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Aug 8, 2014

Easier Faster Pan Pizza

Best No Knead Dough Pan Pizza

Good news! After the success of my faster no knead bread I wondered if the same concept would work for my pan pizza. It does. The original easy pan pizza recipe, which is the most viewed video on my youtube channel, is a really easy recipe but you have to start the dough the night before and let it stand overnight. The result is an amazing crust that everyone has raved about but now, you don’t have to start it the night before. All you do is use hot tap water instead of cold water (the original recipe calls for cold water) and you can start the pan pizza the day you want it. I’m so excited about this.

Simply by switching from cold water to hot tap water (not boiling), you reduce the overnight rest of 12 hours to only 3 hours. Here’s what to do: Use the same exact recipe but use hot water instead of cold, and instead of letting it rest overnight on the counter, you let it rest for 3 hours on the counter.  After 3 hours, you proceed with the original recipe from step #2. There it is. My faster easy pan pizza.

The main thing to remember is that instead of starting it the night before, you can start this easier faster pan pizza about 5 hours before you want to eat. Click here for my original recipe. – Jenny Jones

Filed Under: Main Dishes
71 Comments

71 Comments on "Easier Faster Pan Pizza"

  1. michelle

    Just love Jenny and her humor but most of all her recipes! Please Jenny come back with more delicious easy always turn out perfect dishes!

  2. Robin Michelle Alberti

    I have several different pizzas to make for my family and only one pan that is big enough……..once all of my individual bowls of dough have risen can I reduce the resting time in the skillet before cooking or is it absolutely neccessary for it to sit for an additional hour?

    • Mary

      I forgot that I had to let this sit in the pan until it was time to let it sit in the pan. I put it on top of the stove and turned the oven on for about 5 minutes to warm it up. I probably let it sit in the pan less than an hour. It turned out delicious.

  3. Jacque

    I made this pizza at our cabin at an altitude of 7,000 feet And it turned out great! My family said it was the best pizza ever! I made it with just cheese on one for the kids and sausage on the other in the cast iron and no sticking to the pan.

  4. Julie

    Jenny, I’d like to make this pizza soon. Right now bread flour is hard to come by: will I be ok using ap flour. LOVE YOUR RECIPES & VIDEOS.

    • Jenny Can Cook

      The recipe indicates that either flour will work.

  5. Cathy

    I am unsure of what pizza sauce to use. What did you use?

  6. Daniel

    I got rid of my microwave, but I have a convection oven, I am wondering how long to precook my vegetables and meat.

    • booch221

      The mushrooms can be dry sauteed. Simply slice them and put them into a non-stick skillet and add a little salt. Cook over medium heat. They will release their water. When it has evaporated they are done. You could probably do the other toppings this way too.

  7. Mrs. Woomert

    Has anyone made adjustments in the recipe to accommodate the larger 12″ cast iron skillet?

    • Robin Kinley

      I bought a Lodge 12 inch skillet from Walmart and it works fine, but it doesn’t need to cook as long, maybe 8 minutes as the dough is slightly thinner. Plenty thick enough for us. The handles on each side of the Lodge cast iron pan make it much easier to get in and out of the oven…

  8. Eunice

    Jenny, thank you for your recipe, I cannot wait to try it.

  9. Daphne

    Great recipe. I made it without the cheese and pepperoni to keep it plant based. Did use black olives (drained really really well!) and lots of garlic in addition to the veggies you recommended. The veggie drying in the microwave works great. Also a great size for two people. I bought an 11-inch CI skillet to make this. 😀 I think you can buy vegan “pepperoni,” so I’ll look for that for next time. Bon appetit!

  10. Donna

    Hi Jenny, I made your pizza the other night it was delicious and what a wonderful crust. I did the original way letting it stay on counter for 12 to 18 hours. do you think I can make a bread using this same recipe and baking it in my 2 qt Dutch oven.

