Make Homemade Pizza Hut Pan Pizza
Do you love the tasty, crispy pan pizzas that they serve at Pizza Hut? Well, imagine not having to head out to the restaurant or call for delivery when you're in the mood for a slice. You can easily recreate the trademark taste of a delicious Pizza Hut pan pizza in your home as long as you have the right ingredients -- and a little bit of patience.
Contents
[hide]Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (400 grams) bread flour
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) kosher salt, plus some for seasoning
- ½ teaspoon (4 grams) instant yeast
- 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (282 milliliters) water
- 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for coating the pans
- 1 8-ounce (227 grams) can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon(5 grams) dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) dried basil
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) garlic salt
- 2 to 3 cups (250 to 375 grams) grated mozzarella cheese
- Toppings, such as pepperoni, sausage, meatball, onions, and/or peppers (optional)
- Grated parmesan cheese for topping
Steps
Making the Dough
- Mix the flour, salt, yeast, water, and oil in a bowl. In a large bowl, combine 2 ½ cups (400 grams) of bread flour, 2 teaspoons (10 grams) of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon (4 grams) of instant yeast, 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (282 milliliters) of water, and 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) extra virgin olive oil. You can mix the ingredients with your hands or a wooden spoon, but ensure that no dry flour remains.
- Make sure that your bowl is at least 4 to 6 times the size of the mixture to account for the rising.
- Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rest. Once the dough ingredients are combined, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, making sure to seal it around the edges so the bowl is airtight. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours.
- To keep the dough from sticking to the plastic wrap when it rises, spray the plastic with a nonstick cooking spray.
- You’ll know that the dough is ready when it rises to fill the entire bowl.
- Divide the dough and create two balls. Once your dough is risen, transfer it to a floured work surface. Separate it into two pieces, and form each piece into a ball by continually folding the dough under itself and rotating it to knead it.
- In addition to flouring your counter or other work surface, make sure to sprinkle some flour on the dough itself, as well as your hands.
- This recipe makes two pizzas. If you only want to make one, place the other ball of dough in an airtight plastic bag or container. It will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Readying the Pans and Oven
- Add oil to two pans and place a ball of dough into each. Take two 9- or 10-inch (23 to 25 cm) round cake pans and pour 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of olive oil into each. Place one of the dough balls in each pan, and turn them over in the oil to ensure that they’re completely coated.
- In addition to cake pans, you can use a cast iron skillets to bake the pizza.
- Press the dough into place. Once the dough in both pans is oiled, use the palm of your hand to flatten it into place. As you work, make sure that the oil spreads so it covers the entire bottom and sides of the pans.
- Cover the pans, and allow them to sit. When the dough is pressed into place in the pans, cover each with a piece of plastic wrap. Let them sit out at room temperature for approximately 2 hours so the dough rises once again.
- Remember to grease the plastic wrap with nonstick cooking spray before you place it over the pans.
- Preheat the oven, and adjust the oven rack. As you’re waiting for the dough to rise, it’s important to make sure that the oven is hot enough to bake the pizzas. Preheat it to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius). Place the oven rack so it’s in the center position as well.
- Be aware how your oven indicates that it’s reached the proper temperature. Many models beep or flash a light to alert you that the oven is fully preheated.
Mixing the Sauce and Assembling the Pizza
- Combine the tomato sauce and spices, and let sit. While the dough is rising, mix 1 8-ounce (227 grams) can of tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon(5 grams) of dried oregano, ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) of dried marjoram, ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) of dried basil, and ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) of garlic salt together in a medium bowl. Allow the mixture to sit for approximately 1 hour to ensure that the flavors have fully melded.
- If you prefer, you can use a jarred or homemade pizza sauce instead.
- Check the risen dough to pop any bubbles. When the pizza dough has risen for 2 hours in the pans, it should fill the pan to nearly the top. If any large bubbles have developed in the dough, pop them with a knife. Remove any air from beneath the dough by lifting an edge and allowing it to escape. Repeat the process all the way around the pizzas.
- Spread the sauce over the dough. After the sauce mixture has sat for an hour and the dough is ready, pour half of the sauce over each pizza. Use the back of a spoon to spread it over the dough to within an inch (2.5 cm) of the edge.
- Pizza Hut traditionally leaves the edge of the dough free of sauce to form the crust, but if you prefer, you can spread your sauce all the way to edge.
- Cover the sauce with the mozzarella and season with salt. Once the sauce is spread across the pizza, spread approximately 1 cup (125 g) of grated mozzarella cheese over the sauce on each. To season the pizzas, sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt over each.
- If you prefer extra cheese on your pizza, you can add up to 1 ½ cups (188 g) of mozzarella to each.
- Add your toppings of choice. With the cheese in place on the pizzas, you can add whatever toppings you prefer. Place toppings such as pepperoni, cooked sausage, meatball, onions, olives, mushrooms, and peppers in a single layer across all or part of the pizza.
- If you want, you can sprinkle a little extra mozzarella cheese over the toppings for even more cheese.
Baking the Pizza
- Place the pizzas in the oven and bake them until golden brown. When the pizzas are fully assembled, place the pans side by side on the center oven rack. Allow them to bake until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown, which should take approximately 15 minutes.
- As you get closer to the end of the cooking time, make sure to check on the pizzas regularly to ensure that they don’t burn.
- Sprinkle the pizzas with parmesan cheese while still hot. After you’ve taken the pizzas out of the oven, immediately spread a pinch or two of grated parmesan cheese over the top of each. Because the pizzas are still hot, the cheese will melt into the other ingredients.
- If you like a little spice on your pizza, you can also sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes over them while they’re hot.
- Check the bottom of the pizza to see if it’s crisp. When the pizzas have cooled slightly, use a spatula to lift an edge and look at the bottom. If it’s crisp, you can slice it. If the bottom isn’t done, put the pan on a stove burner set to medium, and allow it to heat until the bottom is crisp, which should take 1 to 3 minutes.
- If you’re crisping the bottom of the pizza on the stove, make sure to the move the pan around so it heats evenly and doesn’t burn.
- Remove the pizzas from the pans and cut them. When the pizzas are cool enough to handle, use a spatula to gently lift them from the pans. Place them on a cutting board, and use a knife or pizza cutter to cut them into 6 to 8 slices.
- Finished.
Tips
- If you’re in a hurry, you can use premade pizza dough from the grocery store or your local pizzeria instead of making it yourself.
Things You'll Need
- A large bowl
- A wooden spoon
- Plastic wrap
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 9- or 10-inch (23 to 25 cm) round cake pans
- A medium bowl
- A spoon
- A spatula
- A knife or pizza cutter
