From Kenji
Foolproof Pan Pizza
Engineered backwards from every way pizza can fail: no kneading, no shaping, no peel, no stone. Mix it in five minutes the night before, and tomorrow the cast iron gives you a crackling fried bottom edge that pizzerias charge extra for. Weekend project, kid gold.
150 minutes · serves 4 · ~20g protein per half pizza
Ingredients
Equipment
two 10-inch cast-iron skillets (or one 12-inch, or 9-inch cake pans) · large mixing bowl · kitchen scale (best) or measuring cups (fine) · spatula (a thin one, for checking the bottom) · oven mitts you trust
The steps
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Cook Mode walks these one at a time, with timers and a way out when things go sideways.
The idea
Time is an ingredient: the dough kneads itself overnight. And if the bottom is pale, you're holding a frying pan, so fry it.
Why it works · Kenji
- No-knead works because gluten forms on its own when flour sits wet — 8 hours of rest out-kneads 10 minutes of kneading, and slow fermentation builds flavor on top.
- Proofing in the oiled baking pan deletes every shaping and transfer step where beginner pizza dies.
- The oil layer under the dough shallow-fries the crust — that's the crackle a stone can't give you.
- Cheese pressed to the pan wall fries into frico, the crisp lacy edge that's the best bite of the pizza.
- The stovetop bottom-check makes the result verifiable, not hopeful: pale bottom, more burner. Total control.
The 75-cent version of the test: same-day dough (2-hour rise) versus overnight. Same-day makes decent pizza. Overnight makes pizza with actual flavor in the crust itself — the kind you notice at the plain edge bites. Five minutes tonight is the whole cost.
Substitutions
- bread flour → all-purpose flour. Slightly less chew, still excellent. Best: bread flour. Fine: AP. Don't buy a special flour for this.
- two 10-inch cast irons → one 12-inch skillet (bake in two rounds), or 9-inch metal cake pans. Cake pans are the sleeper pick — same fried edge, lighter to handle.
- low-moisture mozzarella → fresh mozzarella, torn and patted dry. Wetter, so expect a softer top. Pat it dry like you mean it.
- pizza sauce → crushed canned tomatoes with a pinch of salt. Uncooked is correct — it cooks on the pizza and tastes brighter than simmered sauce.
Tomorrow
- Cold pizza breakfast — a legitimate institution, no notes.
- Re-crisped slices: dry skillet, medium heat, lid on for the last minute. Better than the microwave by a mile.
3 days in the fridge, wrapped. Reheat in a hot, dry pan so the crust comes back. The microwave makes steam.
Make ahead
The whole point: dough mixes the night before (or up to 24 hours ahead). Longer-game version: after dividing, the dough holds in the fridge up to 3 days — pull it out 2 hours before baking, pan and all.
Keep it safe
- A skillet handle out of a hot oven stays dangerous long after the food is on the plate. Drape a towel over it until it's cool.
- Overnight dough on the counter is safe and traditional; the salt keeps it honest. Past 24 hours, move it to the fridge.