Whether you are a complete beginner or a seasoned baker, you will appreciate a super easy recipe that yields a great result. This no-knead deep dish pizza is a perfect example of effortless baking.

I love to try many versions of the same bread as sticking to only one recipe seems quite boring to me. There are so many ways to do one thing and that is why I have so many pizza recipes on my channel along with other breads which in essence are the same but are made differently and produce a slightly different result.

You could make this pan pizza in many ways by pre-fermenting a portion of the total flour and kneading the preferment into the dough the following day. You could use more yeast and make the pizza on the same day as a straight dough. You could swap the yeast for a sourdough starter and build a leaven instead. As you can see the possibilities are plentiful.

What I decided to do is perhaps the easiest hands-off approach possible and the result is no worse because of it. A long slow fermentation builds flavour and develops texture. This long slow proof also develops gluten similarly to an autolyse and that is why we can afford to not knead or fold this dough. If you can imagine an even simpler method for this recipe, I would love to hear it.

If you are feeling really lazy, then skip making the sauce and simply get some good quality store-bought stuff instead. Or if you don’t fancy pizza, then top the dough with some roasted vegetables and parmesan and call it a focaccia. See, it is not just simple but also versatile.

The relatively high hydration gives this pizza a beautiful open crumb and a light texture.

I recently got some new pizza pans from Lloyd Pans and decided to test them out here. They worked a treat, and they better have because they were not cheap! The ones I have are quite small, so I divided the dough in two and made two pizzas. You can use one large baking dish instead or if you do not have a large one, then simply make half the recipe.

If you are interested in the pans that I am using you can find them here or here.

Ingredients

For the dough –

500g (1.1lb) strong white bread flour

1g (0.03oz) instant dry yeast or 1.2g (0.04oz) active dry yeast or 3g (0.1oz) fresh yeast

10g (0.35oz) salt

50g (1.75oz) olive oil

400g (14.1oz) cold water *

*To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

For the sauce –

1 tin, 400g (14.1oz) tomatoes

4g (0.14oz) salt

3 cloves garlic, chopped finely

Oregano to taste

Pinch of chili flakes

Olive oil for cooking

To top the pizza –

Pepperoni

Grated low moisture mozzarella

Method

1. Make the sauce. In a small pan on medium heat combine the oil, garlic, salt, and chili. Cook for around 3 minutes or until the garlic starts browning. Add the oregano and the tinned tomatoes. Bring up to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Pour the sauce in a bowl, cover it, and leave it in the fridge until needed.
2. Make the dough. In a large bowl combine the water, yeast, salt, and olive oil. Stir well to dissolve any large salt crystals and to hydrate the yeast. Add the flour and mix the dough with a fork until there is no dry flour left. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. *Desired dough temperature 22C (72F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer.
3. Cover and ferment for 8 – 10 hours. The fermentation time can cut down by either using warmer water or more yeast. It can also be extended by using less yeast and cooler water. My kitchen was around 24C (75F), and I made this dough just before bedtime and it was ready by the time I woke up. Yes, I had pizza for breakfast!
4. If you are making one large pizza, then you can shape it in the bowl instead of doing what I show in the video. If you are making two smaller pizzas like I did, then get a large tray, wet it with water and wet your hands. Release the dough from the bowl and place it on the tray. Water will prevent the dough from sticking to your hands and to the tray. Pinch the dough in half to get two even pieces.
5. Shape the dough pieces lightly by lifting them up and folding them underneath themselves just as if you were performing a ‘coil fold’ on a stretchy dough.
6. Brush your pans with oil and place the dough inside. Brush the surface of the dough with oil too.
7. Ferment for around 2 hours or until doubled in size. The dough should be visibly puffed up and quite wobbly when you give the tray a shake. *During the final hour of fermentation preheat your oven to 230C (450F) fan off.
8. Top the dough and bake it for 25 – 30 minutes.
9. Let it sit in the tin for at around 10 minutes before removing otherwise you risk breaking it.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Pan casero are delicious cheese filled buns commonly eaten in Bolivia.

