I’m pretty much a pizza addict. I want it all the time. Thin pizza, thick pizza, frozen pizza, artisan pizza, I want it all. I love exploring the pizza frontier, which is why I decided to test out this No Knead Pan Pizza technique. I’ve seen the technique quite a few places around the web, but this post from Serious Eats has a really excellent tutorial with photos.
The idea is simple. Make a basic batch of no knead bread dough (I used my awesome Focaccia Roll dough), plop it into a well oiled cast iron skillet, top it with your favorite goodies, then bake at a really high heat. The outer crust gets nice and crispy from all the oil, the inside dough is thick and bubbly, and the whole thing is just divine. Plus, as always, it’s super cheap! Hooray pizza night!
As mentioned before, I used the Focaccia Roll dough for my no knead pan pizza (halved to fit my skillet, plus added a little olive oil), I had some left over sauce and cheese in my fridge, and I stopped by the salad bar at the grocery store to get a handful of vegetables for toppings (my salad bar pizza method). This no knead pan pizza is great for using up leftovers, so keep this trick tucked up your sleeve. You can use leftover BBQ sauce as a base instead of red sauce, use up extra beans, cheese, veggies, or meat, whatever you have on hand. Just keep in mind that the dough needs at least 12 hours to do it’s thing, so you have to plan it out at least one day ahead.
No Knead Pan Pizza
Servings 3 two slices eachIngredients
DOUGH
- 2 cups all-purpose flour ($0.30)
- 1/8 tsp instant or bread machine yeast ($0.02)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 3/4 to 1 cup water ($0.00)
PIZZA
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1/2 cup sauce ($0.40)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella ($0.99)
- Toppings of your choice ($0.84)
Instructions
- The day before, combine the flour, salt, and yeast in a bowl. Stir until they’re very well combined. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and 3/4 cups water. Stir until the dough forms a ball. If there is still dry flour on the bottom of the bowl or the dough doesn’t form a single, cohesive ball of dough, add more water, 1 Tbsp at a time until the dough comes together. The dough should be slightly sticky and shaggy in appearance.
- Loosely cover the dough in the bowl and allow it to ferment for 12-16 hours at room temperature. This develops the gluten, making kneading unnecessary.
- When it’s time to make the pizza, begin preheating the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a cast iron skillet with another tablespoon of olive oil. Use the excess oil from the skillet (there will be a lot) to oil your hands and the dough in the bowl. Pull the dough out of the bowl and place it in the oiled skillet. Press it down into the skillet until it covers the entire bottom of the skillet (it will be very loose and soft).
- Top the pizza with sauce, cheese, and your desired toppings. Cover the pizza edge to edge with the sauce, cheese, and toppings. The dough will be very thick, so there is no need for a dry edge or crust around the outside.
- Bake the pizza in the fully preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
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Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Pan Pizza – Step by Step Photos
Begin the dough the day before so that it has time to “ferment” for at least 12 hours. In a bowl, stir together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1/8 tsp instant or bread machine yeast, and 1 tsp salt. Once those are well combined, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and 3/4 cups water. Stir until the dough forms one cohesive ball. See how there is no dry flour left in the bowl and the dough is all in one piece? If needed, add more water 1Tbsp at a time until it forms this sticky ball of dough.
Loosely cover the dough and let it ferment at room temperature for at least 12 hours. During that time, it puffs up and becomes light and airy. It’s still very sticky, though…
Begin to preheat your oven to 450 degrees. It needs to be FULLY heated before you put the pizza in there. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet and spread it around. There will be a LOT of oil, but that’s what gives pan pizza that awesome crispy crust.
Use some of that excess oil to coat your hands and that sticky ball of dough, then transfer it from the bowl to the skillet. Press it out until it covers the bottom of the pan. The dough will be VERY loose and should be easily manipulated.
Instead of buying a bunch of things to add to the top of this pizza, I stopped by the salad bar and got a small scoop of black olives, bell peppers, mushrooms, and red onion. The small handful of toppings was only 84 cents! Much better than buying a whole package or item of each then trying to figure out how to use up the leftovers.
Top the pizza with sauce, cheese, and your veggies (I used leftover sauce and cheese from my fridge). Go ahead and spread the sauce, cheese, and toppings ALL the way out to the edge. The dough will be thick once baked, so you need all those toppings to go to the edge to balance all the bread and keep things moist. By this time the oven should have finished preheating, so go ahead and pop the pizza in the oven. Bake it for about 18-22 minutes (depends on your pizza, toppings, skillet, and oven), or until the edges are browned and the cheese is bubbly all over.
Like this! Yummm… smells like a real pizzeria in here. (take my word for it)
You’ll want to run a knife around the edges to loosen any cheese that has stuck to the side. Because we used so much oil in the pan, nothing should really be too difficult to loosen. Once loose, I suggest sliding the pizza out onto a cutting board to slice, rather than leaving it in the pan like I did for the photos. It’s rather hard to cut while in the pan and you may damage the finish on your cast iron!
Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy inside, all around moist and delicious.
I have never figured out how to do the ’12 hour’ timing. I would have to start the dough at 6 am to be able to eat at 7 pm right because of the time to make and cook? Maybe on the weekend I can start it before bed on Friday to have for lunch?????
It’s actually quite flexible, so it doesn’t have to be exactly 12 hours. :) It can be anywhere from about 10-20 hrs. I usually mix it up the night before around 9pm, and then make it for either lunch or dinner. And, if you by chance need to leave it longer, you can pop it in the fridge to slow down the fermentation.
This recipe is so perfect. We’ve made it twice since you first posted it! I actually let one batch of dough sit for 20 hours, and it was great.
I have a Lodge 10″ griddle that I use almost exclusively for pizza. I have yet to try any of the no knead breads, but I think the pizza will be the first thing I try.
The best homemade pizza! My husband took a bite and asked, “Are you sure you didn’t order this?” Thanks for posting this great method!
This looks delicious and I love the salad bar idea!
You said in the post that you only used half of the dough for this pizza. Would the other half freeze well?
I actually just mixed up half of the ingredients that were called for in the original recipe (plus some olive oil). The amounts listed below are what I used for one pizza. :)
omigosh, I just figured out my mistake..,.do I ever feel stupid! I used all the dough, missed the part where you divided it in half. Well, live and learn. At least I wasn’t feeding it to company, hee hee!
Our family can’t thank you enough for helping us keep our stomachs full, despite our skinny wallet! :-)
What would your thoughts be on this:
I bought some trader joe pizza dough which is in the freezer now & wondered if it would work similarly like the no knead version in this recipe?
It might be slightly more dense, but in general, it would work. This particular dough is very light and fluffy in comparison to regular pizza dough.
Boy, I agree with Deb…GET a Lodge Cast iron skillet…and get a Lodge Dutch Oven while you are at it :)!
Anyway, I’ve made no knead pizza for almost 4 years and I make it similarly in either cast iron or sometimes on a cookie sheet (gasp!!). I spread a bit of olive oil on the cookie sheet, spread the sticky dough with my fingers, top and bake at 425 for 8-12 minutes…depends on how large and how thick I spread the dough.
You do want the oven HOT – I preheat mine for 25 plus minutes.
Oh…forgot… I do the Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day so mix the dough, let it be out for at least 4 hours, refrigerate and then grab a hunk for pizza, a boule, a baguette, etc.
I don’t have the cast iron pan so I imagine a pizza stone will work.
Ok, people. I’ve heard enough! What kind of cooks are you that you haven’t talked someone into getting you a cast iron skillet for Christmas! :) Everybody needs at least one – they last until the end of time. I have two from my great-(yes, great)grandma and use them all the time. Totally worth the nominal cost of a good “Lodge” brand skillet. Like all great loves, you will not regret it!
This looks like something I’d love to make for my family, but the 12-16 hours of letting the dough ferment? If I want dinner at 6pm, I have to make the dough between 1:30-5:30am? I have to be misunderstanding some part of this.
Well, that’s really just a general time estimate. I usually stir the dough together around 9pm just before I turn in for the evening and then I can make the pizza either for lunch or dinner and it’s fine. You want it to go for 12 hours minimum, though.
Beth, if you don’t have a cast iron skillet can you use a regular nonstick skillet?? I hope so! Thanks!
No, you really don’t want to use a non-stick skillet for this because it has to cook at a very high heat and you need something very thick and heavy. Ceramic or glass would be better than a non-stick skillet.
What about a square cast iron pan that has those grooved griddle lines? I know it’ll make a goofy shaped pizza but think it’ll cook the same? I realized I do have one of those and it’s deep enough for the crust.
I think it will still work the same, plus some goofy ridges. :)
BETH THE PIZZA WAS AMAZING!!! Cooked up just perfectly in the square skillet, fifty times better than a restaurant. The crust is unbelievably perfectly crispy but fluffy inside. You’ve changed my life. SO GOOD OH MY GOD!!!!
;D
Could the dough sit for closer to 24 hours? Or would suggest making the dough before work the morning of the day you’re planning to make the pizza?
It needs a minimum of 12 hours, but if it sits out at room temperature more than 18, I’d suggest putting it in the fridge for the last few just to slow it down some. I usually start the dough the night before (around 9pm) and then use it for either lunch or dinner and it’s good. :)
How do you think this would work with subbing half of the flour for whole wheat?
Up to 50% whole wheat usually works pretty good with this dough, although I notice it does take on a strange grey-ish color. So, as long as that doesn’t bother you. :)
Its been running 100 degrees outside and 85 inside here( no AC) will that be to warm for the dough to set out for 12 + hours?
Yes, you can also transfer it to the refrigerator for half of the time. That will slow it down and prevent it from over proofing.