Emma To celebrate this year’s National Pizza Day on 9th February, make Matthews Cotswold Flour’s Frying Pan Pizza
This award-winning, finely milled white pizza flour from Britain’s number one artisan flour producer has a superior gluten quality and great water absorption, producing an elastic dough that’s perfect for stretching and creating pizza bases, especially the light and airy Neapolitan-style classic pizza base. It will also give your pizza that all important crispy crust.
If you’re looking for pizza inspiration, Matthews Cotswold Flour has a range of delicious recipes at www.cotswoldflour.com including a selection from baker Rich Payne of @dough_and_behold. Choose from Neapolitan Pizza, Salami di Napoli, Burrata & Pesto Pizza Sandwich, and Chorizo, Stracciatella & Hot Honey Pizza
Says Rich, “My go-to flour for pizza is Matthews Cotswold Pizza Flour. It’s a dream for creating lively, puffy and pillowy dough. Whether I’m making a classic pizza or focaccia, it always delivers a great result”.
Or try Matthews Cotswold’s Flour’s own Frying Pan Pizza recipe for making deep pan pizzas on the hob and grill:
Matthews Cotswold Flour’s Frying Pan Pizza Recipe
Remember to use an oven safe frying pan or skillet – you can also swap out a pan for a sufficiently deep oven tray – and be sure to use adequate safety gear to protect you from hot handles. If you need to serve multiple pizzas in a rush, it helps to have more than one pan on the go at any given time too.
Baker: Sophie Carey
Makes: 6+ Pizzas
Prep time: 20 Minutes
Bake time: 10-15 Minutes
Ingredients
Deep Pan Pizza Dough:
600g Matthews Premium Cotswold Pizza Flour
390g Water
1.5g Dried Yeast
10g Salt
Semolina (for sprinkling)
Frying Pan Pizza Toppings:
Tomato Sauce (Passata)
Fresh Mozzarella
Basil Leaves (a few, torn)
Olive Oil (to drizzle)
Skillet Pizza Recipe Method:
In a large bowl, combine the water and yeast and whisk with a fork before adding in the flour and salt. Combine with your hands until there are no flour lumps left – this should take a couple of minutes. Cover the dough with clingfilm and leave for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, complete 4 stretch and folds while keeping the dough in the bowl. Do this by grabbing the edge of the dough gently and pulling it upwards, once you feel tension, fold it back down over the dough. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Cover again and leave for a further 30 minutes.
Complete another series of stretch and folds, then cover and leave for 30 minutes. Repeat this a further 2 times until you have done 4 sets of stretch and folds.
After the final 30-minute rest, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into portions of about 200g. Gently fold the dough in on itself until you have a smooth ball of dough. I like to keep these in plastic half quart containers that I get from Amazon, but you could just put them on a floured baking tray on their own square of baking paper.
Leave in the fridge overnight (or for up to 3 nights), and on the day you want to make your pizza – pull it out of the fridge and leave to come to room temperature for an hour or so.
Preheat your grill to the hottest setting, and get an oven-safe frying pan or skillet on a medium heat on the hob.
Dust your surface with a little flour, and sprinkle some semolina in your pan – make sure you have your toppings ready in advance as this process moves quickly!
Tip your dough out of its container and begin stretching it out. I like to first press my fingertips into the middle of the dough to begin the process, before I start picking it up and stretching. This doesn’t need to be perfect, but aim for it to be the size and shape of your frying pan.
Once you are satisfied with your shape, gently place the dough into the frying pan which is still on the heat. Add your sauce and toppings – and remember, less is more with homemade pizzas so don’t add too much!
Once your toppings are added, the base of your pizza should be at least part baked. Pop the whole pan under the grill and cook until the crust is puffy and brown. You might find you get some blackened spots – this is called leoparding and adds a great flavour!
Remove from the grill and use a palette knife or a fish slice to get under the pizza to slide it onto a board or a wire rack. Leave for a minute to cool before slicing and serving.
Cotswold Pizza Flour is available from www.cotswoldflour.com and at Waitrose stores nationwide.
Matthews Cotswold Flour’s Frying Pan Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 600 g Matthews Premium Cotswold Pizza Flour
- 390 g Water
- 1.5 g Dried Yeast
- 10 g Salt
- Semolina for sprinkling
- Frying Pan Pizza Toppings:
- Tomato Sauce Passata
- Fresh Mozzarella
- Basil Leaves a few, torn
- Olive Oil to drizzle
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the water and yeast and whisk with a fork before adding in the flour and salt. Combine with your hands until there are no flour lumps left - this should take a couple of minutes. Cover the dough with clingfilm and leave for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, complete 4 stretch and folds while keeping the dough in the bowl. Do this by grabbing the edge of the dough gently and pulling it upwards, once you feel tension, fold it back down over the dough. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Cover again and leave for a further 30 minutes.
- Complete another series of stretch and folds, then cover and leave for 30 minutes. Repeat this a further 2 times until you have done 4 sets of stretch and folds.
- After the final 30-minute rest, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into portions of about 200g. Gently fold the dough in on itself until you have a smooth ball of dough. I like to keep these in plastic half quart containers that I get from Amazon, but you could just put them on a floured baking tray on their own square of baking paper.
- Leave in the fridge overnight (or for up to 3 nights), and on the day you want to make your pizza - pull it out of the fridge and leave to come to room temperature for an hour or so.
- Preheat your grill to the hottest setting, and get an oven-safe frying pan or skillet on a medium heat on the hob.
- Dust your surface with a little flour, and sprinkle some semolina in your pan - make sure you have your toppings ready in advance as this process moves quickly!
- Tip your dough out of its container and begin stretching it out. I like to first press my fingertips into the middle of the dough to begin the process, before I start picking it up and stretching. This doesn’t need to be perfect, but aim for it to be the size and shape of your frying pan.
- Once you are satisfied with your shape, gently place the dough into the frying pan which is still on the heat. Add your sauce and toppings - and remember, less is more with homemade pizzas so don’t add too much!
- Once your toppings are added, the base of your pizza should be at least part baked. Pop the whole pan under the grill and cook until the crust is puffy and brown. You might find you get some blackened spots - this is called leoparding and adds a great flavour!
- Remove from the grill and use a pallet knife or a fish slice to get under the pizza to slide it onto a board or a wire rack. Leave for a minute to cool before slicing and serving.
