This homemade Cast Iron Pizza is a step above your usual oven-baked version, bringing pizzeria-style goodness right to your kitchen. Imagine the pull of melty cheese, savory toppings, and a crispy, golden crust that perfectly carries every slice from the pan to your mouth! So good!
If you’ve never made Cast Iron Pizza before, you’re seriously missing out! It’s a simple, no-fuss way to create a perfectly crispy base that’s packed with all the cheesy, comforting goodness. Whether you're hosting a pizza night with friends or feeding the family, this cast iron skillet pizza dough recipe is simple and delicious for all!
No more soggy or unevenly cooked crusts! Crafted with just the right mix of yeast, honey, salt, olive oil, flour, cornmeal, sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings, this cast iron skillet pizza is the ultimate slice of heaven.
Craving more cheesy goodness? Check out our Pizza Pasta, Dutch Oven Lasagna, or homemade Cheesy Pull Apart Bread, next!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfectly Crispy Crust: Unlike regular baking sheets or pizza stones, a cast iron skillet distributes heat evenly, ensuring a beautifully crisp bottom and perfectly melted cheese with bubbly toppings.
- Versatility of the Skillet: Cast iron pans can go from stovetop to oven, and even an open campfire, making transitions between heat sources seamless and helping you achieve that perfectly risen crust every time.
- Minimal Effort, Maximum Flavor: Forget fancy pizza stones or complicated methods. This cast iron pizza dough recipe is easy to follow with minimal fuss, delivering all the deep, rich flavors of a pizzeria-style pie.
- Ideal Family Meal: With easy cleanup and the ability to customize toppings for everyone, this cast iron pizza is the perfect solution for a quick weeknight dinner or feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
- Yeast: Helps the cast iron skillet pizza dough rise, creating a light, airy texture with a chewy consistency and delicious flavor. If you're not sure it's fresh, be sure to test the yeast before using it!
- Warm Water: Activates the yeast in the dough, helping it rise and “wake up” for that perfect, well-risen base.
- Honey: Serves as the primary food source for the yeast, promoting a better rise and a slightly sweeter flavor. No honey? You can use granulated sugar instead!
- Salt: Strengthens the dough, making it more elastic and less likely to tear, while slowing the fermentation process for a more controlled rise and enhanced flavor development.
- Corn Meal: Sprinkle it on the skillet to prevent the dough from sticking and give the base a little extra texture.
- Sauce: While pizza sauce is the classic choice, marinara or your favorite red pasta sauce work just as well. Feeling adventurous? Try pesto, BBQ sauce, or even a creamy white garlic sauce for something different.
- Cheese: A pizza cheese blend of mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan gives your handmade pan pizza that classic cheesy texture and flavor.
- Toppings: The choice is yours! From olives to pineapple to pepperoni, load up the pie with whatever toppings your family loves.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- White Pizza: If you're not into tomato sauce, swap it out for ricotta cheese, mozzarella, garlic, and spinach—letting the cheese shine as the main flavor.
- BBQ Chicken Pizza: Top your pie with shredded rotisserie chicken tossed in your favorite BBQ sauce, then add red onions and cilantro for a smoky, BBQ-flavored pizza with gooey cheese that’s next-level.
- Give it a Kick: Want a spicy kick? Layer on spicy pepperoni, red chili flakes, or sliced jalapeños on your pizza in a cast iron skillet. For an extra smoky flavor, try cheeses with a bit of heat, like pepper jack or smoked gouda.
How to Make Cast Iron Pizza
Making pizza in a cast iron skillet is easier than you think! Whether you're a seasoned pro or a first-timer, these simple steps will have you enjoying a delicious homemade pie in no time. To get started, gather your ingredients, grab a 14-inch skillet, and preheat your oven to 425°F.
Step 1: Start the Dough. Add the yeast and 1 cup hot water to a mixer, and mix on low. Slowly add the honey, salt, and flour.
Step 2: Mix and Rise. Let the mixer run at medium speed until the dough is sticky, and pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Let the dough rest in a bowl for about 15-20 minutes.
Note: At this point, you can preheat the oven to 425°F, prep the toppings and sprinkle the cornmeal over a large 14” skillet.
Step 3: Shape the Crust. With oiled hands, pull and shape the dough into a circle.