  11. Kat

    I am wondering if it would be ok to bake this in a Staub everyday pan which is not a super thick cast iron but good to 500 degrees. I also found my Mom’s old Guardian Service Griddle and am wondering about that since aluminum does so well with heat. Any suggestions? Thanks, Kat

  12. Paul Manoogian

    Any idea why the French blue skillet i use identical to yours sometimes causes the pizza to stick to the bottom, and when I use the much cheaper Lodge skillet there is no sticking… Cooked at the identical time in the same oven… From the same batch of dough, I just double the ingredients and separate them into two bowls

    • Eileen C Marter

      The skillet isn’t as heavy so uneven heating.

  13. Linda

    I made the faster version of this pizza last night with my son. I put the crust together and oversaw the rising etc while he was at work. When he came home I helped him with the rest of it (nice bonding time!) and it was incredible!!! I was so proud of it!! It came out absolutely fantastic and I am NOT a baker – this was only the third time I have tried a recipe for pizza. No need to look elsewhere! My husband, son and I all loved it! It was SO easy and this crust truly rivaled the best Italian restaurants and is by far better than any of the chain restaurants, hands down! Thank you, Jenny!

  14. Lisa-Marie

    I am so excited to try this recipe…I used to watch you on tv when I was younger… You still look great!

  15. Jen

    Hi Jenny,
    I made your amazing over nite pan pizza and absolutely loved it. I am making the 3 hr rise dough tonite. One question. I know you only used 1/4 tsp yeast since it would slow rise all nite, but do you use the same amount for the 3 hr rise? I will never order out again because this crust is identical to my all time favorite pizza hut pan pizza from 20 yrs ago. Can’t get crust like this anymore.

    • Jenny

      There are no changes for the faster version.

      • ed

        so if you switch to SELF RISING FLOUR you only rise for 30 min.ed

    • Linda

      I miss my Pizza Hut pizza, and I’m so glad you referred to it. It turned out PERFECT. This is just what I wanted in a recipe! Thanks Jen & Jenny

  16. Joseph mason

    I tried your pan pizza recipe and I loved it I’m just made my dough for my lunch tomorrow thanks !

  17. Old Bob

    As an old guy, I have taken up cooking. I built a fairly elaborate outdoor kitchen and I love to cook. I have several cooking areas and cooking devices. Two devices are Weber 22.5″ kettles. One is set up for cooking steaks, etc., and has a modification to enhance low and slow smoking. The other is modified as a pizza oven (commercially available, but I built my own conversion). Sorry for the long intro, but it is important to my questions.

    I tried your pan pizza twice. Outstanding both times!! As I type this, I am waiting for my next batch to rise. It is the hot water version that I have not tried before. At the four hour mark, it does not look or feel like the 12 hour version. It seems more like regular dough. I will get my cast iron pan ready and do the rest. I will follow up on the results. Even if I have to sprinkle some flour and roll it out, I’m betting it will be fine.

    • Old Greg

      Old Bob, how did this turn out? Look forward to hearing from you.

      – Old Greg

  18. Mary from Sydney

    I stumbled across your site on utube not so long ago and I must congratulate you. Your recipes are so easy and quick and yummy. I am definately a fan. Being a single mum working full time, I find your recipes eliminate the hard work for me now. Previously I had to prepare dinner one or two nights ahead. NOW you have made my life much much easier. I now have ME time.

    Thank you Jenny and God bless

    Mary from Sydney Australia

  19. Elmer

    Great pizza,however one should never use hot from the tap for cooking because bacteria loves hot water tanks.

    • schwarzeee

      There’s already bacteria in the dough. It’s called yeast. Once baked, all bacteria is dead.

    • Batshit Crazy

      Always got that one guy that’s trying to be Mr. Healthy who has to prove to the world he knows all there is about sterilization and living in an antiseptic world. The pizza is baked in your oven at the highest temperature your oven can provide. Pressure canning foods kills bacteria at 240 deg, so if your oven doesn’t reach 240 deg, you should consider a new oven or get your old one checked out. Can’t bake a loaf of bread or make a pie at 240. You wouldn’t even be able to make Jenny’s Chicken Pot Pie at that temp.

