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When I first read about a pizza being baked in cast iron, I was skeptical, but after tasting the results, I’ve got to admit that I’m sold. While I love the crust that comes out of my pizza oven, this is a worthy substitute. If you haven’t tried cooking with cast iron before at all, I heartily recommend it. True, cast iron is a little more finicky to care for than today’s modern cookware, but lately I’ve become a real fan, buying three skillets for my own home kitchen in recent months. I decided to try something relatively easy for my first foray into cast-iron pizza making, so I kept things simple, and so can you. If you have a well-seasoned old skillet hanging around with nothing to do, or if you simply want to invest twenty bucks or so in a new pan of your very own, I urge you to give it a try! Happy eating to you all!
Ingredients
1 can refrigerated pizza dough (you can certainly substitute your favorite homemade dough here if you’d like) (1 crust)
1/2 to 3/4 cup canned pizza sauce (depending on personal preference)
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
2-4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (combine with mozzarella to taste if desired, but you can certainly use mozzarella alone if you’d like)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Optional
Any toppings you prefer, though I like to stick with pepperoni for mine for its simplicity
Directions
This couldn’t be simpler. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, and while that’s warming up, roll out your dough until it is a little bigger than the bottom of your skillet. I alternate between 10-inch and 12-inch skillets making these pizzas, so use whatever you have on hand. Oil the pan, and then spread your dough out on the bottom, lipping the crust around the edges slightly. Remember, this is handmade, even if the ingredients aren’t, so it’s perfectly fine if it’s not perfect. Next, add enough sauce to suit you, then apply your toppings, finishing with the cheese combination. Bake for twenty to thirty minutes, depending on your oven, until the top is golden brown with some blistering. Remove the pan from the oven. The pizza should slide out easily after it’s finished, depending on the level of seasoning in your skillet, but you might have to give it a little help underneath with a Teflon or metal spatula rated for over 450 degrees F. Trust me, you don’t want melted plastic on your cast iron! It will ruin your day. I like to rest my pizza on a cooling rack for a minute after it comes out of the pan, but if you can’t wait, cut and enjoy right away!
Serves two to three, depending on how hungry you are!
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Thanks again for reading!