Description
A crispy and delicious homemade cast iron skillet pizza with a perfectly golden crust, topped with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, onions, and peppers. This easy recipe achieves a bakery-style pizza using your oven and a trusty cast iron skillet for a delightful meal in just 35 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough & Base
- 12 oz. pizza dough (at room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Toppings
- ½ cup marinara sauce
- 1 ¾ cups whole milk, low moisture mozzarella cheese
- 14 slices pepperoni
- ¼ cup sliced onions and peppers
Finishing
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 475° F and allow it to heat for about 30 minutes to ensure the cast iron skillet gets very hot for a crispy crust.
- Prepare Dough: If you start with 1 lb. of dough, remove one-quarter to use 12 oz. for the recipe. Roll out the dough into a 14-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.
- Form Crust: Spray a 12-inch cast iron skillet with nonstick spray. Transfer the dough to the skillet, pushing it halfway up the skillet sides, then roll downwards to create a raised crust.
- Brush Dough: Using a pastry brush, spread 1 tablespoon olive oil evenly on the dough surface. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and dried oregano on top. Use a fork to poke holes in the dough to vent air and prevent bubbles during baking.
- Initial Bake: Place the skillet on the lower oven rack and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the skillet and dab excess oil off the crust with a paper towel, pressing down to flatten the crust.
- Add Toppings: Spread the marinara sauce over the crust evenly, then sprinkle mozzarella cheese and arrange the pepperoni slices, onions, and peppers on top.
- Second Bake: Return the skillet to the lower rack and bake for 10 more minutes until the cheese melts and bubbles.
- Finish Crust: Remove the pizza and brush the crust with melted butter. Move the skillet to the upper oven rack and bake for an additional 3 minutes. Then broil at 425° F for 1 minute, watching carefully to prevent burning and to achieve a golden finish.
- Rest and Serve: Let the pizza rest in the skillet for 3-5 minutes. Tilt the skillet and slide the pizza onto a cutting board using a spatula. Slice and serve hot.
Notes
- Using a cast iron skillet allows for a crispy, evenly cooked crust with a lovely char.
- Letting the oven preheat for a full 30 minutes ensures intense heat for the best crust texture.
- Be careful during broiling as the pizza can burn quickly.
- You can customize toppings to your preference; just adjust baking times accordingly.
- Room temperature dough rolls out more easily and cooks more evenly.
