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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
What other kind of pan can I use for pan pizza?
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.
Do I need to use that much oil?
Don’t skimp on the oil. The oil gives the pan pizza crust amazing texture and flavor.
Is pan pizza the same as deep dish pizza?
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.
Check out more delicious pizza recipes:
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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
- Put yeast, sugar, 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
- Put 2 Tbsp of oil in each pan making sure it is spread evenly
- Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 8" circle
- 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
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees
- 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:
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Nutrition Facts:
Debra says
This came out wonderful. I read someone else recommended adding the dry milk to the dry mix instead of adding to the water yeast, so I did that. It came up great. I made a much larger size in my cast iron pan. Very happy will definitely keep this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing. I’ll add a photo if I can.
Renee C says
THIS IS A WINNER!
I’ve been craving a PH deep dish pizza, and was so glad to come across this recipe from you. I usually take copycat recipes with my mind thinking, hmmm maybe. Well, this deep dish recipe is the real deal! Everyone loved it, even my ‘thin crust only’ husband.
I followed all the ingredients on the recipe. I only deviated a couple prep steps. I combined the dry milk with the flour instead of with the wet yeast ingredients. I also slightly prebaked the crusts (as the oven was coming to temp), then added the sauce to the center and the garlic butter to the edges and baked it for 5 minutes before pulling them out and adding the cheese and toppings. I wanted to make sure the edges of the crust were buttery and crispy. I’m not sure I needed to do that, but it worked for me.
I don’t see how I will go back to my regular homemade crusts now. This can’t be beat for taste, crunchinest and craveability!
Renee C says
Update: I’ve started making this with half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour. Only need to up the water in the yeast slightly to make up for the drier consistency of the whole wheat flour. Still a stupendous pizza, but slightly healthier.
Brenda says
Best pan pizza dough that I have found. If using a stand mixer, how long would you knead the dough?
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
Until it is soft and smooth
Jamie says
This is delicious. Easy too
Jennifer says
Just delicious! It really is like homemade Pizza Hut!
Callie says
Does this need to be dry milk powder or can I use regular milk
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
I used dry milk powder, if you use regular milk you will need to cut back on the other liquid