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This homemade version of your favorite Pizza Hut Pan Pizza is so easy to make at home and the kids can personalize it with their favorite toppings.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
You’ll love it because it tastes as good if not better than the real thing. Our family had our first taste of pan pizza years ago when we went on a trip to Disney World. We got into town late and we were all starving. The only restaurant near our hotel that was open was a Pizza Hut.
We ordered a pan pizza, and I remember it being the most delicious thing I had ever eaten. Now it could have been that I was ABSOLUTELY STARVING and anything would have tasted good, but ever since then I have had an affection for deep dish pizza.
Pizza Hut Pan Pizza Copycat Recipe
After we got home, I found a recipe for Pizza Hut Deep Dish or Pan Pizza online and I knew we had to try it. With a few modifications to the pizza recipe, it was a huge hit! The entire family loved it and the three pizzas feed us all with some left over.
Ingredients Needed
- Non Fat Dry Milk. If you don’t have dried milk you can replace the water in the recipe with actual milk.
- Salt
- Flour. I use unbleached all purpose flour, you can also use bread flour.
- Sugar
- Active Dry Yeast
- Oil. You can use all olive oil or part olive oil and part vegetable oil. Use olive oil in the dough itself.
- Pizza Sauce. You can use store bought or use my easy pizza sauce recipe. You can also use tomato sauce and add in some basil, oregano and garlic powder.
- Cheese. We use freshly grated mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese.
How to Make Pan Pizza Recipe
Deep Dish/Pan Pizza Crust
- Combine water, yeast, sugar and dry milk, stir and allow to proof for 10 minutes until foamy and bubbly.
- Add in oil, flour and salt. Use a mixer or your hands to form a soft and smooth dough.
- Coat 3 eight inch cake pan heavily with olive oil, about 2 Tbsp per pan. One of the things that makes the crust so yummy is olive oil. Don’t skimp on the olive oil. It makes the crust super yummy.
- Divide pizza dough into three pieces and press into bottom of each pan. Pushing up to the edges of the pan.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Add pizza sauce to risen dough. You can buy store bought pizza sauce but it is so easy to make your own. Use this homemade pizza sauce recipe. Leave about an inch of crust uncovered around the edges.
- Add desired toppings and sprinkle generously with cheese.
- Bake at 450 degrees F them for about 12-15 minutes until crust is golden brown.
- Brush crust edges with garlic butter for additional flavor.
Garlic Butter
- Combine 4 Tbsp melted butter and 1 Tbsp minced garlic or 1 tsp dried garlic powder.
We all love olives on our pepperoni pizza too? What’s your favorite pizza topping? Are you a thin crust or a pan crust fan?
Favorite Pan Pizza Pizza Toppings
- Pepperoni
- Canadian Bacon
- Sausage
- Bacon
- Pineapple
- Black Olives
- Vegetables – mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have three 8 inch cake pans you can use a 8 inch pie plate along with a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. You can also use a two 9 -10 inch cast iron skillet or you can use a combination of various pans.
Don’t skimp on the oil. The oil gives the pan pizza crust amazing texture and flavor.
With Pan pizza, the sauce is put on top of the dough. The cheese and toppings are placed on top of the pizza sauce. With deep dish pizza, the dough is covered with cheese, then the sauce. This prevents the crust from becoming soggy.
For some other delicious pizza recipes try these:
Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.
Pizza Hut Pan Pizza {copycat recipe}
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 1/3 cups Warm water 105F
- 1/4 cup Non-fat dry milk
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 4 cups Flour
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 pk Dry yeast
- 2 Tbsp olive oil for dough
- 6 Tbsp Vegetable oil or olive oil 2 Tbsp per pan
- premade pizza sauce or use my favorite Pizza Sauce Recipe
- 12 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
- favorite toppings, sausage, pepperoni, black olives etc.
Garlic Butter
- 4 Tbsp butter melted
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced can also use 1 tsp garlic powder.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees
- Put yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk into water, stir and allow to proof for 5 minutes until foamy and bubbly.
- In a bowl combine oil, flour and salt.
- Pour in yeast mixture and stir to combine.
- Turn out on to a flat surface and knead for about 10 minutes or use stand mixer
- Divide dough into three balls. In three 8″ cake pans ( or can use 1 – 8 inch pie plate and 1 – 9 x 13 dish) , put 2 Tbsp of oil in each making sure it is spread evenly
- Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 8" circle
- Add 2 Tbsp to each cake pan and place dough into pan.
- Cover with a plate or towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 1- 1 1/2 hours
- Spoon 1/3 cup sauce on each pizza and spread to within 1 inch of edge
- Distribute 3 oz. of shredded mozzarella cheese on each pizza
- Add favorite toppings (sausage, pepperoni, etc.)
- Top with 1 oz. mozzarella cheese
- Cook until cheese is bubbling and outer crust is brown – about 15 minutes
- I then brush outer edge of crust with garlic butter
Garlic Butter
- Combine butter and garlic and allow to sit for 20 minutes so that garlic flavor infuses butter.
Tips & Notes:
Recommended Products
Nutrition Facts:
Heather Visintainer says
I tried the pie pans, and they didn’t work out too well. I don’t think they were deep enough. However, the ones that I made in my cake pans were AWESOME!!! I have been looking for this particular recipe fer literally years. Next time I will cook them a little longer, as they weren’t as crispy in the middle, but still just the right texture. Also, use corn meal on the bottom of the pan. Pizza Hut does that and if your like me you enjoy that extra little crunch you get from using it. Thank you so much. I am loving this.
Mary Jo says
YUM! My husband LOVES Pizza Hut pizzas and would be a happy man if I made this for dinner. 🙂 Quick question – the recipe calls for 1 package of yeast. What size package? I am relatively new to baking homemade bread but am always up for a challenge! 🙂
Leigh Anne says
@Mary Jo:
I used one of the standard size packages you buy at the store – they usually come in a set of 3 attached together. I believe there is about 2 1/4 tsp. of yeast in a package. You can also buy it in bulk in jars which is what I do and then keep it in the freezer. If a recipe calls for one package of yeast I just measure out 2 1/4 tsp. I use it straight of the freezer and it doesn’t need to be brought to room temperature.
Kelly says
I’m always so paranoid about yeast — always afraid I’ll use the “wrong kind” LOL
Did you use a quick-rise yeast in this recipe, or the old standard?
I’ve got a jar of breadmaker yeast and I’m wondering if I can just use that…
Heidi says
I spotted this recipe at real mom kitchen too and have been wanting to make this. I think my kids would love it. I want to make the bread sticks too! Those are my favorite.
Holly says
Yesterday I saw a sign for Pizza Hut’s personal pan pizza, and I got a craving. We’re having homemade pizza tonight, and I’m going to try this! I normally prefer thin crust, but I DO love their Pan Pizza! Pepperoni is my fave, with sun dried tomatoes and garlic, too!