Name: Cast Iron Margherita Pizza
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1½ c. very warm water (110˚-115°F); 2¼ t. active dry yeast; 1 t. white or brown sugar; 1 t. table salt; 3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided; 4 c. all-purpose flour, divided; Non-stick cooking spray; 1/3 c. pizza sauce; 1 T. dried Italian seasoning; ½ T. garlic powder; 3 small Campari tomatoes, sliced (see recipe tips); 4 oz. fresh Mozzarella, sliced; 3 oz. mozzarella, shredded; 3 T. fresh basil, sliced (+ small sprigs for garnish); Crushed red pepper flakes, optional, for garnish

Pizza fan here! I’m always looking for a great pizza without resorting to a takeaway. I don’t know about you but while there are some really good frozen versions out there, you can’t beat a freshly baked pizza.

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But it can be a bit fiddly and messy, right? Well, what if I told you that you can make it in a special skillet for a delicious pizza with much less work? To start you off, let’s take a look at a Cast Iron Margherita Pizza recipe.

Why you want a pizza friendly skillet

Now you can definitely grab your normal skillet and have a try at this recipe. But we did invest in something a little special and it is worth thinking about – not just for this recipe but for lots of others.The something in question was a square cast iron combo grill/griddle that looks like a giant, square skillet on one side and a giant square griddle pan on the other. There were two main reasons we bought it.

First up, making pizza in a normal skillet can be challenging. You don’t want to scratch that carefully created non-stick coating but it is also very difficult to get the pizza out without the right utensils. And you definitely don’t want to cut the pizza in the pan!

The other reason is that this square pan doesn’t have high sides. That means you can simply slide the pizza from the pan to the plate. No utensils, no scratches and no stuck patches of the pizza base. It isn’t a single-use pan either – you can use it for everything from bacon and eggs in a single pan to grilled cheese sandwiches and more.

More recipe inspiration

For more ideas with a skillet, check out this recipe for Cheesy Chicken Cutlets. Or test out a twist on a Greek classic with Skillet Shrimp Saganaki.

What you need to make cast iron Margherita pizza

Dough Ingredients:

1½ c. very warm water (110˚-115°F)
2¼ t. active dry yeast
1 t. white or brown sugar
1 t. table salt
3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 c. all-purpose flour, divided
Non-stick cooking spray

Toppings Ingredients (for one pizza):

1/3 c. pizza sauce
1 T. dried Italian seasoning
½ T. garlic powder
3 small Campari tomatoes, sliced (see recipe tips)
4 oz. fresh Mozzarella, sliced
3 oz. mozzarella, shredded
3 T. fresh basil, sliced (+ small sprigs for garnish)
Crushed red pepper flakes, optional, for garnish

Kitchen equipment

Large glass bowl
Cup measure
Rolling pin
Square grill/griddle pan

How to make the recipe

STEP 1: To proof the yeast, add the warm water to a large bowl, followed by the yeast and sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes.

STEP 2: Add salt and two tablespoons olive oil to the same bowl and stir to combine. Gradually add two-and-a-half cups flour, one-half cup at a time, stirring continually until the flour is thoroughly incorporated into the dough.

STEP 3: Sprinkle flour onto a clean work surface and lightly coat hands with additional flour. Drop the dough onto the prepared work surface and knead in remaining flour just until dough is no longer sticky. Shape dough into a ball and add to a clean bowl sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside in a warm place for one hour or until the dough doubles in size.

Tip: It will take approximately 3½ cups of all-purpose flour for the dough to reach the correct consistency. (If the dough is still sticky at that point, work in a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time, just until no longer sticky). The additional flour in the ingredients list is for the work surface and your hands while working with the dough.

STEP 4: When the dough is almost ready, place the top oven rack in the centre position and pre-heat the oven to 500°F.

STEP 5: Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down with your lightly floured fist. After a couple of minutes, divide the dough in half and roll out one half on a clean, well-floured surface until it is a little bit larger than the surface of your cast iron skillet or griddle, as shown.

STEP 6: Transfer the dough to the cast iron griddle and stretch it with your fingers until it completely fills the space, and the outer perimeter is slightly thicker than the rest of the crust.

STEP 7: Brush remaining olive oil around the perimeter of the dough, as shown. Then top the dough with the pizza sauce and spread into a thin, uniform layer up to the edge of the oil-brushed crust. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning and garlic powder on top of the sauce in an even, uniform layer.

STEP 8: Arrange the sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese on top. Sprinkle with the low-moisture shredded Mozzarella and carefully place the pizza in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is brown and bubbly.

STEP 9: Carefully remove from oven and cool for several minutes before topping with fresh basil and crushed red pepper flakes, if using.

Tip: The pan will be very, very hot at this point, so use extreme caution while working around it.

STEP 10: To serve, carefully slide the baked pizza to a clean cutting surface and slice into individual pieces.

Storing the recipe

Before cooking: This recipe yields enough dough to make two medium-crust pizzas on the cast iron griddle shown. If preferred, the dough can be divided to create three thin-crust pizzas of this size. Unused dough can be wrapped tightly and refrigerated or frozen for later use.

After cooking: You can store leftovers in airtight containers or food bags in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven before serving.

Freezing the recipe: You can freeze the pizza once it is cooked. It is best to cut it into slices or sections then stack in a freezer bag with greaseproof paper between each piece. Plus you can just take out what you need then to reheat!

Recipe tips

San Marzano tomatoes are often used for Pizza Margherita, partly because they are less watery than other varieties. If they are not available locally, you can substitute other varieties, as well. The variety shown here is Campari, which are rounder and juicier than the San Marzano. If you are worried about a soggy crust, chop the tomatoes instead of slicing them and strain for excess liquid before placing on top.

Yield: 2-4 per pizza