Pour-in-the-Pan Pizza with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

The crust for this pizza borrows from the Milk Street recipe for a light, open-crumbed focaccia, our re-creation of the focaccia we encountered in Bari, Italy. The dough is unusual in a couple ways: It uses so much water that it verges on a batter and it rises for at least four hours on the counter (be sure to place the bowl in a warm spot). After rising, the dough pours out onto a greased 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet (also known as a half sheet pan) and rests for 20 minutes before being nudged with oiled fingers to the edges of the pan. Instead of making a single large pizza, you could make two 12-inch pies using low-lipped, disk-shaped pizza pans, like the ones used in American-style pizzerias; see the directions below.

To Top it Off

Because pour-in-the-pan pizza dough is extremely wet, it’s important to use toppings that are dry, or the pie will bake up with a soggy surface. The following are some of our favorite toppings; we suggest using no more than two in addition to the tomatoes and mozzarella. Scatter the ingredient(s) onto the tomato-topped dough just before adding the cheese. If you are using high-sodium toppings, such as olives or capers, you may wish to skip the salt that’s sprinkled on before baking.

Sliced pepperoni or salami
Black or green olives, pitted and halved
Roasted red peppers, patted dry and cut into strips
Marinated artichoke hearts, patted dry and cut into chunks
Capers, drained and patted dry