Swap your thin crust for a focaccia-ish pan base and watch as spinach pesto and blistered artichokes turn dinner into a festival of texture and flavor.
Over the pandemic, I quietly broke up with every pizza dough recipe I’d shared to date. The family wanted pizza for dinner weekly, and I was overdue for a homemade pizza reckoning. Instead of chasing pizzeria heat, I replaced my usual dough with a no‑knead focaccia‑ish dough that bakes up beautifully in a regular oven, every single time.
The crust is tender and stretchy with deeply golden, crisp olive‑oil edges. A longer bake lets toppings brown and blister without burning the pie. It holds a generous amount of toppings without collapsing or getting soggy. Inspired by an Instagram pizza with spinach pesto and artichokes, I played until I made a version that tastes as good as the photo looked.
This recipe adapts a focaccia-style dough (Alexandra Stafford’s approach) to make a pan pizza that performs in a home oven. I often double the dough to make two pizzas; leftovers reheat fantastically. You’ll have enough spinach pesto for two pies, and extra pesto is lovely on toast.
Servings | Time | Source |
4 | 3 hours (with rising time) | Saed News |
Dough
2 cups (260 g) all‑purpose flour |
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1 teaspoon instant yeast |
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1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond) | use half for other brands |
1 cup lukewarm water (100°–115°F) |
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1 tablespoon (15 g) olive oil |
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Spinach Pesto
2 thick or 3 thin scallions, thinly sliced |
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2 garlic cloves, minced |
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4 ounces (115 g) spinach leaves | baby spinach works |
Red pepper flakes, to taste |
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Olive oil (about 4–6 tbsp) | adjust for desired thickness |
Salt, to taste |
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1 14‑oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained & patted dry |
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Zest and juice from half a lemon |
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6 ounces (170 g) mozzarella, diced or perlini |
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1/2 cup (45 g) grated parmesan |
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1/2 cup (55 g) grated fontina or asiago |
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Salt, red pepper flakes, extra lemon zest | to finish |
Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and yeast. Add water and olive oil; stir to combine, ensuring no dry pockets remain. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled and jiggly, about 1½ to 2 hours. Optionally refrigerate slightly before fully doubled to finish later.
Prepare pan and proof: Heat oven to 450°F (230°C). Coat a 12‑inch cast‑iron skillet or 9×13 cake pan with 2–3 tbsp olive oil. Scrape dough into pan and turn it so both sides are oiled. With oiled fingers, dimple dough out toward edges. Loosely cover and let proof 30 minutes.
Make the spinach pesto: In a food processor, combine scallions and garlic, add spinach and pulse until chopped. Drizzle in 4–6 tbsp olive oil until the mixture is thick but loose. Season with salt and red pepper flakes.
Assemble the pizza: Gently dimple dough to the edges if needed. Spoon half the spinach pesto over the dough and spread with the back of a spoon so toppings reach the pan edge. Arrange artichoke hearts, grate lemon zest over them, then sprinkle mozzarella, parmesan and fontina. Season with salt, red pepper flakes, and additional lemon zest.
Bake: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until edges are deeply golden and top is toasty. The longer bake yields a crisp edge.
Finish & serve: Squeeze lemon juice over the baked pizza. Loosen from pan and slide onto a cutting board; cut into wedges or squares. Serve warm.
Do ahead & storage: Leftovers reheat well on a foil‑lined sheet at 350–375°F for ~15 minutes. Spinach pesto keeps up to 5 days in the fridge.
