If you like your pizza crust crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, then cast iron skillet pizza is your dream come true. In this post and video, you'll learn the basics of making pizza in a cast iron pan — from choosing the best pan to prepping your ingredients and achieving cheesy, crunchy perfection every time.
Close your eyes. When you imagine biting into your ideal slice of pizza, do you hear a crunch? If the answer is yes, then open your eyes, grab your cast iron skillet, and whip up a batch of dough. Once you discover how easy it is to make pizza the cast iron way, there's no going back.
Cast Iron Skillet Pizza 101
Why cast iron?
Cast iron pans hold heat really well. So, when you bake your pizza in the preheated skillet, it's like you've got another oven inside your oven. The super-hot iron creates a crispy layer on the outside of the crust while the inside becomes airy and chewy.
What's the best size pan for pizza?
You can use any size cast iron skillet for pizza, as long as it is not enameled on the inside. (An enamel coating will prevent the pizza from getting that evenly browned, crispy crust you're going for.) Just cut your dough ball in half if you're working with a pan that's 10 inches or smaller in diameter. My two favorite pans for pizza are a 12-inch skillet like this one* and a this 14-inch flat baking pan with loop handles*. Since cast iron pans are heavy, and you'll need to get your pan really hot before you assemble your pizza, those two handles are very helpful for transporting the pan in and out of the oven.
How is cast iron pizza different from baking stone/steel or baking sheet pizza?
Like a baking stone or steel, your cast iron pan needs to be preheated ahead of time. However, unlike a steel/stone, the iron skillet doesn't require any fancy pizza peel maneuvering. You simply heat the pan on the stove, lay your stretched-out dough inside it, add the toppings, and put the whole thing in the oven to bake. The trickiest part of the process is making sure you don't burn yourself on the screaming-hot skillet! (I swear by these nonslip silicone BBQ gloves* for gripping hot pans. And to keep my fingers extra safe, I wrap the hot pan handles with thick kitchen towels when I'm topping the pizzas.)
Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet or pizza pan
- Cutting board and knife
- Rolling pin (optional)
- Oven mitts
- Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough (I recommend longer-fermented doughs like my Overnight Dough, Sourdough Pizza Dough, or Neapolitan Style Dough, but any pizza dough will work.)
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sauce and desired toppings (You'll need ⅓ to ⅔ cup of sauce, 4 to 6 ounces of cheese, and ½ to 1½ cups of chopped veggies or cooked/cured meats per 10- to 14-inch pizza.)
Instructions
- Place a rack in the middle position of the oven and preheat to 500°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- If your dough was refrigerated, place it on the counter and let it come to room temperature while the oven preheats. If you are working with a 12- to 14-inch cast iron skillet or pizza pan, keep the dough ball in one piece. If your cast iron skillet is 10 inches in diameter or smaller, cut the dough ball in half to make two pizzas. (Cover the second half of dough with an upside-down bowl while you make the first pizza. Then, when the first pizza is done, quickly slide the baked pizza onto a cutting board and assemble the second pizza using the instructions in step 6.)
- Mix your sauce, grate or cube your cheese(s), cook your meat(s), and/or chop raw veggie toppings. (See ingredient list above for general topping quantities for a 10- to 14-inch pizza.)
- Transfer the pizza dough to a lightly floured surface. Roll or stretch it out to the size of your cast iron skillet.
- Place the cast iron skillet or pan on the stove, turn the heat to medium, and let it heat up for 3 to 5 minutes. Then, quickly add 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or 1½ tablespoons if you have a 14-inch cast iron pizza pan), tilt the pan to coat the bottom, and carefully lay the dough in the pan.
- Let the dough cook for about 2 minutes, just until it bubbles a bit and the underside begins to turn golden brown (use a spatula to check the underside of the dough after 1½ minutes). Next, turn off the heat and add sauce, cheese, and toppings. If desired, season with a pinch of salt, a grind or two of black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Using oven mitts, carefully place the cast iron skillet on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake the pizza for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is golden around the edges and the bottom is evenly browned.
- Put your oven mitts back on and remove the cast iron skillet from the oven. Carefully slide the pizza out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Let it cool down for a few minutes, then slice and serve.
Video
Looking for more pizza-making tutorials?
Check out my YouTube channel for more pizza videos, and click here to see other blog posts like this one.
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