Pan pizza, like Pizza Hut
I set out to get better at breads and doughs this year because as someone who loves to cook and also loves to become good at new things, I appreciated the challenge this presented. One dish that quickly became essential for me to master is pizza dough. We like to eat this once a week, usually on Fridays, and have defaulted to buying it. This became increasingly disappointing in London, so I took matters into my own hands. I set out to mimic Pizza Hut from its early days, and I can confidently say I’ve achieved this.
After many attempts with different recipes, we found the No-Knead Pan Pizza from King Arthur to be equally delicious and also able to be spontaneous since it only requires a little over an hour to rise. Below is my version with their base as the foundation, enjoy!
Bentley’s Pan Pizza (with influence from John)
What you need
220 grams flour (any flour works, but the best IMO is a mix of bread flour and semolina)
1 TSP instant yeast (or quick yeast in the UK)
1 TSP kosher salt
13 grams olive oil
142 grams lukewarm water (between 85 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit)
For the pan: 1 TBS olive oil + 1/2 to 1 TBS butter
For the toppings:
3/4 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella
3/4 cup shredded provolone (or sharp cheddar if you’re in the UK)
Storebought marinara (or homemade if you’re feeling ambitious)
Pepperoni
Banana peppers and/or thinly sliced red onion
How to make it
Weigh the dough ingredients in a large bowl and combine with a rubber spatula until it’s slightly sticky and soft, don’t overdo this part. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rest and rise for 30 minutes. It won’t get notably bigger, but it will puff a bit, just keep going.
Pro tip: If your home is cold or drafty, turn your oven on a really low heat for a few minutes, turn it off, then put your dough in there to help it rise.
While the dough is rising, grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet with olive and melted butter. This combination is critical for the ultimate crispy crust, I don’t make the rules, I just follow them.
After the first rise, move the dough from the bowl to the greased pan and flip it once so it’s fully coated in oil/butter. Cover the pan with a towel and let it rise for 15 minutes.
After this, gently press the dough to stretch it to the edge of the pan. Don’t force it, just lightly do this evenly, then cover it with the towel and let it rise a final time for 30 minutes.
Once it’s done, sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with salt, then dollop your sauce all over and gently spread with a spoon until it’s fully covered to your liking. I go close to the edge, choose your own adventure.
Top the sauce with both cheeses, then place your pepperoni on top — I used to think you should put cheese on top of the toppings, but this is false, don’t do that, they won’t get crispy. Add any produce you’re using last, or even midway through baking depending on how delicate.
Pro tip: I know what you’re thinking, why would you put cheddar on a pizza?! I’ll tell you. Mozzarella is too weak on its own, it needs a jazzy friend to do its job correctly. Trust.
Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and let cool down in the pan for about 10 minutes. Carefully slice into 8 pieces and good luck not eating half of this on your own.