Step 4: Prebake the Crust. Lay the dough on top of the cornmeal coated pan. Flatten and stretch the dough to fill the pan using a rolling pin or your hands. Bake the dough for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Add Toppings. Spread the crust with the sauce, shredded cheese, and favorite toppings.
Step 6: Bake until Melty. Place the pizza back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the toppings are browned.
Expert Tips
- Don’t Overload with Toppings: As tempting as it may be to pile on all your favorite toppings, keep it simple. Too many toppings can lead to a soggy bottom, so stick to a few key ingredients for the perfect slice.
- Rest Before Serving: After your pizza comes out of the skillet, let it rest for 2-3 minutes on the counter before slicing. This gives the cheese a chance to set—no one wants a cheesy mess!
- Storing: Once the pizza has cooled to room temperature, wrap the slices tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store in the fridge for up to 7 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Serving Suggestions
Don’t be afraid to show off the results of this cast iron pan pizza recipe! Whether you're looking for something gourmet or family-friendly, here are some ways to share this perfectly crisp pizza.
- Display on a wooden board for a rustic touch, and top with freshly chopped herbs like basil, arugula, or even a sprinkle of oregano to add a burst of flavor and a nice pop of color to your pie.
- Pair it with Southern creamed corn, cabbage coleslaw, or a simple Itailan green salad for a more veggie-friendly meal.
- Add some extra protein to your meal with skillet Italian meatballs or even Dutch oven beef brisket.
- Finish the meal with something sweet like raspberry pear dump cake, skillet apple pie, or chocolate peanut butter dip.
Recipe FAQs
For the crispiest texture, reheat your pie directly in a preheated cast iron skillet—yep, right on the hot pan! If you’re using the oven, bake at 375°F for 5-8 minutes on a baking sheet until the base is warm and the cheese is bubbling again.
Absolutely! Preparing the pie dough 24 hours in advance is a breeze! Store it in the fridge, and when you’re ready to use it, let it come to room temperature before stretching it in the pan. This makes the dough easier to work with and results in a better texture.
Most often it's because you added too many toppings to the pizza. It's important to try to avoid piling on too much and it helps to prebake the crust as well!
More Delicious Cast Iron Bread Recipes
If you tried this pan pizza dough recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Get the Recipe
Cast Iron Pizza (+ Pan Pizza Dough Recipe)
Equipment
- 14" cast iron pizza pan
- 14" cast iron skillet
Ingredients
Pan Pizza Dough
- 1 tablespoon yeast rapid rise
- 1 cup water warm from the tap
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2½ cups flour
- ½ cup cornmeal
Pizza Ingredients
- pizza sauce
- pizza toppings
- pizza blend cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F
- Add yeast to a mixing bowl. Pour the 1 cup hot tap water over it and mix.
- Add the remaining ingredients and let the mixer run at medium speed until the dough clears the side of the bowl. The dough shouldn't be sticky.
- Let dough rest in a bowl 15-20 minutes while you preheat the oven and prepare the toppings.
- On a large cast iron pizza pan or 14" skillet, sprinkle cornmeal generously (this prevents sticking when fully cooked).
- With oiled hands, remove the dough from the bowl and pull/shape into a circle, then lay it on top of your cornmeal coated pan.
- Using a rolling pin or your hands, flatten and stretch the dough to fill the pan.
- Bake the dough for 10 minutes.
- Remove prebaked crust from the oven and spread with your toppings: sauce, shredded cheese, favorite toppings.
- Place topped pizza back into oven and bake for 10-15 minutes more, or until cheese is melted and toppings are browned.
- Slide the whole pizza from the pan to a cutting board and slice into pieces.
Notes
- Place your skillet in the oven while it preheats for a perfectly crispy crust as soon as the dough hits the pan.
- Too many toppings can lead to a soggy pizza. Stick to a few key ingredients for the best texture and flavor.
- Allow the dough to rest before baking. This helps it rise and ensures a light, airy crust every time.
Nutrition
Dutch Oven Daddy is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Edward
This is one of my favorite family recipes! Thank you!
Alison
This turned out great and made a great memory. My kids loved helping make their own pizza.
Dutch Oven Daddy
Happy to hear that!
Travis
I was surprised how much the cornmeal helped keep these from sticking down. I felt that the taste was very distinct cooking it on cast iron.