High and Soft Pan Pizza, a leavened dough with a soft hydrated texture, easy to make and loved by everyone: adults and kids. It’s just the classic variant of meat pizza, perfect to serve at a buffet or birthday party.
Usually, on Saturday nights, we never miss pizza! Since I was little, I remember helping my mom make it. She used the classic dough, with 50% water of the total flour. She kneaded and, after several hours of rising, I patiently enjoyed spreading it in single-serving pans. This custom remained even after I got married.
I confess that during my first pregnancy, I craved pizza and made it almost every day, even if the results weren’t always as expected. Of course, my husband tolerated the situation until our first daughter Francesca was born. After that, I started making it less frequently, but Saturday remained our fixed day to make it. There are various versions online, and after years and several trials, I’ve finally found my dough for high and soft pizza.
The ingredients for making it are classic: flour, water, yeast, oil, and salt. For this dough, I used 85% water of the total flour. So if you need to make more, you just need to calculate the amount of water based on the flour quantity. The procedure to prepare it is the same as the no-knead focaccia: no stand mixer needed! Mix with a spoon in a bowl and then let it rest 3 times at intervals of 15 minutes, doing the strengthening folds each time.
For the topping, I chose the classic Margherita pizza style with tomato and mozzarella, which always pleases everyone. Of course, you can top the pizza with ingredients you prefer: ham, arugula, cherry tomatoes, grilled vegetables. In short, you can top it based on your taste. Curious to discover how to make it? Then let’s go to the kitchen because the high and soft pan pizza will be ready in a click!
If you’re interested in other leavened recipes, also read:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 516.58 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 68.13 (g) of which sugars 1.57 (g)
- Proteins 17.53 (g)
- Fat 22.17 (g) of which saturated 1.62 (g)of which unsaturated 1.36 (g)
- Fibers 12.07 (g)
- Sodium 1,781.54 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 239 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour (W 350 or type one)
- 1 3/4 cups water (at room temperature)
- 1 tsp dry yeast
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 2/3 cups tomato sauce (rustic)
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- salt (to taste)
- oregano (to taste)
- 9 oz mozzarella for pizza
Tools
- Baking Pan
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Basin
- Work Surface
Steps
First, prepare the dough. Pour the room temperature water into a large bowl. Then add the yeast and oil, followed by the flour. Start mixing with a spoon until the flour has absorbed the liquid part. Add the salt and continue mixing with the spoon, ensuring it blends perfectly.
Cover with cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes. After resting, take the bowl and make the first round of folds by bringing the edges of the dough to the center. Cover again with cling film and let rest for 15 minutes. Repeat this process 2 more times with a 15-minute interval each time. Flour the work surface well and turn the dough out onto it. Slightly flatten the dough and bring the two opposite sides together to form a thick rectangle. Turn it and repeat this operation 3 more times.
At this point, form a dough ball, place it in the bowl, cover again with cling film, and let it rise for at least 2 hours or until doubled.
After the rising time, turn the dough into a greased 15 x 12-inch pan. Distribute it quickly, even if it tends to shrink back; this is normal. Cover again with cling film and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, season the tomato sauce in a bowl with salt, oil, and oregano. I always use rustic tomato sauce for pizza because it’s less watery than the classic one. After the 30 minutes of rest, take the pan and distribute the seasoning evenly.
Place it in a preheated oven on the lowest rack at 482°F for 10/12 minutes. Meanwhile, dice the mozzarella. Remove the pan from the oven and distribute the mozzarella. Add another sprinkle of oregano and place back in the oven at mid-height at 482°F for another 8 minutes or until the mozzarella has melted well.
Remove the pizza from the oven, cut into diamond shapes, and serve.
Storage and Tips for High and Soft Pan Pizza
The pan pizza can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 day in a container with a lid. If needed, you can reheat it for a few minutes in the oven, air fryer, or microwave.
It can also be frozen once cooked, or before adding the mozzarella.
FAQ Questions and Answers for High and Soft Pan Pizza
Can I reduce the amount of yeast?
Yes, you can use 1 g of dry yeast, but you will need to extend the rising time. In this case, I recommend letting it rise for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Why does it seem a bit watery during cooking?
This issue is due to the use of mozzarella. In this case, I recommend cutting it a few hours earlier so it loses all the water beforehand and not during cooking.
Can I add other ingredients to the pizza?
Yes, you can top it based on your taste. I recommend adding cold cuts (cooked ham, raw ham, speck, and bresaola) only after cooking. The same goes for using arugula, cheeses like robiola, goat cheese, or buffalo mozzarella. For grilled vegetables, pickled or oil-preserved vegetables, you can add them before putting the mozzarella.
