Americas Test Kitchen Pan Pizza Recipes

AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN THIN-CRUST PIZZA

Steps:

• In food processor fitted with metal blade, process flour, sugar and yeast until combined, about 2 seconds. With machine running, slowly add water through feed tube; process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds. Let dough stand for 10 minutes.
• Add oil and salt to dough and process until dough forms a satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of workbowl, 30-60 seconds. Remove dough and knead briefly on lightly oiled countertop until smooth, about 1 minutes. Shape dough into tight ball and place in large lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.
• Process tomatoes, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, oregano and pepper in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to medium bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
• One hour before baking pizza, adjust rack in oven to second highest position, about 4-5 inches below broiler. Set pizza stone on rack and heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Shape each half into smooth, tight ball. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet, spacing them at least 3" apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap coated with non-stick spray; let stand for 1 hour.
• Coat 1 ball of dough generously with flour and place on well floured countertop. Using fingers gently flatten into 8" disk, leaving 1" of outer edge slightly thicker than center. Using hands, gently stretch dough disk into 12" round, working along edges and giving disk quarter turns as you stretch. Transfer dough to a well floured peel and stretch into 13" round. Using back of spoon or ladle, spread 1/2 c tomato sauce in a thin layer over the surface of dough, leaving 1/4" border around edge. Sprinkle 1/4 c Parmesan evenly over sauce, followed by 1 c mozzarella. Slide pizza carefully onto stone and bake until crust is well browned and cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes, rotating pizza halfway through. Remove pizza and place on wire rack for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Repeat this with second ball of dough.

DETROIT-STYLE PEPPERONI PIZZA

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the bottom of the oven and preheat to the highest temperature setting, 500 to 550 degrees F.
• Pour the oil in a large, square metal cake pan (or, ideally, an authentic Detroit-style pizza pan). Put the Pizza Dough in the pan and gently stretch it out to fit so the dough reaches the corners. If the dough is being temperamental, set it aside for another 10 minutes to relax and try again.
• Layer the pepperoni on the dough. Then lay the cheese cubes all over, especially around the perimeter up to the edge of the pan (this creates the coveted crispy cheese crust). Dollop the pizza sauce on top in 3 lines.
• Bake in the ultra-hot oven until bubbly and golden and a crispy cheese crust has formed, 10 to 15 minutes. Using a fish spatula, loosen up the edges and place on a cutting board. Slice into squares and serve!
• Put the flour, salt, yeast and sugar in a food processor with a metal blade attachment and pulse to combine. Add 1 cup warm water, then process until a ball forms, about 30 seconds (if a ball does not form, add a bit more flour). Process for another 30 seconds, then roll into a tight ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Proof in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 2 hours.
• Heat a small saucepot over medium heat and add the oil. Add the Italian seasoning and garlic and saute until fragrant; do not let the garlic burn. Add the tomatoes and sugar and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer until concentrated, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN DEEP DISH PIZZA RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• For the Dough: Mix flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add water and melted butter and mix on low speed until fully combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is glossy and smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, 4 to 5 minutes. (Dough will only pull away from sides while mixer is on. When mixer is off, dough will fall back to sides.) Using fingers, coat large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil, rubbing excess oil from fingers onto blade of rubber spatula. Using oiled spatula, transfer dough to bowl, turning once to oil top; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume, 45 to 60 minutes. For the Sauce: While dough rises, heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add onion, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and sugar, increase heat to high, and bring to simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and oil, then season with salt and pepper. To Laminate the Dough: Adjust oven rack to lower position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Using rubber spatula, turn dough out onto dry work surface and roll into 15- by 12-inch rec-tangle. Using offset spatula, spread softened butter over surface of dough, leaving 1/2-inch border along edges. Starting at short end, roll dough into tight cylinder. With seam side down, flatten cylinder into 18- by 4-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half crosswise. Working with 1 half, fold into thirds like business letter; pinch seams together to form ball. Repeat with remaining half. Return balls to oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in refrigerator until nearly doubled in volume, 40 to 50 minutes. Combining them all: Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons olive oil each. Transfer 1 dough ball to dry work surface and roll out into 13-inch disk about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to pan by rolling dough loosely around rolling pin and unrolling into pan. Lightly press dough into pan, working into corners and 1 inch up sides. If dough resists stretching, let it relax 5 minutes before trying again. Repeat with remaining dough ball. For each pizza, sprinkle 2 cups grated mozzarella evenly over surface of dough. Spread 1 1/4 cups tomato sauce over cheese, add whatever toppings you want to use and sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmesan over sauce. Bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Feing someone who cooks as rare as a Sade concert, I decided I would take a stab at making a Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza recipe found on America's Test Kitchen website. The recipe seemed somewhat simple and being a visual person, I appreciated the detailed instructions and the illustrations showing how you roll out the dough. It started out simple and I followed the instructions to a tee. But, by not reading the instructions from beginning to end when I started, I accidentally put all the butter in when making the dough. It called for "3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and plus 4 tablespoons, softened". When I first read it, I thought it was asking to put in all the butter in at once. I know is sounds ridiculous, but that is what happens when you never cook. Needless to say, the dough didn't rise and just stuck to the counter when I tried to roll it out. Strike 1! The sauce on the other hand came out perfectly. At least I got that one right on the first try. After realizing how I screwed up the dough, I decided to try again. With correct amount of butter, the dough came out perfectly. It rolled out smoothly, didn't stick and fit perfectly into the pan. When applying the toppings, I first applied the Mozzarella cheese. What I thought I read was to apply 2 cups of cheese which I couldn't believe how much cheese there was. I went ahead and applied the sauce, pepperoni and black olives, my favorite toppings. It cooked as described and came out with a golden brown crust. When it came time to cut a slice, the cheese just oozed out. It looked like you were cutting into a lemon custard pie, the cheese was so thick. I tried eating a few slices but it was so rich with cheese it made me nauseous and had to throw it out. After reading the recipe again, it dawned on me that it was two cups AFTER you shred the cheese, not two cups (read: 1 lb) of pre-graded cheese. Strike 2! I still had another dough role from the second time, so I give it another try. This time I only used 1 cup of shredded cheese, pepperoni, ground sausage and caramelized onions. Finally, after all the stress I finally had a good pizza that was actually edible. Notes from the ATK folks: This recipe makes two 9-inch pizzas, serving 4 to 6 each. Place a damp kitchen towel under the mixer and watch it at all times during kneading to prevent it from wobbling off the counter. Handle the dough with slightly oiled hands, or it might stick. ATK prefers Dragone Whole Milk Mozzarella; part-skim mozzarella can also be used, but avoid pre-shredded cheese, as it does not melt well. ATK preferred brands of crushed tomatoes are Tuttorosso and Muir Glen. Grate the onion on the large holes of a box grater.