    • Dan

      Sometimes I just have to shake my head when reading comments. The purpose of using hot water is to speed the action of the yeast. You have to be careful as anything over about 110 degrees F will kill the yeast. I like to use distilled water as the chlorine in tap water is very hard on yeast. No need to worry about bacteria as the yeast will totally colonize the flour mix and do their thing. I am assuming you know the yeast are living creatures???

      • Jenny

        Actually, up to 130 degrees F does not kill yeast. It’s even the suggested temperature on the package of instant yeast (120-130) while active dry yeast is suggested at 100-110. I have used 120 degree water with active dry yeast and it has never failed. I think the reason for confusion is that years ago yeast was more fragile than the one that’s available today. So that’s good because everyone just learning to bake won’t be afraid to try their hand at bread.

      • Cheryl from OC

        Hey Dan, thought you might like this tip. I don’t like drinking chlorine either so I bought a Berkey water purifier and run all my tap water through that. The purifiers are costly but I bought the smallest one and I’m so happy I did.

    • Barry

      The reason you normally don’t use. Dry hot water isn’t a concern with bacteria, it is a concern that too hot water will kill the healthy yeast bacteria and ruin your dough.

    • Elf Mom

      Actually, the reason people always said not to use hot water from the tap was that in the olden days, the hot water pipes were often soldered with lead solder and the thought was that the hot water would allow more lead to leach from the solder so that over time, you’d be ingesting enough lead to be sick. Luckily that’s not a problem for most of us even in old houses because the old pipes have long since corroded and been replaced by safer ones. The water in your hot water heater heats up enough to kill the bacteria or you’d also have to be cleaning algae from the tank.

  20. Barbo

    Jenny,
    Today I made the whole wheat bread from your video. It came out
    perfectly and looked exactly like your loaf. I also made the crusty
    rolls yesterday, so good and I am so happy with your cooking.

    Please come back to us. I am 83 years old and still doing my
    own cooking and baking and hope to do so all of my life. I’ve now
    tried three of your recipes and they came out as written. Very good,
    very easy and so successful. Thanks dear funny Jenny.

    barbo

  21. Bob M

    Hi Jenny

    With regard to your no knead pizza dough, can I freeze it for another day. I plan on making three or four rounds, eat one today etc. Thanks Bob

  22. camilla barbossa

    Hey Jenny,
    I love you and your recipes. The other day i tried the snowball cookies you made, and the result was amazing. Everybody loved them. But you do not share your videos anymore. All of the people I subscribed to add new videos at least every week, i check your channel on youtube now and then, to see if you came back, and i get disappointed. I love your recipes because they are so simple to make and trusted. I hope you are fine!

  23. Lydia Salvador-Cruz

    I’m a retired employee, now 71 and i enjoy your cooking and baking method.So simple and easy ro understand.,God Bless You

  24. Marcio Stewers

    Hi Jenny, i own a Pub im Brazil and i am offering your pizza and it is a sucess, and also your Hashbrow….15 minutes each side..It is great
    Keep cooking and wish you the best
    Marcio Stewers
    São Paulo – SP / Brazil

    • Jenny

      Wow! That’s great to hear. People like my pizza in Brazil! 🙂

  25. Vikas Rao

    Jenny, I have been watching your Jenny Can Cook and Jenny’s Kitchen quite regularly these days. I love the way you make cooking / baking so simple yet very attractive. I am now your fan. Your behaviour is so girlish and I love the way you explain things very authoritatively. Great! I promise to try at least a few of your dishes and will let you know for sure how they turned out.

  26. Anna

    Jenny you are the best. Now i can bake in a more relaxing way and more confidence in my baking

  27. Ina

    How hot should the water be ?

  28. sunny

    hey jenny, I love the idea of your pan pizza but the problem for me is that my oven is small and my pan does not fit in so what should I do if I want to use pan for my pizza…

    • Jenny

      You can try making the whole thing on the stove. Follow my recipe though step 8. Then flip over the dough so the browned part is on the top, add your cheese and toppings, cover the pan, and finish it on the stove until the cheese is melted and toppings are cooked. You may have to reduce the temperature – I don’t know – so keep an eye on it. Also, your cheese will melt okay but make sure your toppings are all at room temperature (not cold) and if they don’t cook enough you can try pre-cooking them before adding to the pizza. Good luck.

