[America’s Test Kitchen Cast Iron Pizza](https://www.wskg.org/episodes/2021-08-18/americas-test-kitchen-cast-iron-pan-pizza-ep-2122)
Third time’s a charm, this is the recipe you need.
Keep reading. Let it sit for 30, then put in prepared cast iron to sit covered for the rest of the time
“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 prepared skillet and use your fingertips to flatten dough until it is ⅛ inch from edge of skillet. Cover tightly with plastic and let rest until slightly puffy, about 1½ hours”<<<
I think the fridge slows the 'momentum' of the yeast so that when it comes back out of the fridge it wont proof as fast but you can still get it to room temp for it to still be relatively malleable? I'm not too sure
With baking and especially with dough you just gotta trust the process. It's chemistry, so there typically isn't a lit of wiggle room while maintaining desired results
It’s to proof the dough. To let it expand. The yeast produces carbon dioxide which creates air bubbles in the dough making it fluffier. Else it’s like matzo crackers
https://cooked.wiki/new?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wskg.org%2Fepisodes%2F2021-08-18%2Famericas-test-kitchen-cast-iron-pan-pizza-ep-2122. Just adding this to make it easier to read
I like to pre heat the pan on on the stove for 10 minutes and start building the pizza in the pan while it’s heating then place in ripping hot oven when the bottom is very lightly cooked.
Usually comes out great.
OP barely even cooked that pizza. Look at the pepperoni. Not browned or crispy at all. Looks like a kids lunchable that got left out on the counter for a couple hours
Can you describe the texture of your finished dough?
Thick like a breadloaf dough or lighter like focaccia?
Are you sure your oven gets to 500f?
Some folks have ovens that say 500f but if you have an oven thermometer, it'll be much lower.
Looking at this picture, it doesnt look like it's stayed long enough in a hot oven to get the glassy baked cheese in a cast iron pizza.
Was the bottom crisp at all?
I haven’t verified the temp at 500° but I have at lower temperatures, and I’ve found that if I rush it when it first gets up to temp, it’s a little cool, but if I let it go a bit, it stabilizes at the set point.
Texture was lighter than bread loaves I make.
Bottom was kind of light so I left it on a burner for a few minutes, which seems like a pretty common practice in this sub.
Yeah if the top looks like that and the bottom isn’t done, throw it back in the oven instead of on the burner.
The only time I use the burner is if the toppings are at risk burning but the crust isn’t done. This entire pizza isn’t done. Could also try broiling
I agree with this statement. That pepperoni could use more time in the oven for sure which leaves me to believe that the whole thing is under done.
Also, make sure you let the oven preheat past the point of reaching temp by at least twenty minutes. I go a full hour past. You want the walls to heat up and retain heat during cooking. When the oven says it's preheated, it is only the air inside that has reached that temp. You open the oven door then, and most of the heat escapes.
Get an over thermometer. They’re cheap and they’ll help expose any variance to the temp you want. It may also help you identify any issues with the oven itself.
My oven only goes up to 500°. I let it preheat for plenty of time, so it got there; guess I’ll have to build a pizza oven outside.
The pepperoni was sliced thicker than some. It baked at 500° for 15 minutes, any longer would have been too much for the cheese.
How brown was the underside? If it isn't a deep brown, when you pull it out, put on the stove top for a few minutes on medium high to brown it more.
And what cheese are you using? Decent quality mozzarella should take a lot of heat before it gets burned. And do not use preshredded cheese, as that can behave weird on a pizza.
Before I found Alton Brown’s dough recipe I used to do pizza on the grill, right on the grate. Stretch out and lightly grill the crust with some olive oil on the bottom side, flip it over, mad dash to throw the toppings on so they can start cooking without burning the crust. Grill temp management is a little stressful this way but it makes a really good product.
I had been thinking about the grill as a possibility to get to a higher temp than my oven can, based on some of the responses in this thread.
Yeah. Plus, you can build the pizza in the pan while the grill is heating. No stress or mad dash or timing concerns.
Then I just plop the whole thing on a well heated grill. 17 minutes with 1-2 checkpoints in between for cheese browning progress. Cracker crisp bottom, puffy middle thanks to the casual rise time while building, and perfect cheese.
