America's Test Kitchen Pizza

Pepperoni Pan Pizza

From Season 8: Pizza Party

America's Test Kitchen

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

Pan pizza (often called deep-dish pizza) is named for the pan in which the dough is risen and cooked. This type of pizza is known for an irresistible, buttery crust that’s crispy on the bottom and chewy in the middle. We set out to develop a pizza that was better than take-out, where the crust shares equal billing with the toppings and each is full of flavor—not grease.

To make our dough, we used a few tricks we learned from baking. Classic pizza dough contains flour, yeast, water, and olive oil—but never milk. However, we knew that many tender yeast breads are made with milk and we decided to give it a try. The crust was tender, with just the right chew. Whole milk works fine, but the dough made with skim milk rose better and baked up especially soft and light. We used all-purpose flour because it yielded softer baked goods than recipes using bread flour. Sugar is another usual choice for pizza dough, but tasters thought it improved flavor and we knew that it would give the yeast a nice jump-start.

To deliver our pizzas to the table in record time, we used a warm, turned-off oven to help the dough rise faster. After just thirty minutes, we had dough that was ready to shape. We quickly learned that overworked dough tears or snaps back like a rubber band, which led us to develop a hybrid method. We used a rolling pin for the first part of the process and then stretched the dough over the tops of our knuckles—gently. Our final step was to microwave the pepperoni between sheets of paper towels before layering them on the pizza. It keeps the grease off of the pizza and gives us crisp, brightly colored, and relatively grease-free pepperoni worthy of our perfect pan crust. 

Makes two 9-inch pizzas, serving 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

Dough

·         1/2cup olive oil

·         3/4cup skim milk plus 2 additional tablespoons, warmed to 110 degrees

·         2teaspoons sugar

·         2 1/3cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for counter

·         1package instant yeast

·         1/2teaspoon table salt

Topping

·         1(3.5-ounce) package sliced pepperoni

·         1 1/3cups tomato sauce(see related recipe, "Basic Pizza Sauce")

·         3cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

·         1. To make the dough: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Lightly grease large bowl with cooking spray. Coat each of two 9-inch cake pans with 3 tablespoons oil.

·         2. Mix milk, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in measuring cup. Mix flour, yeast, and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter, gently shape into ball, and place in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

·         3. To shape and top the dough: Transfer dough to lightly floured counter, divide in half, and lightly roll each half into ball. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, roll and shape dough into 9 1/2-inch round and press into oiled pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm spot (not in oven) until puffy and slightly risen, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees.

·         4. While dough rises, put half of pepperoni in single layer on microwave-safe plate lined with 2 paper towels. Cover with 2 more paper towels and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Discard towels and set pepperoni aside; repeat with new paper towels and remaining pepperoni.

·         5. Remove plastic wrap from dough. Ladle 2/3 cup sauce on each round, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 cups cheese and top with pepperoni. Bake until cheese is melted and pepperoni is browning around edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let pizzas rest in pans for 1 minute. Using spatula, transfer pizzas to cutting board and cut each into 8 wedges. Serve.

·         PIZZA DOUGH WITHOUT A MIXER: In step 2, mix the flour, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour, then pour the milk mixture into the well. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the dough becomes shaggy and difficult to stir. Turn out onto a heavily floured work surface and knead, incorporating any shaggy scraps. Knead until the dough is smooth, about 10 minutes. Shape into a ball and proceed as directed.

TECHNIQUE

·         HOW TO MAKE PAN PIZZA

1. Roll the dough outward from the center in all directions to form a 7-inch circle.

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2. With the dough draped over your knuckles, gently stretch it, using the weight of the dough to make a 9 1/2-inch circle that is slightly thinner at the center.

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3. Place the dough in the oiled cake pan and gently push it to the edge, taking care not to let too much oil spill over the top.

TECHNIQUE

·         THE AMAZING SHRINKING PEPPERONI

Microwaving pepperoni eliminates the possibility that it will turn your pizza into a grease trap. You can see how much fat is rendered in only 30 seconds by comparing the size of the slices before and after microwaving.

·         BEFORE

AFTER

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