SHEET-PAN CHEESE PIZZA

Steps:

• Make the dough: Sprinkle the yeast over the hot water in a small bowl. Let stand until dissolved and slightly foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the bread flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and add the olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, dust the dough with flour and knead, dusting with more flour as needed, until very smooth and elastic but still slightly tacky, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet coated with 3 tablespoons olive oil, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Make the pizza sauce: Combine the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, dried oregano, sugar and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a medium bowl; season with more salt and sugar if needed. (Makes about 1 1/2 cups.)
• Make the pizza: Preheat the oven to 450˚ F (use the convection setting, if available) with a pizza stone, baking steel or inverted large baking sheet in the lower third of the oven. Gently stretch and press the dough to cover the pan as much as possible. Let stand 30 minutes, then gently press and stretch the dough again, if needed, to cover the pan. Top the dough with the pizza sauce, Parmesan, grated mozzarella and torn mozzarella.
• Place the baking sheet on the hot stone and bake the pizza until the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then remove to a cutting board.

CHICAGO-STYLE PAN PIZZA

Steps:

• Press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle over dough. Top with mozzarella cheese., In a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in oil until onion is tender. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, salt, fennel seed and garlic powder. , Spoon over mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350° for 25-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

CHEESY PAN PIZZA

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: Measure the flour, water, olive oil, salt and yeast into a large mixing bowl. Mix together with your hand or a dough scraper until it forms a shaggy, sticky ball with no dry patches. Cover the bowl using a damp towel or plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
• Wet your hand, and reach down between the side of the bowl and the dough, as though you were going to lift the dough out, but instead of lifting, stretch the bottom of the dough up, and fold it over the top. Repeat three more times, turning the bowl 90 degrees each time. Cover the bowl again for 5 minutes, then repeat the folding-and-resting process three more times. After the fourth time, cover the bowl, and let the dough rest, undisturbed, for 40 minutes, then transfer the bowl to the fridge for at least 12 hours or up to 72 hours.
• About 3 hours before you want to eat the pizza, get ready for assembly: Pour the olive oil into a well-seasoned 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet, and use your fingers to coat the inside of the pan, including the sides. Transfer the dough to the pan, and turn it once to coat both sides with the oil. After coating the dough in oil, press the dough to the edges of the pan, dimpling it with your fingertips. If the dough shrinks back, cover it and let it rest for about 15 minutes, then repeat the pressing and dimpling. At this point, you should be able to smush the dough out and into the edges of the pan, but if not, give it one more 15-minute rest before trying again. Cover the dough, and let it rise for 2 hours at room temperature. It will look soft and jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
• Place one rack at the bottom of the oven and one toward the top (about 4 to 5 inches from the top heating element), then heat the oven to 450 degrees. When you're ready to bake the pizza, sprinkle a scant 1 cup mozzarella evenly over the crust. Cover the entire dough so none is showing, then dollop small spoonfuls of the sauce over the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top, and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the bottom and edges of the crust are a rich golden brown. (Use a spatula to check the bottom.) If the bottom is brown but the top still seems pale, transfer the pizza to the top rack, and bake for 2 to 4 minutes longer. On the other hand, if the top seems fine but the bottom's not browned to your liking, leave the pizza on the bottom rack for another 2 to 4 minutes.
• Remove the pizza from the oven, and place the pan on a heatproof surface. Carefully run a table knife or spatula between the edge of the pizza and side of the pan to prevent the cheese from sticking as it cools. Let the pizza cool very briefly; as soon as you feel comfortable doing so, carefully transfer it from the pan to a cooling rack or cutting surface. If garnishing with hard cheese and herbs, add those now. Serve the pizza anywhere from medium-hot to warm, and use kitchen shears or a large pair of scissors to cut it into wedges.

AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN SKILLET BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 475.
• Combine oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet and saute over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. (If your skillet is not ovensafe, transfer the pasta mixture into a shallow 2-quart casserole dish before sprinkling with the cheese and baking).
• Add crushed tomatoes, water, ziti and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until ziti is almost tender, 15-18 minutes.
• Stir in cream, Parmesan, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over ziti. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cheese has melted and browned, about 10 minutes. Serve.