The Pan Pizza Everyone is Making

You have probably seen this pizza before online because everyone is making it. I first saw this beautiful pan pizza on my friend Marian's Instagram. Then I saw it being made over on my friend Nick's Instagram. And then my friends Ian and Kristen's socials. It seemed daunting at first because all I saw was the prep time: 18 hours. But once I mustered up the courage and time to do it, I realized how EASY it was and how DELICIOUS the end result was. I have made plenty of homemade pizzas in the last few years but this one yields both a caramelized crust (thanks to the cast iron and generous portion of mozzarella) with a soft and fluffy dough (turns out, cold rising for days is worth it!)

Ingredient-wise for the dough, you probably already have all of it in your house:  

2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon fine salt (I use fine sea salt)

1/2 teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast

3/4 cup (170 grams) lukewarm water

1 tablespoon (13 grams) olive oil

For the topping:

1 1/2 tablespoons (18 grams) olive oil for the pan

6 ounces (170 grams) low-moisture mozzarella, grated (about 1 1/4 cups, loosely packed)

1/3 to 1/2 cups (74 grams to 113 grams) tomato sauce or pizza sauce

I do recommend using a digital scale if you have it! (For any baking you do, tbh!)

The recipe, adapted from King Arthur Flour and published over at Food52, is very easy to follow so I won't attempt to reinvent the wheel. Click through for step-by-step instructions!  

However, I WILL share a few more photos of my pizza boys instead. 

Here is the dough after 2 hours of rest in the cast iron (this is also after 18 hours of cold rising in the fridge). It is ready to get dressed! 

And here is a photo of my first attempt with leeks, red bell peppers, and garlic with mozzarella. 

Do I have another dough cold rising in the fridge as we speak? Yes. I can't wait to eat it tonight!