Ive never met a problem pizza cant fix!
Pizza is just always on my mind. Morning to night, all i want is pizza. You could day I'm an addict š . I mean am i right?..who's with me??
Ever since i visited Rome in 2019 š, i have been dying for a fresh classic Italian pizza. I visited every restaurant you could think of that had traditional and authentic Italian pizza on their menu and they were all amazing. But what if i wanted it at all the time? So i began experimenting!
I spent so much time developing the perfect recipe and the perfect and easy method to achieve a traditional Italian pizza - nice thick crust, soft and pillowy dough. I scoured the internet for recipes and ideas and research what creates the perfect dough, texture and flavour and viola..your perfect traditional Italian pizza..made right in a pan! š
Why is it called pizza in a pan
Quite simple really, it is cooked in a pan. The dough i made and placed in a large non-stick frying pan to cook from the bottom and then placed under the grill to be cooked on top.
This process is so easy and simple, i would never go back to cooking my pizzas any other way.
What flour to use
The type of flour you use is really important when making pizzas. It is all about the dough and how the dough has risen and been cooked.
I have found that a finer flour achieves the best classic Italian pizza base, this is why i use 00 flour (see notes below for more information). 00 flour results in a crispier base with a soft centered crust.
I have also on occasion used strong white bread flour as a substitute when i don't have 00 flour on hand. The dough tastes just as delicious and results in a chewier and more elastic crust!
You can also use plain flour but i do find that the dough becomes very dry and 'cardboard-like'.
Different sauces
I am a little boring when i comes to sauces as i using just stick to tomato sauces. However, i do love a good bbq sticky chicken pizza! Here is a few different sauces that i have had on my pizza bases over the years that i have loved;
tomato
bbq
teriaki
pesto
hot siracha
buffalo
garlic parmesan
Choose your toppings
Toppings are defiantly a chance to get really creative with your pizza. I mix my topping often and recently have been enjoying just straight up sliced veg on my pizzas. Here are some of my favourite topping combos;
Classic margarita - tomato base, a few leaves of fresh basil, mozzarella and parmesan.
Margarita with a twist - tomato base, a few leaves of spinach, sugar drop tomatoes (this is a much for that sweet tomato taste!), mozzarella, parmezan and then topped with a drizzle of balsamic and a sprinkle of wild rocket.
Vegi deluxe - tomato base, courgette slices, a few spinach leaves, aubergine slices, chestnut mushroom slices, red bell pepper slices, mozzarella and parmesan.
Sticky bbq chicken - bbq base, shredded chicken, black olives, sweetcorn, peppers, mozzarella and parmesan.
Chilli vegi - hot sriracha base, black olives, red hot chilli pepper slices, portobellini mushrooms, mozzarella and parmesan.
As for cheese, i truly believe parmesan and mozzarella are the only way to go for any pizza but each to their own!
Recipe
Classic thin Italian pizza base with a chunky thick crispy crust. Topped with fresh ingredients and cooked simply in a frying pan!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Proofing Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 2
Author: Zainab
Ingredients:
For the dough:
310g of 00 flour, or strong white bread flour (if you would like a chewier crust)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry instant dry yeast
195ml luke-warm water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil, for greasing
For the pizza sauce:
220g passatta
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Sprinkle of sea salt
A few leaves of fresh basil, teared into small pieces
For the toppings (*shown in photos above);
250g fresh mozzarella, sliced
2 tablespoons of parmasen cheese, grated
Fresh basil leaves
Sugar plum tomatoes
Fresh courgette slices
Fresh aubergine slices
Fresh red bell pepper slices
Fresh chestnut mushroom slices
Balsamic vinegar
Fresh wild rocket
Method:
For the dough:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water, yeast and sugar. Mix and allow the yeast to active and get 'foamy'.
2. Add in the rest of the ingredients, attach the dough hook attachment and mix until all the ingredient have combined together and forms a dough.
Note: If you don't have a stand mixer then a large bowl and a wooden spoon does the trick too! Then need by hand once the dough had come together.
3. Continue kneading for another 5-7 minutes on medium-high speed, until the dough is completely smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Note: The dough should be slightly sticky, but if it feels too sticky you can add more flour, one tablespoon at a time. If it feels too dry then you can add more water, one teaspoon at a time.
4. After kneading, remove the dough and pull the dough towards you keeping of the air inside. In separate large bowl, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil all over the bowl and smear all over the inside of the bowl. This will help the dough from drying and also sticking to the sides of the bowl.
5. Cover the dough with cling film and a warm tea towel. Place the dough somewhere hot until it has doubled in size (i use the shelf in my boiling cupboard but you can place it on the counter in a warm place). Allow to rise for at-least 1 & half hours.
Note: Alternatively, you can place the dough in the refrigerator overnight or up to 2 days. If the dough is refrigerated be sure to sit it at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before using.
For the pizza sauce:
1. In a medium bowl, add in the passata, oil, salt and fresh basil leaves.
2. Mix together and set aside.
Making the pizza:
1. Preheat your grill to its maximum temperature.
2. Once the dough has risen, place on a floured work surface and divide into 2 (or four if you are wanting small individual pizzas). Pull the dough balls towards you continuously trapping the air inside.
3. Using your fingers, push the dough out towards the edge creating a crust. Flip over and do the same on the over side. Continue to o so until you have reached the crust thickness that you want.
4. Place a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of extra virgin oil oil to the pan. Brush the oil evenly all over the pan and on the sides. Heat for about 3-4 minutes before the next step.
5. Using the parachute method, stretch out the dough to achieve a thinner base and a classic Italian crust.
6. Place the pizza base onto the frying pan and allow the dough to cook for a few minutes before adding 3 tablespoons of pizza sauce on the pizza base.
7. Cook pizza base until the bottom is lovely and brown. I prefer mine crispy so i cook the base for 5-6 minutes.
Note: Using a flat spatula to lift the pizza base ever so slightly helps a lot when checking how brown the pizza is getting.
8. Remove the pan from the heat. Add 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese, toppings of your choice and top with 125g of mozzarella.
9. Place under the grill for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Top with balsamic vinegar or some rocket and...
10. ...enjoy! ššš
Notes
This pizza is best eaten fresh but can be stored in an air tight container and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Simply heat in the microwave or 30 seconds to revive it!
For pizza topping ideas, see above.
For this pizza dough i used this 00 flour.
All of my ingredients are brought from your local supermarkets.
Hope you all enjoyed this recipe! If you do use this recipe be sure to tag me. My Instagram Page is: Bakewithzainab.
Also be sure to comment down below with any questions you may have.
Lots of love
Zainab xx
Ā© Bake With Zainab ā Zainab Moughal. I own all content and photosā copyright. Before using my photos and recipes, please email me. If you would like to republish a recipe, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.
Comments