Monday, March 1, 2010

Cheddar and Bacon Pan Pizza

Last Friday night was a pizza night, again, at our house.  I had some things in the fridge that needed using, namely, bacon and cheddar cheese.  I took the crust from the pan pizza that I've made often.  Then I added pizza sauce, a small amount of shredded mozzarella, more shredded cheddar, and cooked bacon pieces.  I made 3 pizzas, and had enough bacon to use 4 pieces on each whole pizza.  (I snipped the bacon with kitchen scissors- it worked very well).  We all enjoyed this pizza while watching one of the old Superman movies.  (And to feel better about myself, we ate some grapes with dinner, too.  Although, I don't mind eating bad-for-you foods in moderation.  Moderation, baby!)

Cheddar and Bacon Pan Pizza

Dough:
1 1/3 cup warm water (110 F)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pk (or 2 1/4 tsp.) Dry yeast
1/4 cup non−fat dry milk
1/2 teaspoon Salt
4 cups All-Purpose Flour (can use 1 cup bread flour)
2 tablespoons canola oil (for dough)
3-5 tablespoons canola oil (for greasing pans)

Put yeast and sugar in a large bowl (can use Kitchenaid). Add warm water water to dissolve yeast; let sit for 5 minutes or until yeast blooms. Add non-fat dry milk, salt, oil and 2-3 cups of flour and stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed. Turn out on to a flat surface and knead for about 10 minutes, adding as much flour as necessary to make a soft, supple dough that is not too sticky. (I just used my Kitchenaid with the dough hook). Divide dough into three balls. In three 9" cake pans (I used two 9" aluminum cake pans and one 10.25" cast-iron skillet, putting more dough in the skillet) , put 1 tablespoon of oil in each making sure it is spread evenly, and brush it up the sides. (May want to use 1.5 tablespoons oil if using aluminum pans- my crust stuck, but the cast-iron released beautifully). Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 9" circle, or use your hands to press dough into a circle. Place in cake pans. Cover with a plate. Place in warm area and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Toppings:
8 oz. pizza sauce
small handfuls shredded mozzarella
big handfuls shredded cheddar
12 slices of bacon, cooked, cut or broken up

For Each Pizza:
Preheat oven to 425-450F for 15-20 minutes. Spoon 1/3 cup sauce on dough and spread to within 1" of edge. Distribute cheeses evenly.  Top with bacon.  Bake until cheese is bubbling and outer crust is brown, about 15 minutes.
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com**

3 comments:

Unknown said...

hello-i am not typically a fan of blogs, but I happened upon yours a few months back with your pizza hut pan pizza crust and just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your recipes and your photos are amazing! where do you find the time???

What a Dish! said...

Thanks Tiffany! I'm glad you like the blog. :) I figure we all have to eat, so I might as well enjoy the process of the food-making, and make it as good as possible. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi, nice looking pizza. I'm always on the look out for copy cat recipes, I read your Pizzahut deep dish one. My first job just so happen to be Pizzahut... I know how they create their crispy crust. Basically, the dough comes in frozen and round, they fill up about 2/3s of the pans and are approx. 1/2" thick. The process starts by putting a very health(laugh) amount of oil in the center of the pan. The frozen dough circle is then placed on this oil and covered with a tight fitting lid(but not air tight). The dough is then put in a hot room which is approx kept at 90 - 120 degrees for over night (12+ hours).. what is making the crust crispy and bubbly is the way the dough rises in the pan. Next time you let your dough rise in a bowl, carefully peel back one side and take a look at how it sticks to the wall and forms air pockets. Anyway, thought that might interest you.