Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
While we love to grill pizzas outside on our Kamado-style grill, the weather doesn’t always cooperate. This method using a cast iron skillet is super reliable and simple. The toppings can be mixed and matched anyway you’d like, but the method stays the same.
Yield: one 12” pizza
Ingredients
1/2 recipe of the Simple Pizza Dough OR 1 bag fresh pizza dough from store (such as Trader Joe's Ready to Bake Pizza Dough), at room temperature
1/4 to 1/2 cup Simple Pizza Sauce, or your favorite homemade/store bought pizza sauce (amount varies depending on how saucy you like your pie)
About 6 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced and pressed*
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preferred toppings: pepperoni, browned sausage, thinly sliced onion, black olives, etc.
Olive oil
9” to 12” cast iron skillet (we recommend a 12” since it’s a bit of a better fit for the amount of dough)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 450°F.
Place the cast iron skillet over high heat on the stove. Allow it to start warming up while you prepare the dough.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough in a circle with a diameter about an inch or so wider than your skillet.
Drizzle the hot cast iron skillet with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and swirl it around. When the oil begins to shimmer/ripple a bit, add the rolled out dough to the skillet. Use your fingers (carefully) or the back of a spoon to press the dough towards the sides of the skillet, such that the dough fully covers the bottom of the skillet. Drizzle the outermost section of the crust (along the sides of the skillet) with a little more olive oil.
Drop the heat to medium-high and continue heating the dough for another 3-4 minutes. Bubbles should begin to form in the dough. Use your fingers or the back of the spoon to press them down.
When the crust has begun to stiffen up (i.e. you can easily lift a portion of the crust with a spatula to take a peek at the bottom), use a small spoon or ladle to add your sauce to the crust, forming an even, thin layer. Next up, distribute the pressed mozzarella over the crust. Add your preferred toppings (pepperoni, etc.) and finish with the Parmesan cheese.
Transfer the skillet to the hot oven and allow it to cook for about another 7-10 minutes, until everything is nicely melted and bubbly. If you’re not seeing the browning that you want on top, switch your oven over to broil and cook the pizza for another 1-2 minutes under the broiler (keep a close eye on it).
Slide the finished pizza out of the skillet and onto your cutting board. To prevent a sauce and cheese overflow, let the pizza rest for a few minutes before slicing.
Notes
*We love fresh mozzarella for its creamy texture and flavor, but the water content can sometimes be problematic for pizzas. We get around this by pressing out some of that moisture. Line a plate with a sheet of paper towel. Thinly slice the cheese from the ball of mozzarella and placing the slices on the paper towel. Cover with another sheet of paper towel and another plate. Place this arrangement in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. For extra “pressing” action, set something heavy on top of the upper plate while it’s in the fridge.
Sliced mozzarella on paper towel.
Mozzarella between two plates for pressing. Strongbow cider optional, but highly recommended.
If you don’t want to mess with pressing, use a low-moisture mozzarella (shredded or sliced) instead.
