Pizza Hut Pan Pizza

I have a little obsession with pizza. Me and a lot of people I suppose, as there is a whole Pizza Making Forum where they discuss different pizza styles: New York, Chicago, Italian, Thin Crust, Pan Crust, you name it! They also talk about different pizza making equipment like pizza stones and various pans. Come to think of it, I don't think I've actually had a really bad pizza - hard to go terribly wrong with bread, tomato sauce and cheese, right?

My son and I had a lot of fun making these pizzas. I made the dough this morning before work, let it rise in the fridge and then rolled it out and topped it when we got home after picking him up from daycare. We also sang the song "Je Suis Un Pizza" or "I am a Pizza" which I remember singing in my own elementary school classes as a kid. Aww... this mommyhood thing is getting more and more fun as time goes by and as Zach begins asking more questions and interacting more with me. When they were done he quickly scrambled up onto a kitchen chair and yelled at the top of his lungs "DINNER! PIZZA'S READY!" Aww, he melts my heart.

This pizza is a copycat of Pizza Hut's deep dish pizza. I must say, it is pretty close! It might seem like a lot of oil to put in the pan, but it's not too oily once it's baked and it helps the crust not stick. I baked these in my 9" cake pans. The original recipe says you can make 3 pizzas but I could only get 2 out of the recipe.

Pizza Hut Pan Pizza
Makes 2 - 9" pizzas

1 1/3 cup warm water (105F)
1/4 cup dry milk powder
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
2 tbsp vegetable oil (for dough)
6 tbsp vegetable oil (3 tbsp per pan)

8 oz. grated mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup pizza sauce
toppings of your choice

Put yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk in a large bowl. Add water and stir to mix well. Allow to sit for two minutes. Add oil and stir again. Add flour and stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed. Turn out on to a flat surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Divide dough into two balls. In 2- 9″ cake pans put 3 tbsp oil in each making sure it is spread evenly. Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 9″ circle. Place in cake pans. Cover with a plate. Place in warm area and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Prepeat oven to 450 degrees F. Spoon 1/3 cup sauce on each pizza and spread to within 1/2 inch of edge. Distribute 1 oz. of shredded mozzarella cheese on each pizza. Place toppings of your choice in this order – pepperoni or ham, vegetables, meats (cooked ground sausage or beef) Top with 3 oz. mozzarella cheese. Cook until cheese is bubbling and outer crust is brown – about 15 minutes.