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If you want a homemade pizza that requires no kneading, no special flour, or long wait time (because who among has ever said “what I really crave is pizza that will be ready 1 to 3 days from now”), you should really, really be making more pan pizzas at home. You might even consider it a worthwhile addition to your 2026 cooking bucket list.
They’re actually impossible to mess up, falling into none of the other traps that besiege most homemade pizza efforts. Not only do you not need to knead the dough, you can pile it with all of the toppings your heart desires and it will never sog or flop in the center. You don’t have to watch the oven like a hawk or end up with something that tastes more like a cracker than a pizza — it actually bakes at a high heat for a full 30 minutes, yet will forgive you if you pull it out a little late. You don’t need a fancy pizza oven; the extremely basic one in my apartment handles this like a pro.
But the texture of the pizza tastes like something you worked much harder for — a thick, airy dough, pillowy and rippled with blistered cheese and toppings that go all the way to the toasted cheese edges (one of my favorite parts), and browned to a seasoned crouton-like crisp underneath, the kind that makes an audible crunch when you cut through it.
Below is the pizza in its more basic format: sauce, two types of cheese, a little basil on top, approved by the buttered noodle contingent of the family (just kidding; she will eviscerate the basil). But toppings are easy to add. Sometimes I roast some while the oven preheats (thickly sliced mushrooms, diced onions, peppers, and more); others can be sliced thin and piled on (such as pepperoni or fresh vegetables) right before baking. Be generous with the toppings; it won’t weigh the pizza down.
Note: This is the pan pizza dough we use in the Spinach and Artichoke Pan Pizza, the Pizza with Broccoli Rabe and Roasted Onions, and the Angry Grandma Pizza (in Smitten Kitchen Keepers) but as I made it for dinner last week for the millionth time, I realized that the site was lacking in this household favorite with no bells or whistles.
P.S. If you’re my teenaged son reading along, wondering what kind of recipes you might include in that core recipe arsenal we discussed: yes, this! [Before you say anything, no, I’m not emotionally prepared to have a website that spans from pre-kids days to baby food to a learn-to-cook list for an 11th grader but here we are!]
Simple Crispy Pan Pizza
- 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (I use Diamond brand kosher salt; use half of other brands)
- 1 cup lukewarm water (100° to 115°F)
- Olive oil
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce, prepared or homemade
- 6 ounces coarsely grated or torn mozzarella cheese (1 1/3 cup grated)
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino romano
- Seasonings such as salt, pepper flakes, and dried oregano
- Handful fresh basil
Crust
To finish
Assemble the pizza: Heat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Coat a 12-inch (30-cm) round cast-iron skillet with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Scrape dough into the pan, then turn it over once so it’s oiled on both sides. Dip your fingers in the oil to coat them and dimple the dough out to the edges as best as you can; it’s okay if it doesn’t fully stretch at this point. Set it aside, loosely covered, for 30 minutes to finish proofing.
To assemble: Spoon the sauce generously over the dough, covering it all the way to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with mozzarella, then parmesan. Season as you wish with salt, pepper flakes, and oregano, then drizzle a final tablespoon of oil over the top before transferring it to the oven.
Bake the pizza: For 30 minutes, until deeply golden brown at the edges and toasty on top. Yes, this baking time and temperature is correct. It sounds very long but I’ve made a hundred of these pizzas and always regret when I take it out before 30 minutes, as the edges have a less satisfying crunch.
To serve: Scatter with fresh basil. You can serve it right in the pan, but I prefer to protect my knives. Loosen the pizza from the pan and slide it onto a cutting board before cutting it into wedges.
Do ahead: Leftovers reheat fantastically. I heat leftover slices on a foil-covered sheet pan at 350°F or 375°F for 5 to 10 minutes.
Seen here: I’ve had this cast-iron skillet for 20 years! You can also use your Staub x Smitten Kitchen Braiser. I use this dough whisk. And I’m obsessssssed with this stunning olive wood board I bought myself recently from Etsy. I want every size. While you can bake this in any old 9×13-inch baking pan too, I bought this one just because I wanted the cast iron edges to be as good as they are in a skillet. Pizza like this is such an easy win when kids’ friends come over, I might buy a second one soon.
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