Crispy Sourdough Pan Pizza
This is the pan pizza recipe I reach for when I want pizza night to feel extra special. Inspired by Perfect Pan Pizza by Peter Reinhart and modified to work better for our family, it’s designed to fit real life while still delivering an insanely delicious crispy bottom and golden cheesy edge crust.
Food has an amazing way of bringing people together, and pizza night is one of the easiest traditions to start. This is the pan pizza method I recently discovered after reading Perfect Pan Pizza by Peter Reinhart and then tweaking the process to work in real family life.
What makes this recipe such a win is that it bakes two pizzas at the same time in 9×13 pans, which works perfectly for a larger family and often leaves you with leftovers for the next day. Plus, putting the dough in a prepared pan instead of trying to shape it into a perfect round and sliding it onto a pizza stone, life saver.
I’m going to walk you through it exactly the way I do it at home, including what the dough should look like, how the shaping works, when to add the cheese, and a simple tomato sauce that your kids can make to get the whole family involved!
Why I LOVE this Recipe
I love this method because it fits so naturally into real life. Mixing the dough the night before means the hard work is already done, and the next day feels relaxed instead of rushed. Pressing the dough into the pans happens in a few easy sessions, then it rises on its own while I move on to other things.
Also, I love how this recipe makes two pizzas at once which means no one is waiting for the next pan and we usually end up with leftovers, which I never complain about. The well oiled pans and hot oven give me that crispy, golden crust every time, and while the dough is rising, the sauce is quick to throw together and simple enough that the kids can help make it, turning pizza night into something special we can do as a family together.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook, or any mixer that can handle dough
- A dough container with a lid. Or any large bowl with a lid.
- Two 9×13 baking pans
- Kitchen scale
- Dough scraper for sticky dough
- Olive oil for the pans
- Cheese grater or knife for cubing cheese
Notes
This dough is intentionally loose and sticky. That is part of what makes the final crumb fluffy inside while still getting crisp on the bottom.
You will use 520 grams total flour. I use a mix of:
- 200 grams freshly milled kamut
- 320 grams all purpose flour
Kamut helps this dough feel more workable. If you skip the kamut and use only all purpose flour, the dough can feel even looser. That is not wrong, it is just wetter. I use this grain mill to make my own flour.
If your dough feels truly impossible to handle, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time until it looks workable, but stop before it turns into a firm dough. You want it sticky.
How I Make It
The night before: Start by mixing the dough the night before. Combine the flour, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer, then add the water and sourdough starter. Mix until everything is fully incorporated, drizzle in the olive oil, and let the dough rest briefly before giving it a short knead.
Transfer the dough to a well oiled container, perform a few rounds of stretch and folds with rest time in between. It should only sit out on the counter for 1-2 hours. Then cover and refrigerate overnight.
The Next Day: Generously oil two 9×13 pans, making sure to coat the bottom and sides well. Divide the cold dough evenly between the pans. Flip the dough over so the oil gets on both sides. With wet hands, gently dimple and press the dough, starting in the middle and pressing outward toward the edges. It will resist at first, so cover it and come back every 20 minutes to dimple again. After a few rounds, the dough will relax and naturally fill the pan.
Once the dough fills the pans, scatter small cubes of cheese evenly over the surface. Cover the pans and let the dough rise for several hours until it looks puffy and airy. During this time, prepare the tomato sauce and any toppings so everything is ready to go when it is time to bake.
Bake: About 30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Par bake the dough for a few minutes to set the crust and prevent sogginess. Remove the pans from the oven, add a thin layer of sauce, remaining cheese, and toppings, pushing some cheese toward the edges for a crisp crust.
Lower the oven temperature to 450 and return the pizzas to the oven. Bake until the cheese is golden, the edges are deeply crisp, and the bottom is well browned, about 25 minutes. Let the pizzas rest briefly, then remove from the pans, slice, and serve.
Watch the full recipe walkthrough in my video below!
Sourdough Pan Pizza
Ingredients
Notes
- If you have not ventured into the world of freshly milled flour, please do not worry. You can use all purpose flour for this too. You may need to use slightly more flour if you find the dough is too sticky to work with. The dough should be loose and sticky. Add extra flour only 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.
- Cheese pushed up against the pan edges creates a crispy, caramelized crust.
- Sauce can be added before or after cheese depending on how crisp you want the crust.
- Leftovers reheat best in the oven or air fryer.
Method
- Add flour, salt, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer and gently mix to combine.
- Add the sourdough starter and water. Mix on low speed until no dry flour remains.
- Increase to medium speed and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
- Knead on medium high speed for 1 to 3 minutes until slightly smoother but still sticky.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl or container. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
- Perform a stretch and fold on all four sides of the dough. Cover and rest 20 minutes.
- Repeat stretch and folds for a total of 3 sets.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Around midday, generously grease two 9 by 13 pans with olive oil, coating the bottom and sides.
- Divide the dough evenly between the pans. Flip the dough over so oil gets on both sides of the dough. With wet hands, gently dimple the dough toward the edges.
- Cover and rest 20 minutes, then dimple again. Repeat 3 to 4 times until the dough fills the pan.
- Scatter cheese cubes evenly over the dough.
- Cover and let rise about 4 hours until puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 500°F at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Par bake the dough for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove from oven and add a thin layer of sauce, remaining shredded cheese, and any toppings.
- Reduce oven temperature to 450°F and bake about 20-25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until edges are golden and crisp.
- Cool slightly, slice, and serve.
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