Prepare Your Pan For Perfect Pizza

Preparing a pan for pizza is a simple process, but it requires a few key steps to ensure your pizza turns out perfectly. Firstly, it's important to use the right type of pan; a cast iron skillet or a cake pan are ideal. Coat the pan generously with olive oil, as this will give your crust a delicious texture and flavour. You can then press your pizza dough into the pan, making sure to push it up to the edges. At this point, you can cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise for about an hour, or until it has doubled in size. Once your dough is ready, you can add your desired toppings and bake your pizza in a hot oven until the crust is golden brown and crispy.

Use a heavy cast-iron pan

A heavy cast-iron pan is a great choice for making pizza. Cast iron is sturdy and durable, withstanding high temperatures without warping or breaking. It also provides excellent heat retention, ensuring even cooking and a crispy crust.

To prepare a heavy cast-iron pan for pizza, follow these steps:

Step 1: Preheat the Pan

Place your cast-iron pan on the stovetop and heat it over medium heat for about 5 minutes. This initial heating ensures that your pan is hot when you transfer the dough, maintaining the temperature needed for a crispy crust.

Step 2: Prepare the Pan Surface

Once your pan is hot, add a generous amount of olive oil to the surface. Coating the pan with oil serves two purposes: it adds flavour to your pizza, and it creates a non-stick surface, making it easier to remove your pizza once it's cooked. You can also add a sprinkle of cornmeal or semolina flour at this stage, which will help your pizza slide off the pan more easily.

Step 3: Shape the Dough

Take your pizza dough and stretch it out to fit the size of your cast-iron pan. Place the dough in the pan and use your fingertips to gently press and shape it, working from the centre outwards to the edges. Make sure the dough is an even thickness across the pan.

Step 4: Top and Bake

Now comes the fun part: adding your toppings! For a classic pan pizza, start by sprinkling a layer of cheese on the dough, followed by your sauce, and then add more cheese and your desired toppings. Once your pizza is assembled, slide it into the oven and bake at a high temperature (around 450-550°F/230-290°C for about 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Step 5: Serve and Enjoy

When your pizza is baked to golden-brown perfection, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly. Use a thin, flexible spatula to lift the pizza out of the pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Slice it up, serve, and enjoy the fruits of your labour!

Coat the pan with olive oil

Coating the pan with olive oil is an important step in preparing a pizza pan. Olive oil adds a wonderful flavour to the pizza dough and also prevents the crust from tasting soggy.

To coat the pan with olive oil, pour a generous amount of olive oil into the bottom of the pan. Use your hands to spread the oil evenly across the entire surface of the pan, including the corners and sides. This step ensures that the dough will not stick to the pan and makes it easier to shape and stretch the dough.

Once the pan is coated, place the dough ball in the centre of the pan and turn it over a few times to coat it evenly with oil. This step ensures that the dough is completely covered in oil and helps create a crispy, golden crust.

After coating the dough, use a flat palm to press and flatten the dough slightly, spreading it out towards the edges of the pan. This step helps to ensure that the dough is evenly distributed and creates a uniform thickness.

It is also important to note that the type of olive oil used can make a difference. Regular olive oil is recommended over extra virgin olive oil as it performs better as a non-stick agent and has a higher smoking point.

Prepare the dough

The key ingredients for making pizza dough are flour, yeast, water, salt, and olive oil. You can also add a pinch of caster sugar to increase the yeast's activity and tenderise the dough. If you want to add extra flavour, you can add 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder and Italian seasoning blend to the dough when you add the flour.

To make the dough, combine the flour, salt, yeast, water, and oil in a large bowl. Mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at cool room temperature (no warmer than 75°F) for at least 8 hours and up to 24. The dough should rise dramatically and fill the bowl.

Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour, then transfer it to a well-floured work surface. Divide the dough into 2 pieces and form each into a ball by holding it with well-floured hands and tucking the dough underneath itself, rotating it until it forms a tight ball.

Tips for making the dough

• If you want to make the dough ahead of time, prepare it through step 3 and let it rise for 8-12 hours in the refrigerator. The slow rise will give the pizza dough a wonderful flavour!
• You can freeze pizza dough for up to three months. Lightly coat all sides of the dough ball with nonstick spray or olive oil, place it into an individual zipped-top bag and seal tightly, squeezing out all the air.
• To thaw frozen pizza dough, place it in the refrigerator for about 8 hours or overnight. When ready to make pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour on the counter.
• If you want to use a dough hook in your food processor to save time, you can do that.
• If you don't have a pizza pan, use a regular sheet pan. Grease it with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal as directed, then press the dough into whatever shape will fit. Make sure the dough is about 1/2-inch thick. For a thinner pizza, stretch the dough out more.

Layer cheese before sauce

Layering cheese before sauce in a pizza pan is a great way to prevent a soggy pizza and ensure a crispy crust. Here's a step-by-step guide:

First, prepare your pizza pan by greasing it with olive oil. This will help to create a crispy crust and prevent sticking. For a 10-inch pizza, use about 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. You can also use a cast-iron skillet or a round cake pan.

Next, sprinkle a thin layer of grated hard cheese, such as Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago, on the oiled pan. This layer of cheese will add flavour and texture to your pizza. Use about 4 teaspoons of cheese for each quadrant of your pan.

Then, prepare your pizza dough. Shape the dough to size on a piece of parchment paper. This will make it easier to transfer the dough to the pan without disturbing the layer of cheese.

Gently place the shaped dough over the cheese in the pan. Be careful not to push the cheese to the edges along with the dough. You may need to tug at the dough a bit to position it properly.

Let the dough rise, if your recipe calls for it, and then bake the pizza according to your recipe's instructions. Baking on a rack near the bottom of the oven will help to crisp the cheese on the bottom of the crust.

Once the pizza is done, use a spatula to loosen the edges and carefully slide it out of the pan. Serve the pizza while it's still hot or warm. Enjoy the crispy, cheesy goodness!

By layering cheese before the sauce, you create a barrier that minimises sogginess and ensures your pizza has a delicious, crispy texture.

Bake in a hot oven

Now that your pizza is all assembled and ready to go, it's time to bake it in a hot oven. But how hot is hot enough?

Well, the hotter the better, really. Pizza ovens cook at temperatures between 800 and 900 degrees Fahrenheit, so you won't be able to get your oven quite that hot, but the higher you can go, the better. Aim for around 450 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit, and make sure to preheat your oven for at least half an hour, or even a full hour if you can.

Place your pizza in the oven and bake until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden. This should take around 10 to 15 minutes, but keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn. If you want to get a really crispy crust, you can try putting a baking sheet or cast iron skillet in the bottom of the oven to preheat along with it, and then when you put the pizza in, toss some ice cubes into the hot pan to create steam.

If some spots are browning faster than others, you can rotate the pizza by slipping a pizza peel or a large spatula underneath it and turning it. You can also brush the crust with olive oil halfway through the baking process to help it get nice and brown and crispy.

Your pizza is done when the cheese is melted to a medium-to-dark brown. Take it out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy your homemade pizza!

Frequently asked questions