Homemade Pizza Dough and Pizza Sauce (Pan-Pizza Style)
گھر کا پیزا ڈو اور پیزا ساس (پین پیزا اسٹائل)
Most pizza in Pakistan is the thick, soft pan style: a fluffy, slightly sweet base with a golden, crunchy bottom from being baked in an oiled pan. It's also the easiest pizza to make at home, because it doesn't need a stone or a very hot oven. This page gives the dough and a quick, thick pizza sauce; use them for tikka pizza, fajita pizza or a plain cheese pizza for children.
- ⏱ Total: 35 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 15 min
- Medium
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and milk powder in a large bowl. Add the warm water and 3 tbsp oil and mix to a shaggy dough.
Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, soft and springy; it should be slightly tacky but not stick to your hands. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1–1½ hours until doubled. This is the .
For the sauce, simmer the grated tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, chili flakes, sugar and salt in a small pan for 10–12 minutes, stirring, until thick enough to hold a line when you drag a spoon through it. Cool.
Spread 2 tbsp oil in each of two 10-inch (25 cm) round pans or one large tray. Divide the dough in two, press each piece into a pan with oiled fingers, right to the edges. Cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to its highest setting (230–250°C) with a rack in the lowest position. Spread the sauce, add cheese and toppings, and bake for 12–15 minutes until the base is golden underneath and the cheese bubbles.
Kitchen notes
No oven? Cook a pressed-out pizza in a heavy, lidded frying pan on low heat for 12–15 minutes until the base is golden and the cheese melts. See our tawa pizza.
Air fryer: use a pan that fits the basket and bake at 180°C for 10–12 minutes.
Dough can rise slowly in the fridge for up to 2 days, which gives it more flavour. Bring it to room temperature for an hour before shaping. It also freezes for a month.
The Pakistani pizza style
Pakistan’s pizza culture grew around the pan pizza that arrived with American chains in the 1990s, and local shops built on it with desi toppings like chicken tikka and fajita. The base is thick, soft and slightly sweet, and the bottom fries in oil in the pan so it turns golden and crunchy. It’s forgiving, filling and perfect for home ovens, which rarely get as hot as a pizzeria’s.
Kneading and rising
Good pizza dough depends on two things: enough kneading and enough rising. Kneading for 8–10 minutes builds the stretchy gluten that traps gas from the yeast, so the base turns light and airy. A warm, draught-free spot (a switched-off oven with the light on works well) helps the double. A second short rise in the oiled pan gives the classic fluffy pan-pizza texture.
Why cook the sauce
Raw tomato releases water in the oven and makes the pizza soggy. Simmering the sauce for ten minutes thickens it and concentrates the flavour. Grated fresh tomatoes give a bright sauce; passata is quicker. Keep it fairly plain, as the toppings bring the spice.
Using this dough
Make tikka pizza, fajita pizza, a simple cheese and tomato pizza, or mini pizzas for children’s parties. With no oven, try a tawa pizza. The same dough also makes soft garlic bread: brush with garlic butter and bake for 10 minutes.
Questions people ask
My dough didn't rise. Why?
The yeast was old, or the water was too hot and killed it. Water should feel just warm on your wrist. Test yeast by mixing it with warm water and sugar: it should foam within 10 minutes.
Why is my pizza soggy in the middle?
Too much sauce or wet toppings, or the oven wasn't hot enough. Use a thin layer of thick sauce, pre-cook watery vegetables, and bake on the lowest rack.
Can I use atta (wholewheat flour)?
You can replace up to half the maida with atta. Add 2–3 tbsp more water; the base will be a little denser and nuttier.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 420
- Protein
- 10 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
