Cast Iron Pizza
High-heat pizza in a cast iron skillet. No pizza stone or peel required.
Making great pizza at home is hard. You need high heat—hotter than most home ovens go. You need the right equipment—pizza stone, pizza peel, infrared thermometer. You need technique—launching a topped pizza onto a stone without disaster. Most home pizza is mediocre because most home kitchens aren't set up for it.
Cast iron changes everything. The heavy pan preheats to screaming hot temperatures. It conducts heat directly to the bottom crust, creating crispy, charred edges like a proper pizza oven. You assemble the pizza right in the pan—no peel, no launch, no anxiety. It's adapted from Detroit-style pizza but simplified for weeknight cooking.
The result: crispy bottom, chewy interior, cheese that caramelizes at the edges, toppings that char just enough. Is it Neapolitan? No. Is it delicious and achievable in a regular kitchen? Absolutely.
Ingredients
For the Dough (Makes 2 pizzas)
- 400g bread flour — High protein for chew. All-purpose works too but won't have quite the same texture.
- 280g water — Room temperature. This is 70% hydration—high enough for air pockets.
- 8g salt — Fine sea salt or kosher.
- 2g instant yeast — About 1/2 teaspoon. For same-day pizza, use 4g. For overnight, use 2g.
- 10g olive oil — Optional but adds richness and helps browning.
For Assembly (Per Pizza)
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil — For the pan. Don't skimp—this creates the crispy bottom.
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce — Canned crushed tomatoes seasoned with salt, garlic, oregano. Don't overcomplicate.
- 6 oz low-moisture mozzarella — Shredded. Low-moisture is key—fresh mozzarella makes it soggy.
- Toppings of choice — Less is more. 2-3 toppings maximum.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano — Grated. For finishing.
- Fresh basil or oregano — Optional. Add after baking.
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Mix ingredients. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and yeast. Add water and olive oil. Mix with a wooden spoon or your hands until no dry flour remains. The dough will be sticky and shaggy. That's correct.
- Knead briefly. Turn onto a clean counter (no flour needed) and knead for 2-3 minutes until it comes together into a cohesive ball. It doesn't need to be smooth—just unified. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
- Stretch and fold. After resting, do one set of stretch-and-folds: grab one edge, stretch up, fold over. Rotate 90° and repeat 4 times total. This builds gluten structure. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap.
- First rise. Let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 2 hours. Or refrigerate for 24-72 hours for better flavor (cold fermentation). If refrigerating, bring to room temp 1 hour before shaping.
- Divide and rest. Turn dough onto a clean counter. Divide in half (about 350g each). Shape each piece into a tight ball by folding edges toward center. Let rest 15-30 minutes uncovered. This relaxes the gluten for easier stretching.
Assemble and Bake
- Preheat pan. Place a 10 or 12-inch cast iron skillet in the oven. Preheat oven to 500°F (or as hot as it goes) for at least 30 minutes. The pan must be screaming hot.
- Oil and stretch. Carefully remove hot pan (use oven mitts!). Add 2-3 tablespoons olive oil and swirl to coat bottom. Take one dough ball and place in the center. Using your fingers, gently press and stretch the dough to fill the pan. Work from the center out, leaving a slightly thicker edge. Don't worry about perfection—rustic is fine.
- Add sauce and toppings. Spread sauce evenly, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle mozzarella all the way to the edges—the cheese at the rim will caramelize and create crispy "frico" edges. Add toppings sparingly. Less is more.
- Bake. Place pan on the bottom rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating halfway through. You want a deeply browned bottom, bubbly cheese with brown spots, and charred edges. If the top isn't browning enough, move to a higher rack for the last 2-3 minutes.
- Finish and serve. Remove from oven (careful—handle is extremely hot). Let rest in the pan for 2 minutes, then slide onto a cutting board using a spatula. The bottom should release easily. Sprinkle with Parmesan, fresh herbs if using, and drizzle with olive oil. Cut and serve immediately.
Notes & Tips
The Hydration Question
This dough uses 70% hydration (280g water / 400g flour). It's sticky to work with but creates better texture—more air pockets, chewier interior. If you find it too difficult to handle, reduce water to 260g (65% hydration). You'll sacrifice some texture but gain manageability.
Same-Day vs. Overnight
Same-day pizza (2 hours rise): double the yeast to 4g. Result is good but straightforward in flavor.
Overnight pizza (24-72 hours in fridge): use 2g yeast. Cold fermentation develops complex flavors, better texture, more digestible. Always worth it if you can plan ahead.
Cast Iron Size
10-inch pan: thicker crust, more Detroit-style. 12-inch pan: thinner crust, more traditional. Both work. Just adjust dough accordingly—use half the dough for 10-inch, slightly more than half for 12-inch.
The Crispy Bottom Technique
The secret to a crispy bottom is threefold: (1) screaming hot preheated pan, (2) generous olive oil, (3) baking on the bottom rack. The direct heat from the oven floor and the oil create a fried crust effect. Don't skip the preheat or reduce the oil—you need both.
Sauce Philosophy
Don't overthink pizza sauce. Canned whole or crushed tomatoes (San Marzano if possible), crushed by hand, seasoned with salt, minced garlic, dried oregano, and a pinch of sugar. No cooking required. Simpler is better—the oven does the work.
Topping Guidelines
- Vegetables: Pre-cook high-moisture items (mushrooms, onions, peppers) to prevent soggy pizza.
- Meat: Use pre-cooked or cured meats (pepperoni, sausage, prosciutto). Raw meat won't cook through in 15 minutes.
- Cheese: Low-moisture mozzarella is mandatory. Fresh mozzarella releases too much water.
- Less is more: Overloading prevents proper browning and makes it soggy. 2-3 toppings maximum.
- Seasoning: Season each layer—sauce, cheese, toppings. Builds flavor.
Classic Combinations
- Margherita: Sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan, fresh basil after baking.
- Pepperoni: Sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, Parmesan, red pepper flakes.
- Mushroom: Sauce, sautéed mushrooms, mozzarella, thyme, Parmesan.
- White pizza: No sauce. Ricotta, mozzarella, garlic, lemon zest after baking.
- Vodka pizza: Vodka sauce (sauce + cream + vodka), mozzarella, fresh basil.
Troubleshooting
- Dough won't stretch: Let it rest longer. Gluten needs time to relax.
- Dough tears: Too much force or not enough rest. Be gentle, let it rest 5 min, try again.
- Soggy center: Too much sauce or toppings, or oven not hot enough.
- Burnt edges, raw center: Move to a higher rack, reduce temp slightly.
- Sticking to pan: Not enough oil, or didn't let it rest before removing.
Scaling Up
This dough recipe makes 2 pizzas. Double it for 4, triple for 6. After the first rise, divide into portions, shape into balls, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Pull out portions as needed, bring to room temp, and bake. Great for pizza night with friends.
Why This Works
Most home pizza fails because home ovens can't get hot enough and home cooks don't have the right equipment. Cast iron solves both problems. It reaches higher temperatures than a baking sheet and stores/conducts heat better than ceramic. The technique is foolproof—no launching, no sliding, no stress. Just press, top, bake. You get pizzeria-quality results with equipment you already own.