I have seen several versions of this. Most of them simply have a little cheese or a cheese mixture spread over the top, but in this recipe, we will make a well in the dough and fill up with cheese. When it comes to cheese – the more the better is how I see it.

Making these reminded me of Norwegian custard buns which look like a sweet version of this. Breads all over the world can be remarkably similar sometimes.

I would suggest you trying both if you love soft buns with various fillings.

Besides the recipe and the delicious result, I would like to point out an important lesson here. This dough is made with a preferment or a sponge if you will. This affects the way we control the final dough temperature. Because the sponge must ferment, we use warmer liquid to get the fermentation going. This in turn will come into play once we add the rest of the ingredients and start kneading. If your preferment is warm and you add warm flour and warm egg etc., then the final dough temperature after kneading will be too high. Normally I would use cold milk to make a regular dough, and this would counteract the temperature I add during kneading. In this case the only ingredients that we can control are the remaining flour and the egg. Refrigerate them while the preferment is rising. My flour and egg were at around 13C (55F). This ensured that the final dough temperature after kneading came to be 25C (77F), which is what we normally aim for.

This goes for any bread made using a preferment.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the sponge –

60g (2.1oz) strong white bread flour

3g (0.1oz) instant dry yeast 3.6g (0.12oz) active dry yeast or 9g (0.3oz) fresh yeast

100g (3.5oz) milk at around 23C (73F) if your kitchen is around 21-23C (70-73F) *

*To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

For the main dough –

190g (6.7oz) strong white bread flour

5g (0.17oz) salt

10g (0.35oz) sugar

20g (0.7oz) soft butter

1 egg, around 50g (1.75oz), cold* from the fridge. The egg and milk must add up to 150g (5.3oz). Weigh your egg first, then make up the difference with milk.

*To learn more about dough temperature when using a preferment click here.

For the filling –

120g (4.25oz) grated mozzarella

120g (4.25oz) crumbled feta

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon of milk for glazing

Method

1. Mix the filling to get it out the way. Combine the cheeses and the egg. Mash everything together well with a fork. Leave in the fridge until needed.
2. Make the sponge. In a bowl combine the milk, yeast, and flour. Mix it well until there are no lumps or dry flour. Leave to ferment for 45 – 60 minutes or until visibly puffed up and full of small bubbles.
3. Add the egg, salt, sugar, and butter to the sponge. Mix well to dissolve any large salt and sugar crystals. Add the flour and mix to a dough.
4. Tip the dough out on your table and knead for 5 minutes. *Desired dough temperature 25C (77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
5. Cover and ferment for 1 hour.
6. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Pre-shape into balls.
7. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
8. Stretch the dough balls gently making a depression in the middle and leaving a thicker edge. Place on a non-stick paper lined tray leaving space in between.
9. Cover and ferment for 1 hour. *During this time preheat your oven to 160C (320F) fan on.
10. Stretch the dough out one more time and brush with the egg wash twice. Fill up with the cheese mix and spread it on evenly.
11. Bake for around 25 minutes until puffed up and golden brown all over.

Enjoy!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.

Check out more videos from the Baking World Tour.

There are several kinds of khachapuri around Georgia. Megrelian khachapuri is filled with cheese and topped with more cheese. This one might be my favourite so far.

Of course, in Georgia they use Georgian cheese. But a mix of mozzarella and feta does the trick too. You get the stretch and gooeyness of the mozzarella and the sharp saltiness of feta working together perfectly.

You can check out my other khachapuri recipe too. The first one I made is one of the most popular videos on my YouTube channel, but that is mostly because that bread looks absolutely beautiful. This khachapuri on the other hand is a bit rustic looking, but do not let that fool you as this is an absolute flavour bomb.

Anyway, you could try both and make up your mind ?

This recipe makes one big khachapuri enough for 4 normal people or 2 very greedy people, like me.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

300g (10.6oz) strong white bread flour

6g (0.2oz) salt

4g (0.14oz) instant dry yeast or 4.8g (0.16oz) active dry yeast or 12g (0.42oz) fresh yeast

20g (0.7oz) sugar

25g (0.9oz) sunflower oil

180g (6.35oz) yogurt or buttermilk, cold from the fridge*

*To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

For the filling –

150g (5.3oz) grated mozzarella

150g (5.3oz) crumbled feta

1 egg yolk

Mix everything together.

