The Cheesiest, Crispiest Pizza is Also the Easiest | What’s Eating Dan?

mozzarella cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: cheddar cheese

Part-skim mozzarella reduces fat, while cheddar is often less expensive.

pepperoni

🥗Healthier: turkey pepperoni

💰Cheaper: salami

Turkey pepperoni is lower in fat, while salami can be more affordable.

pizza sauce

🥗Healthier: homemade tomato sauce

💰Cheaper: canned tomatoes

Homemade sauce can be fresher, while canned tomatoes are budget-friendly.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Avocado oil is healthier, while vegetable oil is often cheaper.

Stir together bread flour, table salt, and instant yeast in a bowl.

Add warm water and mix until most of the flour is moistened.

Knead dough in the bowl until it forms a sticky ball, about 1 minute.

Spray a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan with oil spray. Transfer dough to prepared plate and press into a 7- to 8-inch disk. Spray top of dough with oil spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Place the can of whole peeled tomatoes in a fine-mesh strainer and crush with your hands. Drain well.

Transfer to a food processor. Add extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic, sugar, salt, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Two hours before baking, remove dough from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Coat the bottom of a 12-inch cast-iron skillet with extra-virgin olive oil. Transfer dough to prepared skillet and use fingertips to flatten dough until it is ⅛ inch from the edge of the skillet. Cover tightly with plastic and let rest until slightly puffy, about 1½ hours.

Thirty minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400 degrees.

Spread ½ cup sauce evenly over the top of the dough, leaving a ½-inch border (save remaining sauce for another use).

Sprinkle 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese evenly over the border. Press Monterey Jack into the side of the skillet, forming a ½- to ¾-inch-tall wall. (Not all cheese will stick to the side of the skillet.)

Evenly sprinkle 1¾ cups of whole-milk mozzarella cheese over the sauce.

Bake until cheese at the edge of the skillet is well browned, 25 to 30 minutes.

Transfer skillet to stovetop and let sit until sizzling stops, about 3 minutes. Run a butter knife around the rim of the skillet to loosen pizza. Using a thin metal spatula, gently lift the edge of the pizza and peek at the underside to assess browning.

Cook pizza over medium heat until the bottom crust is well browned, 2 to 5 minutes (skillet handle will be hot).

Using 2 spatulas, transfer pizza to wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens