Deep pan pizza

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A good deep pan pizza is all about contrast: a crisp, almost fried base, a fluffy interior and enough cheese to keep every bite rich. This home version is very approachable and teaches an important trick, namely putting cheese under the sauce to protect the crust.

Serves: 4 people

Preparation time: 735 min

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour – 240 g
• Salt – 3/4 tsp
• Instant yeast – 1/2 tsp
• Lukewarm water – 170 ml
• Olive oil – 1 tbsp + extra for the pan
• Mozzarella, grated – 170 g
• Pizza sauce – 80 to 120 ml
• Parmesan or hard cheese – 2 tbsp
• Oregano or basil – to taste

Method

1. Stir the flour, salt, yeast, water and olive oil into a sticky dough. Cover and leave it to rise until airy, or chill it overnight for better flavour.
2. Oil a deep pan or cast-iron skillet generously and press the dough into it. If it keeps springing back, let it rest for 10 minutes and continue.
3. Scatter most of the mozzarella over the dough first. This protects the crust from moisture and helps create that classic pan-pizza texture.
4. Spoon over the sauce in an even layer or in broad swirls, then finish with the remaining cheese and a little Parmesan.
5. Bake in a very hot oven until the edges are deeply golden and the underside is crisp.
6. Rest the pizza for a minute or two before loosening it from the pan and slicing. A short rest makes the crust firmer and easier to serve.