Cast Iron Pan Pizza

Test recipe from America’s Test Kitchen who state, “Our goal was a pan pizza with a well-browned crust, tender crumb, and crisp, cheesy outer edge.”

“This pizza is baked in a 12-inch cast iron skillet, and the dough requires a 12- to 24-hour rest in the refrigerator before shaping. For best results, we recommend weighing the flour and water. Our winning brand of whole peeled tomatoes is Muir Glen. We prefer the rich flavor of whole milk mozzarella cheese; use a block cheese, not fresh mozzarella. Avoid pre-shredded cheese; it contains added starch (to prevent clumping) which gives the melted cheese a drier, chewier texture.”

OUR TAKE: We would cut back on the amount of cheese, maybe by 1/3, and reduce the amount of garlic, maybe to 1/2 clove, and press it instead of mince it. Otherwise, this was very good.

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Cast Iron Pan Pizza

  • Total time: 16 Hours
  • Servings: 1 Pizza

Ingredients

Dough:

  • 2 Cups (11 oz) Bread Flour
  • 1 tsp Table Salt
  • 1 tsp Instant or Rapid-Rise Yeast
  • 1 Cup (8 oz) Warm Water (105-110°F)

Sauce:

  • 1 (14 1/2 oz) Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes
  • 1 tsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  • 1/4 tsp Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Table Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Dried Oregano
  • Pinch Red Pepper Flakes

Pizza:

  • 3 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 oz Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded (about 1 Cup)
  • 7 oz Whole Milk Mozzarella, shredded (about 1 3/4 Cup)

Directions

  • 1)

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

  • 2)

    FOR THE SAUCE: Empty tomatoes into fine mesh strainer and crush with hands. Drain well, and transfer to food processor. Add oil, garlic, sugar, salt, oregano, and pepper flakes and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. (Sauce may be made up to 3 days ahead)

  • 3)

    FOR THE PIZZA: Two hours before baking, remove dough from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Coat bottom of 12-inch cast iron skillet with oil. Transfer dough to greased skillet and use fingertips to flatten dough until it is 1/8-inch from edge of pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rest until slightly puffy, about 1 1/2 hours.

  • 4)

    Thirty minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400°F. Spread 1/2 cup sauce evenly over top of dough, leaving 1/2-inch border (remaining sauce may be saved for later use). Sprinkle Monterey Jack evenly over un-sauced border. Press cheese into side of pan, forming 1/2 to 3/4-inch tall wall. (Not all cheese will stick to side of skillet.) Evenly sprinkle mozzarella over sauce. Bake until cheese at edge of skillet is well-browned, 25 to 30 minutes.

  • 5)

    Transfer cast iron pan to stovetop and let sit until sizzling stops, about 3 minutes. Run butter knife around rim of skillet to loosen pizza. Cook pizza over medium heat until bottom crust is well-browned, 2 to 5 minutes (skillet handle will be hot). (Use thin metal spatula to gently lift pizza to monitor browning of bottom crust.) Using two spatulas, transfer pizza to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Notes

Source: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/12219-cast-iron-pan-pizza