Cast Iron Pan Pizza

Making a pizza with homemade crust in a cast iron skillet relieves the cook of several challenging tasks.

You do not need to have/use a pizza peel (or peels). You do not need semolina or corn meal to insure the dough slides off the peel and onto your pizza steel or stone. In fact you don't even have to have a pizza steel or stone, although if you do you can use them. 

This dough is made 12-24 hours in advance, unlike my standard pizza dough that is worked and rested on the counter all day long, and then receives a 3-day retard in the refrigerator. So less advance planning is needed. This dough is pushed down into an oiled skillet, so you don't have to struggle getting it into the correct shape. In short there are many benefits to this technique. 

The dough however will be a bit different than the classic pizza dough I usually make. This creates more of a deep dish pizza dough, with a fried-dough type crust. Very delicious to be sure, but not same as my standard pizza crust. 

Today I'm making my pizza in an enameled cast-iron braiser. It's very much like a classic cast iron skillet but has two handles, a smoother interior surface and is enameled on the outside. You can of course use a standard cast-iron skillet. 

Notes: Weigh the flour and water for the best results. Do not use fresh mozzarella. Avoid pre-shredded cheese; it contains added starch, which gives the melted cheese a drier, chewier texture.

INGREDIENTS

Dough
2 cups (11 ounces) bread flour
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 cup (8 ounces) warm water (105F to 110F degrees)
Vegetable oil spray

Pizza

Tomato/pizza sauce (pre-made, seasoned)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese (1 cup)
7 ounces freshly shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese (1-3/4 cups)

    (or substitute Kraft creamy melt mozzarella)
Toppings of your choice (like pepperoni, sausage, peppers, etc.)

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE DOUGH: Using wooden spoon, stir flour, salt, and yeast together in bowl. Add warm water and mix until most of flour is moistened. Using your hands, knead dough in bowl until dough forms sticky ball, about 1 minute. Spray 9-inch pie plate or cake pan with oil spray. Transfer dough to prepared plate and press into 7- to 8-inch disk. Spray top of dough with oil spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

FOR THE PIZZA: Two hours before baking, remove dough from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

Coat the inside bottom and sides of 12-inch cast-iron skillet with oil. Transfer dough to prepared skillet and use your fingertips to flatten dough until it is just near but not pressing against the side of the skillet. Cover tightly with plastic and let rest until slightly puffy, about 1-1/2 hours.

Thirty minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position with a baking steel/stone and heat oven to 400F degrees.  (If you don't have a steel or stone, use a baking sheet.) Spread 1/2 cup sauce evenly over top of dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle Monterey Jack evenly over border. Press Monterey Jack into side of skillet, forming 1/2-inch tall wall. (Not all cheese will stick to side of skillet.) Add any desired toppings of your choice. Evenly sprinkle mozzarella over the toppings. Bake until cheese at edge of skillet is well browned, 25 to 30 minutes.

Transfer skillet to stovetop and let sit until sizzling stops, about 3 minutes. Run butter knife around rim of skillet to loosen pizza. Using thin metal spatula, gently lift edge of pizza and peek at underside to assess browning. If it is not well browned, cook pizza over medium heat on the cooktop until bottom crust is well browned, 2 to 5 minutes. Using potholders, tilt the skillet forward and slide the pizza onto a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Slice and serve.