teaspoon kosher salt (I use Diamond brand kosher salt; use half of other brands)
cup lukewarm water (100° to 115°F)
Olive oil
1/4 cup tomato sauce, prepared or homemade
ounce scoarsely grated or torn mozzarella cheese (1 1/3 cup grated)
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
Seasonings such as salt, pepper flakes, and dried oregano
Handful fresh basil
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Instructions
Sallyt PERFECT!
Will make this week.
Love the spinach/artichoke pizza.
I think that you mean 3/4 cup of tomato sauce, and that you “Coat a 12 inch (30 cm) round cast iron skillet with 3 tablespoons olive oil.” January 20, 2026 at 12:16 pm Reply deb Thanks, now fixed. [Amanda, who helps me out behind the scenes, is on maternity leave so I’m probably going to have even more typos than usual, ha.] January 20, 2026 at 12:19 pm Reply Sallyt You’re worth all the typos!
Happy to be your proofreader if you need temp help :) January 20, 2026 at 12:25 pm Reply SiobhánM 11th grade??
He is NOT!! faints January 20, 2026 at 12:48 pm Reply Lisa Noble You beat me to my response!
Fainting right beside you.
January 20, 2026 at 9:08 pm Reply Sarah Tantillo Can’t wait to make this!
Which oven rack do you recommend?
Thanks! #HugeFan January 21, 2026 at 7:11 am Reply deb I use the middle of my oven but all ovens are different.
January 21, 2026 at 11:12 am Reply Wendy No!!
I remember his little cinnamon roll swirl!
How can he possibly be in 11th grade!?
January 27, 2026 at 2:55 pm Reply I’ve been a reader since 2009 when another site i followed at the time posted your breakfast pizza.
I made it and was made a permanent fan.
Every recipe of yours seems like a recipe I would make if I could write recipes.
They are always immediately at home with me.
Your Margherita pizza dough was my go to for a very long time Your foccacia for a crowd dough has taken its place for pizza as I get lazier than the lazy Margherita dough… This will be next as my kids prefer thick pizza…but do you think can I double it and use a ten inch and a 12 inch pan?
My 12th grader eats an obscene amount of pizza.
I have children in your kids’ ballpark ages so the nostalgia for baby days is shared!
January 20, 2026 at 12:49 pm Reply Emily This looks fantastic and so very easy!
I’ve gotten really into skillet pizzas lately as well.
I’ve been using a technique from How Sweet Eats that has you heat a cast iron skillet for 8ish minutes, add dough and toppings to the hot skillet, and then finish under a hot, pre heated broiler.
It works so well, but it is always a little stressful to get the raw dough on the scorching hot cast iron skillet.
I love the ease of your approach and look forward to trying it!
January 20, 2026 at 5:20 pm Reply Sara I make the artichoke pan pizza regularly, and always double the dough to make a second, smaller pizza for the kids!
I think ours are 14″ and 10″, and it works great!
January 22, 2026 at 9:40 pm Reply Ashlie Henery This looks amazing!
Do you have any suggestions for tomato sauce?
January 20, 2026 at 1:30 pm Reply deb https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/10/lazy pizza dough favorite margarita pizza/ I really do need to clean up this old recipe but this contains an almost no recipe sauce from canned tomatoes plus garlic and seasoning.
You don’t even need to cook the sauce before making the pizza, it cooks when the pizza does and has a great flavor.
But, storebought works too, any jarred sauce you like.
January 20, 2026 at 2:43 pm Reply Maita Wondering about adaptability for a large group that is about half thick crust lovers and half thinner crust lovers.
Am I better off making this dough for one group and your other pizza dough for the other group?
OR can I just stretch this one into a larger pan?
I notice that it is a high hydration dough (90%) largely the same as your focaccia for a crowd, which is a family favorite.
Our thinner crust dough is about 65% hydration (adapted from a different smitten recipe, I think).
So, I guess I am wondering Is it the higher hydration that makes this a thick, forgiving crust, or is it the pan size?
Or the combination?
Thanks for another great idea.
This looks like your focaccia for a crowd (our favorite) done a pan pizza.
January 20, 2026 at 1:50 pm Reply deb You can press this out more thinly in a pan but it will bake faster.
But you can use the dough two ways.
The combination of a thicker pan and high hydration allows that long bake time that gives us the distinct textures a fantastically crunchy crust, pillow inside, blistered and browned on top.
January 20, 2026 at 2:41 pm Reply renee I will definitely make this.
But I just wanted to add that I have a college graduate (!) who will move out someday (?) and I’ve been thinking of making her a book of recipes, some of which will undoubtedly be yours.
January 20, 2026 at 1:52 pm Reply Lisa Noble The now 20 somethings who occasionally live at this house have, over the years, popped links into a Google Doc that we all share.
There are some Smitten recipes in there.
January 20, 2026 at 9:09 pm Reply AnotherJen Our now 20 somethings (sniff!) also have a shared doc that contains a fair number of Smitten recipes. (There’s also an entire section of “things to put on toast when you’re REALLY not up for cooking”) January 21, 2026 at 5:36 pm Reply Ellie Hi Deb, I was wondering if you have any tips for making this gluten free?
January 20, 2026 at 3:11 pm Reply Katie Not Deb, but I do make a pizza like this with a gluten free dough that I have spent the past 15+ years working on.
simple crispy pan pizza · Dinner Match Lab | Dinner Match Lab
