Large Pan Pizza- Easy and Delicious
My easy and delicious Large Pan Pizza starts with homemade dough, though you can use storebought, that's placed in a pan, topped with a simple blend of tomatoes and oregano, and shredded cheese. Baked until golden and crisp, this is the easy pizza that everyone loves!
Servings: 8 slices
Equipment
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 9 ounces cold water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the pizza
- 3 tablespoons corn oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes drained for 3 minutes
- 1/2 teaspoon Sicilian oregano
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar can also use provolone
Instructions
For the dough
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the water a bit at a time and mix thoroughly to form a dry rough mass.
- Pour the oil over the dough, mix again to scrape off any dough residue stuck to the sides of the bowl, and place the rough shaggy dough onto a work surface.
- Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, place a clean bowl inverted over the dough and wait 20-30 minutes before resuming. Return to kneading (just make sure to knead for at least a total of 5 minutes).
- Pull the dough towards its end repeatedly to form a smooth ball. Pinch the seam side and place ball seam-side down into an oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 12 but ideally 24 hours before using. Note: if you want to make pizza the same day, set the covered dough ball in a warm area of kitchen and let rise for 90-120 minutes or until the dough doubles in size. You can then make your pizza, but it won't have as much flavor as a cold fermented dough the next day.
For the pizza
- Remove the dough ball, leaving it still in the container, from the fridge 2 hours prior to using.
- Preheat oven to 500°F and set 1 rack on the lowest level and the other to the second-highest level.
- Oil the 16-inch bar pizza pan with the corn oil and melted butter, including the side edges. Place the dough ball into the pan and press it out to the edges of the pan. If you can't do it right away and the dough springs back, simply cover with plastic wrap and wait 20-30 minutes and press again. Make dimples into the dough with a fork so that the pizza won't create large bubbles when baking.
- Meanwhile, strain the crushed tomatoes for 3 minutes to remove excess water. Discard the water. Season the tomatoes with salt to taste then add the oregano. If you want a smooth sauce, blender pulse or use an immersion blender.
- Once the pizza has been stretched, place a layer of sauce onto all of the dough, even the edges, then top with the cheese. Note: you will need to use all the cheese but might have some leftover sauce.
- Bake for 10 minutes on the lower level and check for brownness. If the pizza is golden brown and crisp move the pan to the second highest level and bake for another 10 minutes or until the pizza is nicely browned and cooked through. If the pizza is still blond after the first 10 minutes on the lowest rack, bake for the whole time on the lowest rack. Enjoy!
Notes
- Slices. Calorie amounts are assuming pizza is cut into 8 slices, though you can cut the pizza into 12 slices if you like.
- Pan. The pan I linked above works great, but any 16" round pizza pan will work. Darker pans are better for browning.
- Dough. Store bought pizza dough can be subbed for the homemade dough. You will need roughly 18 ounces of dough for this pizza but if buying in 1 pound increments, you should be able to strech it to fit given enough time.
- Cheese. Soft provolone can be subbed for the cheddar or you can use all mozzarella.
- Toppings. Use any toppings you like! Some great options include pepperoni, crumbled Italian sausage, sliced meatballs, olives, and sautéed mushrooms. Keep in mind that pizzas loaded with toppings may need a few extra minutes to cook.
- Leftovers. Large pan pizza can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for 3 months. Reheat in a 350°F oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 43.6g | Protein: 12.8g | Fat: 19.8g | Saturated Fat: 8.7g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 621mg | Fiber: 2.6g | Sugar: 3.5g | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 3mg
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