This cast iron pizza recipe is perfect for a pizza night at home. Homemade pizza dough is cooked in a cast iron skillet for a super crispy crust, that is still soft and chewy on the inside.
This post was originally published in September 2017 and has been updated for content.
Our family loves doing pizza nights at home. We partially bake the crusts and then let everyone pick their own toppings to create their own pizzas. The kids love being able to help out in the kitchen and create their own dinners!
While they are not your traditional deep-dish pizza, they still remind me of the ones we used to get back in Chicago. This cast iron skillet pizza recipe would be great served alongside chicken wings, Italian beef, or penne pomodoro.
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🍅 Ingredient notes
- Pizza dough - My homemade pizza dough recipe is perfect for this cast iron pan pizza. If you use store-bought pizza dough, plan for about 1 pound of dough per 10" pizza.
- Sauce - I always have a batch of my Italian gravy in the freezer to use for pizza sauce if needed. You can also use your favorite store-bought pizza sauce if that is easier.
- Toppings - One of my favorite cast iron pizza toppings is Margherita style. This consists of sliced mozzarella and tomatoes and fresh basil. For even more topping ideas, check out my list of suggestions below.
🍕 Pizza topping ideas
- White Pizza - Use alfredo sauce and top with ricotta and parmesan cheese.
- BBQ Chicken - Use bbq sauce and top with shredded chicken and mozzarella.
- Veggie - Add sautéed sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and spinach.
- Meatball - Use cooked mini meatballs, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
- Hawaiian - Add chopped ham, diced pineapple, and shredded mozzarella.
- Classic - Use sliced pepperoni, cooked Italian sausage, and sliced black olives.
- Pesto - Switch out the marinara sauce for fresh basil pesto.
🔪 Step by step instructions
Mix and knead the homemade pizza dough and let it rise. If you are using store-bought pizza dough, these steps can be skipped.
Sprinkle cornmeal in the cast iron pan and then place the round of dough on top of the cornmeal. Push the dough around the bottom and also up the sides of the pan the best that you can.
Then, put the cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. As it starts to heat up, press the edges of the dough into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Let the dough continue to cook until it starts to puff up and bubble.
Remove the pan from the heat and then using your fingers, create dimples in the dough around the bottom. Drizzle the top of the dough with a thin layer of olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
The crust is now pre-baked and toppings can be added. Either finish the pizza in the oven or remove it from the skillet and pre-bake the other crust.
Top each pre-baked cast iron skillet pizza crust with half of the marinara sauce. Then, alternate adding slices of mozzarella and tomatoes in an even layer. Sprinkle the crust with parmesan cheese and then it's ready to finish off in the oven at high heat.
Cook the pizzas in a 525˚ oven for about 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese melted. The pizzas can be finished in cast iron pans, on a sheet pan, or directly on the oven rack.
Top the finished cast iron pizza with fresh basil leaves and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes on a cutting board before slicing.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that I mention, be sure to look it up in our Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- As the dough heats up on the stovetop, it will start to soften and become easier to push up the sides. If it's still too stiff, give it a minute to heat up a bit more.
- A super hot oven works best when cooking cast iron pizza. It heats up the cast iron and makes sure the crust stays crispy. Place on the middle rack of the oven so the top nor the bottom cooks too quickly or burns.
⏲️ Make ahead and storage instructions
CRUSTS - Pre-bake the crusts on the stovetop and then let them cool completely. Store in a zip-top bag for up to 48 hours in the refrigerator. To freeze, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen crusts completely in the refrigerator and crisp them up in a cast iron pan on the stovetop.
LEFTOVERS - Any leftover cast iron pizza you may have will keep an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
🍕 More pizza recipes
If you loved this cast iron pizza recipe, check out these other pizza recipes that I know you will love too!
📖 Recipe
Cast Iron Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pizza dough homemade or store bought, divided into two pieces
- 2 Tablespoons cornmeal
- 6 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup Italian gravy or pizza sauceold school italian gravy
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella sliced thin
- 1 medium tomato sliced thin
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 525° and sprinkle a 10" cast iron pan with a tablespoon of the cornmeal.
- Gently roll or stretch each piece of dough out into about 10" circles. Press one of the rounds of dough into the bottom of the pan, pressing it out towards the edges and up the sides as best as possible.
- Place skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. As the pan and the dough heats up, start to press the dough more evenly onto the bottom of the pan and up the sides to form the crust.
- Let the dough continue to cook for a few more minutes until it starts to puff up and bubble.
- Use fingers to create dimples in the bottom of the dough. Drizzle it with 2-3 Tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper.
- The crust is now pre-baked and can be topped with the sauce old school italian gravyand toppings and finished in the oven. It can also be removed from the skillet, so the other crust can be pre-baked.
- Once both crusts are pre-baked, top each with ½ cup of sauce. Add alternating slices of the tomatoes and mozzarella on top of the sauce and sprinkle each crust with 2 Tablespoons of parmesan cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown. The pizzas can be finished in a cast iron pan, on a sheet pan or directly on the oven rack.
- Top finished pizzas with fresh basil leaves and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
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- Store-bought pizza dough can be used instead of homemade. About 1 pound of pizza dough is needed for each 10" pizza.
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- As the dough heats up on the stovetop, it will start to soften and become easier to push up the sides. If it's still too stiff, give it a minute to heat up a bit more.
-
- A super hot oven works best when cooking pizza. It heats up the cast iron and makes sure the crust stays crispy. Place on the middle rack of the oven so the top nor the bottom cooks too quickly or burns.
Topping Ideas
-
- White Pizza - Use alfredo sauce and top with ricotta and parmesan cheese.
-
- BBQ Chicken - Use bbq sauce instead and top with shredded chicken and mozzarella cheese.
-
- Veggie - Add sautéed sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and spinach.
-
- Meatball - Use cooked mini meatballs, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
-
- Hawaiian - Add chopped ham, diced pineapple, and shredded mozzarella.
-
- Classic - Use sliced pepperoni, cooked Italian sausage, and sliced black olives.
-
- Pesto - Switch out the sauce for fresh basil pesto and add your favorite toppings.
Stacie
Ok I was initially a little intimidated but the pictures looked so good I had to try... Man, am I glad I did... easiest weeknight dinner ever! I made the dough earlier in the day when I had a few minutes and by the time everyone was home it was ready to be put together. 7 year old picky eater loved plain cheese and the adults loved the tomato, basil and mozzarella. Next time, I will make a large batch and freeze the precooked crusts for an even quicker and easier dinner. Thanks for a great recipe, I will be using this for all of my homemade pizzas now!
Amanda
Thanks Stacie! I'm so glad you and your family liked it, thank you for trying the recipe!