Craving a hot, cheesy homemade pepperoni pizza with a thick, crispy crust but short on time? While countless chains offer deals that make cooking seem pointless, this 60 min. Pan Pizza recipe proves that making it at home makes a lot of sense and results in a delicious dinner.
Tom the Chef Founder
Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…
Craving a hot, cheesy pepperoni pizza with a thick crispy crust but short on time? While countless chains offer deals that make cooking seem pointless, this 60 min. Pan Pizza recipe proves that making it at home makes a lot of sense. This is an easy pizza dinner solution when you want quality without the wait.
When preparing this 60 min. Pan Pizza, the choice of flour is the first step toward that perfect texture. My recipe specifically calls for 3 cups of bread flour. While you optionally can substitute with all-purpose flour, using the recommended bread flour contributes significantly to the structure of the dough. It helps achieve that desired thick crispy crust that defines this style of pizza.
For this recipe, it is absolutely crucial to use active dry yeast that is not expired or compromised. This is a fast-rising dough, so the yeast must be potent. Make sure that your yeast is in a perfectly sealed pouch right before using it. If you are using part of a bulk package of yeast, make sure that it was properly stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for no more than six months. Failure to do so may result in denser pizzas rather than the airy texture we want in a 60 min. Pan Pizza.
During the kneading process of this baking powder pizza dough—which utilizes both yeast and baking powder—you will knead on medium-high speed until a compact dough forms. You are looking for a dough that stops sticking to the bottom of the mixing bowl, which usually takes about 2 to 4 minutes. However, note that the “no sticking” part applies only when the dough is being processed. When you turn off the mixer, the dough will rest and be a little sticky, which is okay and normal for this 60 min. Pan Pizza.
This is a fast-rising dough, thanks to a large amount of yeast and the use of baking powder, which together give the pizza a perfect texture. To rise, place each piece into an individual medium mixing bowl, cover both with a plate or plastic wrap, and let them rise until doubled in a warm place. A warm place would be considered the oven set to a bread-proofing/rising program, or a slightly preheated oven turned off with a comfortable, sauna-like temperature, or simply place it near a source of heat. Alternatively, let it rise at room temperature for 30 minutes. For a fuller taste, you have optional steps: deflate the dough after the first 20 or 30 minutes, cover, and let it rise again for another 20 or 30 minutes.
My pizza sauce recipe is designed for efficiency. The amount of sauce in the recipe is designed to use the entire can of diced tomatoes as well as the entire can of tomato paste. This is to prevent you from having leftover cans and to prevent the necessity of measuring. Use an amount of the sauce you like on your 60 min. Pan Pizza, up to half of the total amount for each saucy pizza, or a quarter of the amount for pizza with a moderate quantity of sauce, based on your preference. If you do not use all the sauce, feel free to store it in the refrigerator for up to one day or in the freezer for up to half a year for your next pizza project.
When it is time to shape the dough into your 12 inch pizza pans, let gravity do its job. Place one piece of dough into each pan. Then, using all your fingers, evenly distribute the dough by gently pressing and stretching it until you have covered the entire bottom diameter of the pan. Because the dough has a greasy surface after being flipped into the pan—thanks to the Extra Virgin Olive Oil used for greasing—it is easy to use bare hands without it sticking.
For the toppings, I use 1 LB of shredded mozzarella cheese, which is about 3 ½ cups, but you can use more for cheesy pizzas. For the meat, ¼ to ½ LB of sliced pepperoni salami is standard. A ¼ LB of pepperoni is enough for both pizzas. But since my wife is a vegetarian and I love pepperoni, I use the entire ¼ LB just for my pizza, as you can see in the pictures. This flexibility allows everyone to enjoy their perfect homemade pepperoni pizza.
Place the pizzas on the bottom rack of the preheated 400°F oven and bake until done, about 20 minutes. Once removed, let them sit for 3 to 5 minutes on a cooling rack. To serve, run a paring knife around the entire diameter of both pizzas to make sure that the sides are released. Even if well-greased, sometimes sauce or cheese can get over the edge of the pizza, causing the edges to stick to the pan. Then, use a turner to carefully move the 60 min. Pan Pizza onto a serving plate. Make sure to exercise caution by wearing oven mitts to prevent burn injuries.
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