Skillet Pizza with Fennel Salami and Red Onion
Skillet pizza makes for a crispy, almost fried, bottom crust, while saving on oven cleanup.
- MakesMakes two 10- to 12-inch pizzas
- Cook Time50 minutes
- 3
If you’re wondering what the advantage is of using a skillet to make pizza, know the following: 1) You can skip the hour-long heating of a pizza steel or stone. 2) There’s no fumbling with a pizza peel to get the pie into and out of the oven. 3) Your oven will remain free and clear of semolina that must be wiped up lest it later turn to ash. And in terms of results, a skillet-cooked pizza bakes up with a nicely browned bottom crust with a rich, almost fried crispness. The “baking” starts on the stovetop but finishes in the oven, so you will need a heavy-bottomed skillet, preferably not cast iron (because it’s slow to heat), that can withstand 500°F. You can use homemade, store-bought or pizzeria-purchased dough for this recipe. Each pie requires 12 ounces of dough; if you bought refrigerated dough, portion it out, shape each portion into a ball and allow it to come to room temperature, covered with a kitchen towel, on an oiled baking sheet. Finocchiona is a type of salami made with fennel seeds. If you cannot find it, simply use your favorite type of hard salami; pepperoni would work well, too. Or, if you prefer, skip the salami and onion toppings and make simple cheese pizzas.
Don’t try to shape the dough if it’s straight from the refrigerator, as cold dough will resist stretching. It will be much more compliant if allowed to come to room temperature before handling. If your kitchen is cool, this could take a few hours, so plan accordingly. When removing the pizza from the skillet, keep in mind there is residual oil in the pan, so to transfer it to the rack, lift an edge of the pie with a fork, then carefully slide it out without tipping out the oil.
Step 1
Heat the oven to 500°F with a rack in the middle position.
In a small bowl, stir together the tomato puree, 1 teaspoon oil, the pepper flakes, oregano and chopped basil; set aside. In another small bowl, stir together the onion, 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; set aside.
Step 2
Brush the entire surface of a heavy-bottomed 12-inch oven-safe skillet with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Set 1 ball of dough on the counter and, using your hands, press and stretch it into a 12-inch round. Transfer the round to the skillet; the dough will climb partway up the sides of the skillet.
Spread half of the tomato mixture evenly onto the dough. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella all the way to the edges of the dough without allowing the cheese to make contact with the skillet, followed by half of the Parmesan. Arrange half of the salami on top, then scatter on half of the onion.
Step 3
Set the skillet over medium and cook until the oil is bubbling around the perimeter and the crust begins to rise at the edges. Run a silicone spatula around the edge of the pizza, then shake the skillet in a circular motion to make sure the pizza is not sticking. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the crust is well browned and the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned, 9 to 12 minutes.
Step 4
Remove the skillet from the oven (the handle will be hot) and set it on a wire rack. Using a fork, lift one edge of the pizza, then carefully slide it out of the skillet directly onto the rack, leaving the residual oil in the pan. Pour off and discard the oil; reserve the skillet. Let the pizza cool for about 5 minutes. Tear or roughly chop half of the basil leaves and sprinkle them onto the pizza.
Step 5
Rinse the skillet (the handle will still be hot) under running water until cool. Wipe it dry, then brush the surface with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Shape, top and bake the second piece of dough in the same way.