Panoramic Pizza

Pizza Croccante in Padella
Crispy Frying Pan Pizza

Yes, yes, I know have done this before- and don't you worry, I WILL do it again! And again and again! Baking pizza in a frying pan is definitely the best way you can possibly do it at home- trust me! Whether you use a store-bought "fresh" dough on a roll as I usually do, or make your own- this is the quickest and best way to bake your pizza and to get a crispy and crunchy base and not to have a soggy mess- let me explain why and you will try it for sure next time!

Living alone, the effort involved and the time I would need to wait, for the sake of making just one pizza, does not really make sense to me. So I go the route of buying a roll of soft, per-made dough and cutting and shaping to fit my needs... which are normally to simply get some yummy pizza made really, really fast! This evenings pizza, with mushrooms, bacon, peppers and Feta cheese took just 15 minutes to make!

I began by cutting the mushrooms into 8ths and frying them in a dry non-stick pan with finely chopped bacon, Spring onions and small red pepper cut into rings. I turned the heat up really high and tossed everything about, seasoning with a little salt, coarsely ground pepper and a hint of finely chopped garlic. After 5 minutes, the mushrooms and the peppers had begun to brown and the onions to soften and become sweet and delicious.

I emptied the ingredients for my topping onto a plate to cool and then turned my attention to the base. I turned on the oven to the highest heat and also turned on the grill. A "real" pizza oven, made of stone, reaches incredible temperatures that we can not simulate at home with our domestic ovens... unless of course we can use some kind of trick... like this one!

I cut and formed my pizza base to the same size as the base of my pan, then laid it inside and popped it onto the stovetop on the highest setting. By pre-baking the base on a high heat, we get some really good crust forming before we even get into the oven. Don't be afraid- turn that heat up and then grab the other pre-cooked topping ingredients so that you are ready to go!

I first crumbled Feta cheese over the base, before beginning with the mushroom, bacons and peppers. These went on top as well as a last few crumbs of Feta. More coarse black pepper, just the faintest drizzle of olive oil- and after 5 minutes on the stove top you are ready to go into the oven!

With the oven, the same thing applied- highest heat, highest shelf and broiler to boot! With the pan already scorching hot, the whole procedure took around 3-4 minutes until the pizza was crispy and brown and delicious! And easy and quick to boot! For me it is the only way to go- only a really high temperature will do for pizza- and this method, though cool- is scorching hot! try it for yourself and see!