High Altitude Homemade Crispy Pan Pizza
An easy, no knead recipe for cast iron pan pizza dough that bakes up crispy, chewy and bubbly.
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- 10-12 Inch Cast Iron Skillet or Pizza Stone (or baking sheet)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) bread flour (fluffed, spooned and leveled)
- ¾ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) yeast (either instant/rapid-rise or active dry)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (270 ml) warm water (between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, yeast and sugar. Stir in 1 cup (250 ml) of the water, adding the additional 2 tablespoons if the dough seems too stiff and dry. The dough should be loose, slack and sticky.
- Grease a large bowl with the olive oil, and scrape the dough into the bowl, turning it to coat it in the oil.
- Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Now "fold" the dough, by grabbing onto one edge of it and folding it over itself. Do this 3-4 times, rotating the bowl clockwise so you fold each edge of the dough over itself.
- Let the dough rest for another 5 minutes, then repeat the above step of folding the dough. Repeat these steps 2 more times, so that you fold the dough a total of 4 times, resting it for 5 minutes in between each fold.
Rest the Dough
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator to rest. Let it rest for at least 18-24 hours. For more flavor, let it rest and chill for up to 3 days.
- As the dough rests, it will rise and bubble up a bit more, and will develop a stronger, more fermented aroma.
Shape the Pizza
- About 3-4 hours before you want to bake your pizza, take the dough out of the refrigerator.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a cutting board, and drizzle the paper with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Use a spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto the paper. As you scrape down the bowl, the dough will deflate. The dough will be very soft and sticky.
- Rub some oil over the top of the dough as well. Let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.Note: The dough makes enough for a large pizza, but you can also divide the dough for two medium pizzas or three small personal pan pizzas. Each portion of dough needs to sit on its own piece of parchment paper.
- After letting the dough rest, use your fingers to press it out into a circle, taking care not to press down on the edge of the dough. If the dough is sticking to your fingers, use a little more oil on your fingers. Press from the center of the dough to push it towards the edges. You may need to let the dough rest again for several minutes to let the gluten relax, then press it again, until it's the size that you want. The dough will stick to the paper as you press it out.Note: For a large pizza, press the dough out into a 12-inch circle. For two medium pizzas, press the dough to about 8-10 inches. For three small pizzas, press the dough to about 6-8 inches.
- Let rest again until 30 minutes before you're ready to bake your pizza.
Heat the Pan
- 30 minutes before you plan to bake your pizza, position a rack in the lower third of your oven. Place your baking pan (cast iron pan, pizza stone/steel or baking sheet) on the rack to preheat. Preheat the oven to 500 F, and let the pan heat for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, you can assemble your pizza with sauce, cheese and toppings. Be sure to use a thick pizza sauce, not a watery marinara sauce, which can make the crust soft and soggy.
Bake the Pizza
- Using oven mitts, carefully remove the pan from the oven. Transfer your pizza to the hot pan by sliding the paper off the cutting board and onto the pan. The pizza will bake with the paper underneath it, making it easy to move it to the pan.
- Return the pan to the oven (to the rack in the lower third), and bake your pizza for about 15-18 minutes, until the crust is crisp and golden brown, and the toppings are bubbling. Don't take your pizza out earlier than 15 minutes, or it may not be cooked in the middle.
- Let the pizza cool on the pan for several minutes. If you like, brush the edges of the crust with a little melted butter and sprinkle with garlic salt.
- Lift the paper, and slide the pizza off onto a cutting board or serving board. The baked pizza will slide right off the paper. Cool for several minutes, then cut into servings.
Video
Notes
Easy Pizza Sauce
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¾ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
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