Pan Pizza

Like Pizza Hut, but much better

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Dough Resting1 4

Total Time1 5 15

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Keyword: Pizza Hut

Servings: large slices

Calories: 424kcal

Make the dough a day or two before you want to bake; the recipe makes enough for a large pizza. Measure out the 500g flour in a large bowl. Add about half to the stand mixer bowl. Add the salt.
In a mixing bowl or large measuring cup, combine 350g lukewarm water (100-110ºF), 4g active dry yeast and 5g sugar. Stir until dissolved. Add 35g olive oil.
Turn on the mixer to a low speed with the paddle attachment and add the liquid mixture to the flour slowly, making sure the dough is being scraped off the edges and well mixed together. Add the remaining measured flour. Mix it all together until it is a large, shaggy ball of wet dough. Remove the flat attachment and clean it carefully. Cover the mixer bowl and allow to sit for about 30 minutes.
Uncover the dough and return it to the stand mixer with the dough hook. Knead it until it is uniformly smooth and just a little sticky, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. You will almost certainly need to add flour here – maybe about ¼ cup extra. Move the dough ball into a lightly-oiled, medium-sized mixing bowl (or other container) that can accommodate about double-growth. Cover well (air-tight wrap) and allow to sit for 1 hour at room temperature. Then refrigerate for at least 20 hours, and up to three or four days.

The sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator or freezer, or you can make it on the pizza day; it makes enough for 2-3 pizzas, so save leftovers in the fridge or freezer.
Peel and mince the 1 clove garlic and 1 small shallot, if using either or both. Place a small saucepan over medium heat and add to it 1 tbsp olive oil. When the oil is just shimmering, turn down the heat a bit below medium and add the minced garlic and shallot (if using) and cook, stirring, until they are aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the oregano and red pepper flakes and stir briefly. Then add the tomato sauce, allow it to heat fully to the point where it just starts to bubble, then lower heat and add the 2 tsp honey or agave and stir well. Add salt to taste. Allow to simmer for a bit (5 min or so), stirring occasionally.

About four hours before baking, remove the dough from the fridge and remove from the bowl. Fold and shape into a flat square and place in an oiled, coated-aluminum baking pan (like a Detroit-pizza style pan). Cover well.
After about an hour, press and stretch the dough into the edges of the pan. If it’s stretching back too much to fill the pan, return every 15 minutes or so until you can get it to stretch to the edge. Keep it covered.

Heat oven to 450ºF with a baking stone, pizza stone or cast-iron pan in the bottom rack of the oven and a rack positioned over this, as close to the center of the oven as you can get.
Once pre-heated for at least 20 minutes, prepare the pizza. Use a spoon, ladle or curved spatula to very gently place a thin layer of sauce on the dough. Sprinkle the shredded cheese onto the pizza and add other toppings, such as veggie pepperoni, olives, fresh oregano, basil, jalapenos, etc. You can also dash a few sprinkles of salt on top.
Place the pizzas onto the middle rack of the oven. Turn the oven down to 425ºF once you’ve placed it in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when you can see nice burned sides and the cheese is bubbling and even starting to brown a little (not all cheeses will do this consistently, so the fully darkened sides are a better indicator).
Remove from the oven and use an offset spatula to separate the pizza from the sides as soon as you remove the pan from the oven. You want to very gently lift it and separate, but then leave it in the pan for another 10-20 minutes while it cools.
After the cooling period, you can remove the pizza to a cutting board and cut into slices, likely using a knife given the rise of the dough.