I wish I could tell you that I, a native New Yorker, have been making crispy pan pizzas for years. It’s certainly a thing, and something I knew about. There’s a shop by us, Prince Street Pizza, that does it best and I don’t mess with perfection. And I’ve made plenty of homemade pizzas, from thin-crust to flatbreads, tomato pies to sardine pies, even bagel pizzas but a full-on, square, crispy-bottomed, high-sided pan pizza? That’s new terrain for me.

And I’m a little annoyed that it took me this long. First, let’s get this out of the way: This is not just my no-knead pizza dough baked in a pan, because a lot of that dough (which is excellent, don’t get me wrong) would just be bread, and not crispy on the bottom. To get crispy pizza in a pan, you need a high-hydration dough (which that recipe is) AND a lot of oil (which that recipe isn’t big on). This uses quite a bit more oil, both in the dough and in the pan, to get that luscious, crisp, golden-fried bottom and edge. You’re also going to use less dough than you think, which I found to be critical in it not becoming a bread pie.

Second, this is so simple because you only need one single proof. As in, you mix the dough, you let it rise until bubbly, you scrape it into an oiled pan and stretch it to the edges, and then top and bake. I know! I was shocked how good it was with such little effort, not to mention how manageable this makes it to do this on a weeknight. I think the key is to use a cast iron pan so the heat from the bottom is more even and aggressive than on a regular pan, but I’ve also tried it in a standard metal baking pan with good results too. The bottom won’t get as deeply bronzed but it will still be good.

Third, once you stretch the dough in the pan, you’re not going to let it rise again fully. Instead, you’re just going to dot it with sauce and cheese and then let it rest 15 to 20 minutes on the counter to come to room temperature and relax a bit before baking it on a relatively high heat for a short amount of time. I did this in my largest (12-inch) cast iron skillet, but it will work with various baking pans, even smaller cast iron pans; you’ll just make a slightly thicker or smaller pie. If you use a different sized pan, you may need more or less sauce/cheese for the toppings, so please be flexible.

The biggest problem with this recipe is how quickly it disappeared. This is a very excellent method for any busy household and one that I hope you, too, discover this winter. Mine was with a simple sauce, cheese and basil, but you can go wild with whatever toppings you prefer.

SIMPLE CRISPY PAN PIZZA

This method comes together incredibly quickly, with just one proof. Because you’re using so much oil, this is not a pizza you can make with just any pizza dough (e.g. your everyday regular pizza dough from a pizzeria); the dough here is high hydration and takes to it well. See above for cast iron versus regular pan discussion. This makes one 12-inch pizza.

Yield: 1 (12-inch) pizza
Prep time: 20 minutes, plus 1 to 2 hours proofing
Bake time: 15 to 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) cool water (around 60 to 70°F)
• 1 teaspoon (4 grams) active dry yeast or instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon (6 grams) fine sea salt
• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (130 grams) bread flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 3 to 4 tablespoons for the pan

Topping ideas:

• 1 cup (240 grams) tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
• 4 to 6 ounces (115 to 170 grams) low-moisture mozzarella, shredded or fresh mozzarella (drained and blotted dry)
• Optional: small handful of basil leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the dough: In a medium bowl, combine the water, yeast, and salt. Stir to dissolve. Stir in the all-purpose flour and bread flour with a spoon or your hand until mostly combined, shaggy, and no dry spots remain. Stir in the 1 tablespoon olive oil until mostly absorbed.
2. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled and bubbly. If your kitchen is cool, it could take another hour. If your kitchen is warm, it might be 30 minutes faster.
3. Prep the pan: When the dough is puffy and ready to go, pour 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil into your 12-inch cast iron pan or metal baking pan.
4. Add the dough: With a flexible spatula or lightly oiled hands, scrape the dough from the bowl into the oiled pan. It’s okay if it’s a big shaggy blob. Flip it around a few times to coat both sides in oil. Use your fingertips to gently press the dough out into the pan, but it doesn’t need to reach the edges yet. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes.
5. Stretch the dough: Remove the plastic wrap and stretch the dough all the way to the edges of the pan. It should come easily, but if it snaps back, just let it rest for another 5 minutes, then try again.
6. Top the pizza: Dot the dough with your tomato sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and basil, if using. Leave about a 1/2-inch border of dough around the edges bare.
7. Preheat your oven: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F (230°C).
8. Rest the pizza: Let the pizza rest on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes while the oven preheats. This helps it to come to room temperature and relaxes the dough a bit before baking.
9. Bake the pizza: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through, until the crust is deeply golden brown on the edges and bottom, and the cheese is melted, bubbly, and browned in spots.
10. Serve: Carefully slide the pizza out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing and serving.

Do more: Pizza, Dinner, Main Dishes, Vegetables.