takes five minutes. Even better, involve your children or significant other! My spouse is aware that he will always shred all the cheese when I make pizza.
Pre-shredded cheese is covered in cellulose, also known as wood pulp, which prevents the cheese from clumping together in the bag, which is why you shouldn’t use it. Both block cheese and cheese cannot melt due to cellulose. Here, believe me!
CAN YOU USE PRE-MADE PIZZA SAUCE?
Naturally, of course! Of course, I’m prejudiced, but I adore my recipe. It’s simple to prepare, tastes better than stuff from a jar, and keeps for up to three months in the freezer or a week in the refrigerator! Make use of whatever will facilitate your life.
More Recipe You Might Like
Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
Ingredients
PIZZA DOUGH:
- 2 3/4 cups 375 g bread flour
- 3/4 teaspoon 6 g kosher salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons 4 g active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons 25 g olive oil
- 1 cup + 1 Tablespoon 245 g water, at room temperature
PIZZA SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
TOPPINGS:
- 1 cup shredded whole milk low moisture mozzarella
- 1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese grated
- 1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese grated
- 2 oz pepperoni slices natural casings are best
- 2 spicy Italian sausages meat removed from casings
- freshly grated parmesan for sprinkling
- more olive oil for the skillet
Instructions
- Mix the flour, yeast, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, mix until incorporated, pouring in water and olive oil and mixing for two to three minutes. Place in a well-greased bowl or sizable plastic container, secure with a lid or plastic wrap, and let to rise for six to eight hours at room temperature. This is crucial for taste development, so take your time!
- Pour two teaspoons of olive oil into a cake pan or 12-to 13-inch cast iron skillet, and then rotate the pan to ensure the oil is distributed evenly. Press the proofed dough into the skillet after removing it from its container. Give the dough five minutes to relax the gluten if it isn’t extending to the edges before attempting to stretch again. After it reaches the edges, put plastic wrap over it and give it 20 minutes to rise.
- Heat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Drizzle the tomato sauce over the top. Top with crumbled sausage and pepperoni and sprinkle with cheese. If preferred, serve with a sprinkle of dried oregano. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown and the top is browned when lifted with a spatula.
- Take the pizza out of the oven. After letting it cool for about five minutes, move it to a chopping board, then cut it into slices. If preferred, top with grated parmesan cheese.
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