No Yeast? No Problem. This Crazy Crust Pizza Is the Easiest DIY Pizza Ever
- Crazy Crust Pizza is a quick and easy recipe from NY Times Cooking that delivers a crispy yet tender crust in just one hour.
Who doesn't love pizza ? But with rising restaurant prices, feeding a big family at a pizzeria can get expensive fast. Frozen pizzas often fall short and making pizza from scratch can feel overwhelming. That's why this recipe from NY Times Cooking is a total game changer—it's quick, requires no yeast or kneading and delivers a crispy yet tender crust in just one hour. Originally popularized by Pillsbury , Crazy Crust Pizzais a nostalgic classic that's making a well-deserved comeback.
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What Is Crazy Crust Pizza?
Instead of traditional pizza dough, this recipe uses a simple batter made from flour, eggs and milk, similar to a pancake. The batter is poured directly into a hot skillet, much like a Dutch baby, and topped with savory ingredients before baking. The result is a light and airy, yet sturdy crust that pairs perfectly with your favorite pizza toppings. The best part is that you can customize it to your liking—whether you prefer sausage, pepperoni or just a classic cheese pizza.
Crazy Crust pizza comes from a recipe that was originally printed on the back of bags of Pillsbury flour in the late 1960s. Since then, tons of home cooks (and food bloggers and recipe developers) have taken the recipe and made it their own.
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How to Make Crazy Crust Pizza
You can get the full ingredients list on the NY Times Cooking site , but to make their version, you'll need olive oil, sausage or pepperoni, thinly sliced red onion, thinly sliced green bell pepper, canned crushed tomatoes, kosher salt, shredded low-moisture mozzarella and grated Parmesan for the toppings. For the crust, grab some all-purpose flour, whole milk, eggs, Italian seasoning or dried oregano, kosher salt, black pepper and cornmeal. For the sauce, you'll need crushed tomatoes and salt.
Start by preheating your oven to 425°. Heat a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. If using sausage, cook it in the skillet until browned and fully cooked.
Transfer the sausage to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Add the sliced onion and bell pepper to the bowl and toss together. If using pepperoni instead of sausage, simply combine it with the vegetables in a bowl and coat the bottom of the skillet with some olive oil.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, milk, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt and a pinch of black pepper into a pancake-like batter.
Sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal into the skillet. Pour the batter into the pan, then top it with the sausage and vegetable mixture. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges of the crust turn deep golden brown.
While the crust is baking, mix the crushed tomatoes with salt in a small bowl. Once the crust is set, remove the skillet from the oven and spread the tomato mixture over the toppings. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan over the pizza and then return it to the oven for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted. Let the pizza rest in the skillet for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
This version sounds delicious, but you can obviously top your crazy crust pizza with your favorite toppings. The super simple crust is the key to this recipe—the rest is up to you! We've also seen some versions online made in 9-by-13-inch pans or a sheet pan instead of skillets, so do some nosing around before you start cooking to see all of your options. (The crazy crust pizza from @whipporwhillholler in the video above really takes you step by step through the process.)
I can't wait to try this simple yet delicious homemade pizza—we may never go back to frozen or takeout again!
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