It was an unusual weekend for me. I barely set foot in the kitchen because I was busy with other activities, like:
- Attending Audiotistic and dancing nonstop for hours on end
- Strolling through the Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival with my parents and then sitting down to “The Ultimate” pizza at State of Mind
- Watching the Wimbledon 2022 Gentlemen’s Singles Final between Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios
By Sunday afternoon, I was too tired to cook. Which brings me to this cheesy pan pizza. I gave the recipe a try four months ago but didn’t get around to sharing it with you. Better late than never.
Cheesy pan pizza may not look like much, but it’s incredible (and King Arthur Flour’s 2020 Recipe of the Year). Think of cheesy pan pizza as focaccia on steroids – in other words, pillowy soft bread topped with LOTS of cheese. Served with a side of pizza sauce for dipping, it makes for a satisfying snack or meal any time of the day.
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.
Cheesy Pan Pizza
Makes 1 10" pizza
Ingredients
Pizza dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ¾ cup warm water
- 2½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
Topping:
- 1¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup pizza sauce (see notes)
- 4 artichoke hearts in water, drained and halved
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- dried chili flakes and fresh oregano (for finish, optional)
Instructions
Make the pizza dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine the flour, salt, yeast, water and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Beat on medium-high speed until just combined. Scrape down sides of bowl until dough comes together to form a ball; cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Using your fingers, stretch the dough and fold the ends into the middle; cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes. Repeat the process 3 more times, letting the dough rest for 40 minutes at the end. Transfer dough to the refrigerator to chill for 12 to 72 hours.
- Coat a 10" cast iron skillet with remaining 1½ tablespoons olive oil. Turn out dough onto the prepared skillet, turn to coat and let sit for 15 minutes. Using your fingers, stretch the dough so it evenly covers the bottom of the skillet. Poke dimples at 2" intervals over the entire surface of the dough. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and let it rise until puffy, 2 hours.
Make and bake the pizza:
- Adjust oven rack to lower position and preheat to 450 degrees.
- After the dough has risen, sprinkle three-quarters of the mozzarella cheese over the entire surface of the dough. Dot with pizza sauce and artichoke hearts. Sprinkle on remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake until the crust is golden brown, 18-20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Remove the pizza from the skillet and transfer to a wire rack. Top with Parmesan cheese and chili flakes and oregano, if using.
Notes
One batch of my favorite homemade pizza sauce yields more than enough for this recipe. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.
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