To top –

100g (3.5oz) grated mozzarella

Method

1. In a bowl combine the yogurt, salt, oil, yeast & sugar. Mix well to dissolve any large salt and sugar crystals, and to hydrate the yeast.
2. Add the flour and mix to a dough.
3. Tip the dough out on your table and knead for around 6 minutes. *Desired dough temperature 26C (79F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
4. Cover the dough and let it ferment for 2 hours.
5. Fold.
6. Ferment for 2 more hours. *During the final hour of fermentation preheat your oven to 250C (480F) fan off. If you are using a stone or thick tray, then preheat them too.
7. Flatten the dough into a large disc shape. You can use a bit of flour to help you along, although it is not totally necessary.
8. Spread the filling over the dough evenly. Pull up the edges and seal the dough up like a massive dumpling.
9. Flatten it out again. You could use a rolling pin but be careful not to press the cheese out of the edge as you roll it. Slow and steady is the method.
10. Place the khachapuri on a preheated thick bottomed tray or cast-iron skillet or a baking stone. If you do not have any of these, then simply bake it on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
11. Bake for around 15 minutes or until well coloured on both sides.
12. Rub the khachapuri with a piece of butter as soon as it comes out of the oven. Optional!

Enjoy whilst hot and fresh. But it will stray nice if you decide to keep it for later too.

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different, and the baking time may vary.

Khachapuri is a traditional Georgian bread. That is Georgia, the country, not the state.

It is quite literally a cheese boat. Originating from sailors. The shape of the bread is meant to resemble a boat. The cheese is the sea, and the egg yolk is the Sun. To me it resembles an awesome boat of deliciousness.

You can use various cheeses if you like. There are also various different kinds of khachapuri which we will explore in the future. This recipe makes 2 large khachapuris. If you would like more, then just double or triple the amount of ingredients. Or make more smaller ones by dividing the dough into smaller pieces.

Watch the video down below to see detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

250g (8.8oz) strong white bread flour

160g (5.6oz) water at around 23C* (73F). Milk can be used instead.

5g (0.2oz) salt

5g (0.2oz) sugar

3g (0.1oz) dry yeast or three times the amount of fresh yeast

10g (0.4oz) oil. You can use which ever oil you prefer. I used olive oil. Soft butter can be used instead too.

*To learn more about dough temperature control click here.

For the filling –

100g (3.5oz) crumbled feta cheese

100g (3.5oz) grated mozzarella

100g (3.5oz) grated cheddar

1 egg

1 tablespoon of flour

For the toppings –

2 eggs with most of the white removed. You could use whole egg, but I think it is a little too much.

Butter for brushing and a couple of slices for topping

Chopped parsley *optional, not traditional

Method

1. Add the water, yeast, oil, and sugar to a bowl and mix to dissolve the sugar and hydrate the yeast.
2. Add the flour and the salt and mix until no dry flour left.
3. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Desired dough temperature 26 – 27C (78 – 80F). If your dough is warmer, then reduce the proofing time. If it is cooler, then extend the proofing.
4. Place in a bowl, cover and proof for 45 minutes.
5. Fold.
6. Proof for 45 more minutes. Pre-heat your oven and baking vessel to 230C (450F) fan off!
7. Divide and shape into tight balls
8. Proof for 30 minutes. While the dough is proofing make the filling by mixing all the ingredients until well combined.
9. Stretch the dough using your hands and a rolling pin. Shape and fill with the cheese filling.
10. Bake for 13 minutes.
11. Make a hole in the cheese filling and add the egg.
12. Bake for 2 more minutes. Your oven may be more powerful or weaker than mine, so keep an eye on your khachapuri to get a good bake.
13. Once done, brush the edge with butter, add a knob of butter to the filling, sprinkle over some parsley. Crack off a piece of bread dip it in the cheese and enjoy!

These cheese boats are best enjoyed whilst warm and fresh. The cheese is gooey and stretchy. But if you have some left over, then a reheated or cold khachapuri will be good too. Similar to a pizza!