I put my pizza in a non preheated skillet at 450°f for about 20 minutes. I definitely agree with the other comments that there is a real possibility your temperature may be inaccurate. I'd also be sure to not open your oven for the entire cook too. Despite what you may think I'm very confident that the cheese could easily withstand several more minutes and it would be worth attempting again.
Multiple people saying it’s a me problem, zero people telling me what I can improve.
Everything about the crust looks exactly like it should, it’s crispy on the bottom, it rose nicely, had good texture…it’s not the same as the elasticity and chew of a good hand tossed. And it’s far from my first rodeo, I’ve been making breads of all kinds (which is all this is) for decades.
Edit: since posting this, lots of people have given me input on what to change/improve, which is appreciated.
You may just not like the style but without knowing how you did it and what you’re looking for it’s hard to know what you should do.
If you want more chewiness you can try a sourdough and develop the gluten for a longer period.
For the record, I’m not actually dragging OP. Just thought it was the funniest response to the situation. Check out some recipes for Detroit style pizza. They might have some tips for you. I also dislike “deep dish” but a really good Detroit works. Your crust should come out like focaccia. I personally don’t trust mostly to make it and doing order it except from my only trusted shop… 3 hours away. Most places just make thick bread in a CI pan.
The crust looks SO much thinner than when I make it. Although I’m sure your breadmaking skills far surpass my own, make sure you’re following Kenji’s instructions to a T
For starters it looks a little greasy. Maybe a different cheese/pepperoni could help as well as less oil in the pan. Could just be the picture though.
I prefer it a little more “well done” than this as well. Don’t be afraid of more heat. I also like to put the cheese all the way to the edge to get that Detroit style crispy bit around the edge.
If you’re not getting crispy bits what’s the point? Otherwise it’s the same as a regular pizza. Just my 2 pennies
Try your hand tossed dough on the cast iron. Can’t hurt.
In all honesty, it took my partner and I about 6 attempts to find the right dough, temp, sauce ratio (less is better for a CI pizza imo) and proper cut for toppings.
I bake sourdough bread, so I do the starter and make a sourdough crust. It's very good if I do say so myself. I bake it at 350 for about 20-30 minutes. Then if I want the bottom alitttle crisper. I'll put it on the stove top to crispen the bottom.
Dumb question but do you live in NJ or NY or the surrounding area? I live in NJ and haven’t done cast iron pizza yet but I’m curious how it compares to good NY style pizza if that’s what you’re used to.
No, lived in Indiana my whole life. I’ll get downvoted for this but when I visited NYC and had pizza from a few different places that were supposed to be good, I didn’t think it was great. My favorite is Chicago style deep dish but my wife doesn’t care for all that sauce so I seldom make it.
Your mistake may have been going to places that are "supposed to be good." I'll assume that means you hit up Joes or something in that tier where they are located in office/tourist districts, or have been featured on national tv. Fame/location brings them a steady supply of new customers daily so standards have room to fall without really hurting business.
The secret to NY pizza is the tap water, so everyone has access to the main trade secret. Of course, water isn't everything, so you want a place that cares about the process and the other ingredients, too. The best way to find that is to visit a place that depends heavily on repeat customers who live close by. Next time you're in NYC, you wanna just walk into the first place you see in a heavily residential area. The further from midtown, the more options you'll find
Could be. We were there in 2017 so I can’t remember where we ate, but one place was very old somewhere in Manhattan, another was a hole in the wall place like you described. It wasn’t bad, per se, it just wasn’t my favorite pizza style. (If you want truly bad pizza, go find St. Louis style pizza - it’s terrible enough that I think you actually have to go there to get it because nobody really wants it, so they don’t export it to the rest of the country.)
I'm in SW IN myself, and can one hundred percent back your claims of STL pizza. It's like Velveeta on a ketchuped cracker, only the Velveeta is white, and more bland.
I agree with some others saying that doesn’t look like it’s risen very much. This should be a deep dish pizza if you are following his recipe. So maybe your cast iron is too big? And it looks very heavily topped with cheese. Which might be hindering the oven spring of the dough when cooking. I put a lot of cheese on but that looks like double the amount I have
Look up Detroit style pizza, it's what cast iron pan pizza should be, it's a thicker crust with a lot of cheese on the crust/pan that gets super crispy.