      • sunny

        thank you so much for replyyy it helppedd so muchhh thank you thank you thank you….now i don’t need to worry about my pan or the oven anymoree yeahhhh luvvv yuuu yu hav juz saved my pizza dayyy!!!!

  29. Devi vinod

    Hello Ma’am, i have used ur quick rise pan pizza recipe instead of cold water i hve used warm so the dough will be ready in 3 hrs. I had doubled the amount in order to make 2 pizza so how to store this sticky wet xtra dough to make the second pizza the next day.

    • Jenny

      This dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. In fact they say that refrigeration improves the flavor. You should let it do the first rest, either overnight with cold water or for 3 hours with warm water, and at that point cover it loosely, giving room for expansion, and refrigerate. Then bring it to room temperature and proceed the the pizza.

      • AndyinAtl

        Would like clarification about your comment around making the dough in advance:

        >This dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. In fact they say that refrigeration improves the flavor. You should let it do the first rest, either overnight with cold water or for 3 hours with warm water, and at that point cover it loosely, giving room for expansion, and refrigerate. Then bring it to room temperature and proceed the the pizza.

        After bringing it up to room temperature, do I put it in the pan and let it rest another hour? Or is it ready at that point for sauce/cheese/toppings?

        • Jenny

          I believe you would let it rest for another hour or two so it puffs up and spreads into the pan.

  30. Ann

    I used the new cookware called “The Rock” and the crust is amazing. Better than any takeout I have ever eaten. I used an olive oil/butter blend to coat the frying pan, or the drippings from the bacon that I have already cooked up in the fry pan. I do not like my dough too thick so one batch does an 11 inch and an 8 inch frying pan. I have also tried your cabbage rolls Jenny and they are delish!
    I am so happy to have found “Jenny can cook” on you tube. I loved your shows and am so happy to have found you again. 🙂

  31. Tiffany

    Is a non stick frying pan alright or a stainless metal pan?
    Thanks! 🙂

    • Jenny

      Nothing retains heat like cast iron so it will give you the best crust. It’s not considered safe to heat non-stick pans at a very high heat and as for a stainless metal pan if it’s heavy and oven safe to 500 degrees it might work but I have only used cast iron so I can’t speak from experience.

    • KeenieShopper

      I tried making 2 pizzas at the same time–one in a cast iron skillet and the other in a stainless steel skillet. The stainless steel pizza stuck to the pan horribly, even though there was a nice coating of olive oil on the bottom, the same amount as in the cast iron skillet. Won’t be doing THAT again.

  32. laila

    i, i, i, i LOOOOOOOOOVE IT. the pizza turned out so good with the chewy dough and the cheese i put. Jenny, your the best [and i mean it]

  33. Darlene

    I finally made this pizza. Followed your directions precisely (well I used a bigger skillet) and OMG delicious. That is a Big compliment because 1. I am Italian and 2. I grew up in Buffalo, New York where the pizza is the best (in my opinion). I love your videos. Great job. I don’t know though …..you seem to be getting younger every year. Must be your obvious love of Life.

    • jenny

      thank you darling

      • laila

        reaaaaaly i don’t believe that is really you jenny. besides,jenny doesn’t write with lower case and simple words and letters

        • Jenny

          That comment was from another person named Jenny.

  34. Jo

    Can we use ceramic-coated pan here?

    • Jenny

      I think the best result would be in a black cast iron pan (ceramic-coated on the outside is okay, but not on the inside).

    • Mark

      I have only ceramic cast iron pans, and at 500 degrees it came out perfect yesterday…

  35. Elizabeth

    Just made the Easier Faster Pan Pizza—WOW! What a success. After eating it, my husband requested I buy another buy 10-inch cast iron skillet, so when the boys come home we can cook two at a time. Thanks for making this wife look good!

    • karen

      lol, my husband went out and bought me another skillet after i made this, he loved it so much and wanted more than two pieces at a time

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