The Best Cast Iron Pan Pizza Recipe

4.63 from 8 votes

The Best Cast Iron Pan Pizza Recipe

The Best Cast Iron Pan Pizza Recipe is an easy, no-knead pizza that only takes 20 minutes of hands-on time! Bake in a cast iron skillet for a deeply golden, crispy crust with a chewy inside and gooey cheesy top. It’s better than Pizza Hut pan pizza and straight from your own oven!

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Rising Time10

Total Time10 40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: inch skillet

Calories: 163kcal

Author: Borrowed Bites

Ingredients

Dough

10 ounces bread flour see notes for substitution
1 tsp salt
Scant ½ teaspoon instant yeast
1 cup cool water plus 1-2 tablespoon more as needed

Toppings

1½ tbsp oil
½ cup sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded, part skim
25 pieces pepperoni

Instructions

Dough

Mix the bread flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl. Add the 1 cup water and mix. You want a well hydrated but shaggy dough with no dry pockets of flour left but not really wet either. If the dough is looking too dry, add in water a tablespoon at a time until the dough resembles a moist but shaggy dough. Cover and wait overnight or at least 8 hours.
Prep the 12 inch skillet(s) by putting one and half tablespoons of oil in the bottom of each skillet. Carefully dip clean hands into the oil. The dough is so wet that if you don’t oil your hands it will stick. Take the dough and place it in the center of the skillet, gently pressing it out. Then gently flip it over so the side facing up is oiled. As you can see in the skillet it won’t reach the edge. Take a piece of plastic wrap and cover the dough. Wait 2 hours.

Top and bake

Preheat the oven to 550 for at least 20 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap from the pan. Gently press the dough to the edge of the pan. Spread the sauce evenly around the pan leaving a half inch border. Spread the cheese and toppings covering the sauce.
Place cast iron skillet in the oven and bake for 12-20 minutes. If cooking multiple pizzas at once, the one on the bottom rack will usually be finished first and the bottom will be crispier. If there are any on an upper shelf pull them out when the top looks done and check the crust. If it isn’t as brown as you want place it on a stovetop burner set to high. Cook for 1-3 minutes to crisp up the crust. Once the top and bottom are done, carefully (they are lava hot) remove the cast iron skillet pizza to a cutting board using two spatulas. Wait a couple minutes and cut them using a sharp knife or pizza cutter.

Notes

This recipe makes 1 pizza in a 12" skillet. Double, triple, or quadruple as needed.

Tips & Tricks

Be sure to get your dough moist but not too wet.
Oil your hands before moving the dough to the pan.
Preheat the oven for at least 20 minutes before you put the pizzas in. The oven needs to get hot and then be hot for an additional 10 minutes before the pizzas go in to help set the crust.

Notes:

To make your own bread flour: Add 10 ounces of all-purpose flour to a bowl. Remove 1 tablespoon flour add 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten and stir. Proceed with the recipe as written.

How to reheat leftover pizza? Do I have an amazing technique for you! It will ensure that it’s as close to the original as possible. First begin by heating up your empty cast iron skillet over high heat on the stove. While it is warming up microwave your slices of pizza for 1-2 minutes. You want the pizza to be about 70 percent warm. Carefully remove pizza slices from the microwave and immediately place them in the hot skillet. This will allow the bottom to get crispy. Leave it there for 1-2 minutes or until the bottom is crispy and the toppings are hot.

Can I freeze this pizza dough? This cast iron skillet pizza dough is best made fresh. However if you want to make extra and place some dough in the freezer make the dough and allow it to rise all the way until it is time to place it in the pan. At that point you can place the dough in an oiled zip top bag. It will remain good for up to two months. Gently remove from bag and allow to thaw in prepped cast iron skillet. Once it is puffy, proceed to top and bake.

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