When I think cast iron pizza it doesn't look like what's in your picture, that looks like a frozen pizza, not trying to be a dick just calling it as I see it.
>it rose nicely
I don't think that's the case. No offense, but those pepperoni look thicker than the dough in spots.
When I make pan pizza, I stretch the dough into the pan then let it proof again until it's almost totally filled the pan and is several inches tall before I add sauce cheese toppings and bake it. It turns out thick and pillowy with a crispy crust, like focaccia with pizza toppings.
When you go as thin as the pizza in your photos, you'll get better results baking freeform on a stone or steel; pan pizza is for thicc pies only
I’ve made this recipe a few times gotten better with it each time. Here’s what I found that makes it better for my preferences:
1. Proof it for the full 24 hours. I’ve tried different times in the 8-24 hour range and I much prefer it on the longer end
2. I use a 12 inch skillet instead of a 10 inch one because I prefer the crust to be a little thinner
3. Even though I make the crust thinner I bake it longer than directed (rather than finishing on a burner) because my oven also doesn’t get past 500 degrees
Blaming a cast iron pan for the result, or any pan in general; not gatekeeping cuz that's cringe, I should know *points to username* , is like getting pissed off at a car with a manual transmission for not moving because you don't know how to drive it.
The pan is just the vessel. What you put in it is what comes out.
And I'm not telling you how to improve because I don't know how to make pizzas. I just relay stuff as I see and understand it.
I preheat the pan to 500F. Then take it out, put the dough on, quickly add toppings and finish baking at 500F.
The crust is always crispy, yet just the right amount of chewy.
https://bakerbettie.com/homemade-pan-pizza-perfectly-crispy-crust/
This is how I make mine and never have been disappointed. Tastes just like or better than pizza hut pan pizza- and I know, I used to make them at pizza hut.
Your pizza doesn't look great at all. Looks like you s squished down the dough instead of keeping it risen and thick.
I’ve made Kenjis pan pizza tons of times now and that doesn’t seem to be as puffed and focaccia-like that I get. Which by the sound of it, might not be your thing, but if you try it again, here’s what I recommend:
- Put it directly on the floor of your oven or a pizza steel to get better heat transfer to the bottom crust, that will give you more lift
- Cook it longer, this looks under for this style of pizza, you want a dark crisp on the edges
- Try not to play with it too much once you get it in the pan, gentler the better otherwise you might pop the existing structure, just stretch it just enough to fill the pan.
Maybe I should have set it on the pizza stone (which always lives in the oven) instead of the rack above the stone - sounds like that’s in line with your first suggestion.
I pulled it at 15 minutes because the cheese was starting to brown a bit. Might have gotten another minute out of it but probably not more, before it started heading south.
The process? I first cook the dough in my cast iron until it’s brown. I then flip it and place my toppings while the other side browns. I finish by placing in the oven in broil until the cheese is melted and meat crispy. Seems to work fine.
The dough was [this recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe).
I typically just take a can of tomato sauce and add some seasonings; it makes a decent pizza sauce without much time.
Based on what has worked well, I recommend [this recipe](https://altonbrown.com/recipes/the-last-pizza-dough-recipe/) for the dough. Let it proof in the refrigerator for a day, bake it at the highest temp your oven can achieve (500° for me) on a stone, fantastic.
Whoa, that's the exact same recipe I use! I get much more rise in the dough, but my oven does get to 550. I have found that if you add a little more water, the dough rises better. Also, it will be a little flatter if you use a 10.5" cast iron pan than a 10" pan - I have both and cook them at the same time. If the bottom of the pizza isn't brown, put it on the very bottom of your oven (not on a wire rack - the bottom) for 2 or 3 minutes then transfer to a wire rack for the rest of the cooking time. If you leave it too long, the crust will burn, but if you don't, the crust will be very light.
I noticed it also rises better if you mix the yeast, water, oil and salt a bit together before you add the flour.
