Let us show you how to make your very own pan pizzas at home using the pans that you normally use to bake a cake in.
One of the things that Pizza Hut is known for is their personal pan pizzas.
I can remember getting these pizzas when I was a kid, especially for when they had the program where you read books and earned a free pizza.
You don't have to go to "the Hut" to enjoy a pan pizza, you can have one right in your very own home, that will be a lot better.
Deep dish fans are going to want to absorb all this delicious information!
? Pan vs. Hand Tossed
The difference between a pan pizza and a hand tossed pizza is how you form the crust. Hand tossed pizzas the dough is free formed, so it's free to rise both upward and outward when baked. Pan pizza is formed inside of some type of pan that will limit how the dough spreads.
Is one easier than the other? Not particularly, unless you are trying to throw your pizza up in the air!
? Cake Pan
The best tool to use for making a pan pizza is a good cake pan. One of three shapes can be used. You don't need or want anything that is non-stick, your pizza won't get that crispy outside in a non-stick pan. Plus it's too easy to scrap the non-stick pan causing the coating to come off in your food.
An aluminum cake pan that you coat with oil will be what you want for a crispy outer crust.
Here are some sizing options:
Rectangle
You can get about 6-8 slices out of these the standard 9 x 13 rectangle pan. A pan with corners is going to give you really crispy corners, and I know you want crispy corners!
Tip - Rectangle cake pans are the perfect size for making homemade focaccia.
Square
The square sized pans are smaller at 9 x 9 inches. If you really like corners, filling up a couple square pans can give you more of those delicious corner pieces.
Round
The standard size for a round cake pan is 9 inches. Larger than Pizza Hut's 6 inch for their personal pan pizzas. You can find 6 inch cake pans.
? The Dough
Here are the ingredients for a basic pizza dough
- Bread flour or 00 pizza flour
- Dry yeast
- Salt
- Sugar
- Olive oil
- Warm water
Ingredients for pizza dough don't have to be complicated. Head to the bottom of the page for the complete recipe.
♻️ Substitutes
You can change the oil that you use. I live olive oil for the flavor, but feel free to use what oil you have on hand.
Bread flour is preferred for it's higher gluten content, but you can use all-purpose as well. The best flour to use for pizza is 00 pizza flour. The "00" comes from how the Italian's rate the grind of their flour. "00" is the finest grind.
? Removing the Pizza
Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before you attempt to de-pan. Since you oiled the pan it should be easy to get it out. You can use a butter knife (don't use a good steak knife, you might damage it on the metal pan) around the edges to help pry it out if necessary. \
Then I use two spatulas to remove it from the pan. Then slice and enjoy.
READ ME --> Brick Cheese - The Best Cheese for Pizza
? Heart Shaped
You can try other things besides a circle or square pan. This year for Valentine's Day, I used a heart shaped pan. It came out great. Deciding how to cut it evenly was the only challenge - but it's fun!
? Bundt Pan
Could you make a pizza in a bundt pan? A lot of recipes use the bundt pan to make a monkey bread style pizza, where it's a cheesy bread that you then dip into marinara sauce. Yum!
Doing an actual pizza in a bundt pan would be hard. Normally when you bake in a bundt pan, you turn it over when it's time to eat the cake. So if you did that the pizza would be upside down. You can't bake it with the cheese and sauce on the bottom of the pan.
? Cast Iron
Before we close out our pizza discussion I wanted to take a moment to talk about cast iron. You can cast iron to make a pan pizza. In fact it would be a good option to get a nice, crispy crust.
This is good for a round shaped pizza, but if you wanted a square pizza with crispy corners, you may have trouble finding the right kind of cast iron pan.
Make sure your pan is well seasoned before hand and coat with enough coat to make sure the pizza comes out easily.
? More Things to Make with Flour
Cake Pan Pepperoni Pizza
Ingredients
- 2 ½ to 3 cups bread flour or 00 pizza flour
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp cane sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup warm water
- ¾ - 1 cup tomato sauce homemade if you can
- 8-10 ounces brick or mozzarella cheese
- spray oi for the pan
Instructions
- Combine the warm (not hot) water, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Add the flour, olive oil, and salt to the yeast mixture.
- Knead until your dough is formed. Add more flour (¼ cup at a time) if it feels sticky. You can knead by hand, or you can use a stand mixer with the dough hook or a bread machine on the dough setting only.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, grease up the bowl with a little oil so the dough doesn't stick and toss it back in.
- Cover and allow the dough to rise until it doubles about 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees
- Oil a 13x9 cake pan. Punch down the dough and add it to the cake pan, flattening it out so that it reaches every edge. If the dough is not stretching enough, let it rest for 5-10 minutes, and then try again.
- Allow the dough to rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Top with cheese. tomato sauce and pepperoni to taste.
- Place into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until crust has browned and the cheese has melted and browned some.
- Allow to rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edge of the pan and using two spatula remove the pizza from the pan onto a cutting board. Slice and enjoy!
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