How to Make Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

Ive always wanted to try pizza in a cast iron skillet. Why, you ask? Its the most versatile pan in the kitchen entire world, so why not push the limits and see what it can do? For skillet pizza,Ive used both a standard 12-inch cast iron skillet and also a monster 15-inch Lodge cast iron skillet.

Im a big homemade pizza guy, and Ill be honest, I swear by my pizza stone. However, the cast iron skillet delivers different, but equally delicious results. I think the big difference when making pizza in a cast iron skillet is the crust. A pizza stone is preheated in the oven at 500 degrees for an hour, giving you a very hot surface to cook your pieon. Much like a hot brick oven, it cooks the crust very quickly, giving you crispier results.

Cast iron, on the other hand, usually gives you fluffier, softercrust around the edges. Id compare it most to your typical baked oven pizza but with a bit more crunch. I think its a matter of preference. Both fantastic, just different.

The Trick to Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

The advantage of cast iron over a standard pan is the heat retention/transferring abilities of cast iron. We can preheat our cast iron pan in the oven just like a pizza stone, giving you a really hot surface to cook your pizza on. This is the game-changing element of cast iron.

Higher oven and cooking surface temps convert to faster cooking pizza and much better crust. This eliminates any chances of soggy pizza, giving you the much-desired crunch most people love. Plus, If youre making deep dish pizza, then there is no better tool than your cast iron skillet.

Keep the top of the skillet about 8-10 inches from the heat source in your oven, this will ensure your cheese gets that perfectly golden finish, much like those hot pizza ovens at pizza joints.

Do I Have to Preheat my Skillet?

You dont have to, Ive tried it both ways, but I think youll find better results by preheating your skillet in the oven. I cant stress enough the importance of high temperatures and the speed of cooking when making homemade pizza.

Should I Precook My Dough Before Adding Toppings?

Some recipes call for this, I never have. I dont think you need to for excellent results. I build my entire pizza right in the skillet on the uncooked dough and transfer right to the oven. Youll have perfect skillet pizza in about 10-15 minutes.

How to Make Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

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• Author: Shawn Williams
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Yield: 2-4
• Category: Dinner
• Cuisine: Italian

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Ingredients

• 1618 ounces pizza dough
• 3/4 cup shredded mozarella cheese
• 1/3 cup pizza sauce
• pepperoni (optional)
• Salt and olive oil, to taste

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 500 F with the cast iron skillet in the oven (you want about 20-25 minutes of preheating to ensure the skillet is HOT).
2. Meanwhile, roll out the dough into a 8-12 inch crust, depending on the size of your skillet. See note below. You want about 1/4 inch thick crust in the center for best results. Use your best judgement, but you most likely use less than 16 ounces of dough.
3. CAREFULLY Remove the skillet from the oven. Spray the skillet with cooking spray and carefully place the dough in the skillet, its OK if outer crust goes up the sides a little.
4. Drizzle the top of the crust with olive oil and a pink of salt. Add your desired toppings (sauce, cheese, protein, veggies) and bake for 10-15 minutes or until crust just starts to turn golden at the edges.

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Notes

A 12-inch skillet will serve 2 people, a 15-inch skillet is better suited for 4 people. Cook times should be the same, regardless of size of skillet.

Keywords: cast iron skillet pizza, cast iron skillet pizza recipe

Adapted from: Allrecipes.com

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