Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

I’ve become something of a cast iron aficionado as of late. From Griswold to Wapak to Wagner Ware, I’m forever on the lookout for my next piece of vintage iron.

As a result, my cast iron cookware has become the most versatile and well-loved equipment in my kitchen—but until recently, I never knew of the pizza-making prowess that these old black pans possess.

Because of cast iron’s ability to retain heat and distribute that heat evenly across the cooking surface, it is the perfect way to mimic the power of a commercial pizza oven in your home kitchen.

Thanks to some guidance from Brad Leone and the folks at the Bon Appétit test kitchen, and too many random cast iron pizza Facebook posts to ignore, I finally tried my hand at cast iron pizza making, and the results far exceeded my expectations.

I ended up with a crust that was perfectly crispy with a pillowy soft interior, crunchy toppings and melt-in-your-mouth cheese. Not sold yet? What if I told you that this restaurant caliber pizza can be prepared in less time than it takes to have Dominos delivered to your door?

Here’s how I did mine.

Cast Iron Skillet Pizza with Sausage and Artichoke Hearts

Ingredients

12 oz of store-bought pizza dough.

*If you prefer to make your own more power to you! but in a pinch I grabbed my from the bakery at my local Publix.

Artichoke Hearts

1/2 lb sausage

Mozzarella cheese

Basil

Procedure

First you’ll want to preheat your oven to 525 degrees. Most home ovens won’t go above that, but if yours does, don’t be afraid to crank the dial. When it comes time to actually bake the pie, you’ll be looking for a short, fast blast of heat.

If you’re making a sausage pizza (this is a great way to utilize wild game sausage of any kind) go ahead and cook the sausage first in the same cast iron skillet you intent to bake the pizza in. Not only does this pre-heat the pan, which you should always do before you ever lay the dough in, but it adds a nice layer of fat to the surface of the pan which will give your finished pizza crust a nice golden brown hue.

Once the sausage is cooked remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and reserve it for later. The slotted spoon is important. You want to leave all the fat form the sausage behind so it can be absorbed and baked into the dough.

Stretch your dough into a round big enough to cover the bottom of the skillet. I used a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Once the dough is shaped to your liking, lay it in the skillet, which should still be piping hot, then ladle on the marinara, add the sausage and artichokes and finally, the mozzarella cheese. Topping amounts are completely up to you. Just don’t go overboard on sauce or cheese or the finished pizza will become soggy.

Once your pie is fully dressed, put it back on the stove top over medium-low heat until you see a slight golden brown crust beginning to form on the underside of the pizza. You can monitor your progress by lifting up the edge of the pie with a fork or a fish spatula and peering underneath.

Once you’ve done that put the skillet into the 525 degree oven on the top rack. Keep a close eye on it. I cooked mine for just under ten minutes, but results will vary from oven to oven. Whatever you do, don’t walk away from the kitchen while your masterpiece is baking.

I like to pull mine when the toppings look crispy and the cheese begins to brown ever so slightly. Let the pizza rest in the pan for a few minutes, then begin to work the edges free from the sides of the skillet. Once you’ve done this, the pizza should slide right out of a well-seasoned pan with a little prodding from a fork or spatula. Top the finished pizza with coarsely chopped basil slice, eat and enjoy!