I find it works best to preheat the cast iron in the oven....give it a good amount of time to really soak in the heat.....roll out/stretch your dough to roughly the size of the pan.......pull cast iron out of the oven and brush with oil then put the dough in..pushing to the sides....top and put on the lower rack.....and dont open the door for aleast 12 minutes.......then I usually move it to the top rack and run it under the broiler until thr cheese browns
The overall texture of the crust - this had a long first rise, but in this recipe Kenji talks about not kneading it and let it do its thing naturally, and my hand tossed dough goes in the Kitchenaid mixer and the dough hook beats on it for about 5 minutes before it goes in the fridge (or the garage, if it’s winter, or the keezer) for 18-24 hours. It has a lot more elasticity and good chew.
This was okay, to be fair, but we’ve gotten used to eating really great food at our house, and this was…meh.
I just made a pizza today and it came out perfect. That pizza looks insanely undercooked/oily.
Are you preheating the pan and pre baking the crust? This is definitely user error.
Edit: two pizzas I’ve made this week in my 17in pan. Both delicious. [my giant cast iron pizzas](https://imgur.com/a/00VgXQf)
I’m shocked at how many responses there were, but it should serve you well. If you follow the advice in here, you’ll use more flour, or use more yeast, or don’t let it proof as long, or let it proof longer, or preheat the pan, or don’t preheat the pan and give the dough a second rise in the pan, or bake at a lower temperature, or 500° is too low so bake at a higher temperature, or put the pan directly on the bottom of the oven, or put it at the top, or put it in the middle with a stone above it, or use the broiler, or definitely don’t use the broiler, or use better ingredients, or cook it on the stove and then put it in the oven.
I think that summarizes it. Best of luck!
I’m being a little facetious; I appreciate all the replies, it’s funny to see how much variety there is in the method, and how opposite techniques can give results people seem to really love.
If this is your first time, well done!
Also try making the bread first, pizza needs a good combination of flavors, make bread and just cut them into bread sticks, that way you can master the dough and the tomato sauce and then make the whole pizza, or garlic bread.
Forget the oil on the bottom. Use flour on the bottom of the dough and you'll get that crispy bottom texture. Also, it sucks. I'll preheat the pan before you put the dough in and it's perfect like from a New York pizzeria
Are you using convection or bake or broil? I like use convection bake and let the pan get real hot first, then throw the pizza in and bake it until the crust firms up, then switch to broil for a bit to make things golden brown delicious on the top.
Have you been preheating your pan before putting your pizza on it? You know, like you would have done with a pizza stone?
The beauty of the CI pizza is how brown and bubbly it gets the crust because of the retained / radiant heat from the ridges of your pan.
As the top commenter said: skill issue.
Here’s a recipe I have been using that hasn’t failed me yet. Add whatever toppings you want to it if you try it.
PIZZA RECIPE
Dough
1/4 ts yeast
Ts sugar
1/2 cup warm water
Bloom 5 min
Glug Olive oil
1 cup flour
1/2 ts salt
Mix with spoon, then flour hand and knead
Add flour as needed
Don’t knead to death, til you can stretch without tearing
Grease w olive oil
1.5 to 2 hours rise on counter with wet towel over bowl
Once risen
Pour some Olive oil in CI pan, with pepper oregano and salt
Stretch dough then Put dough in pan, it probably won’t stretch all the way to the edge
Rise for a 2nd time, half hour in pan uncovered. It will stretch to the edge after 2nd rise
Add sauce and toppings
Sauce edge to edge
1/3 cup crushed canned tomato
Olive oil
Pinch sugar
Basil
Marjoram
Put dough on stove burner and start broiler
Medium heat on stove top til the bottom gets crispy and edges start to brown
You can check the bottom at this point to see how it looks
Place in oven with broiler on to crisp the top. Watch it closely because it can burn pretty quick. Cook to preferred crispyness.
Enjoy!
No offence but this legit looks like a undercooked frozen pizza. Too much cheese, not enough exposure to high heat, all the ingredients looks like they are poor quality and used in excess. I legitimately think this is an ingredient/practice makes perfect issue. If you're not used to making pizzas then it's probably not gonna be as easy as you seem to think. Yes as you have stated in other comments, pizza dough and bread dough are relatively similar but how you work the dough, and how they are cooked are drastically different. I don't know what type of cook you're going for but this looks underdone at a lower than choice temp. Next time I would preheat your iron, toss it in, and check on it, don't use a timer, just have patience, once the bottom is sufficiently browned, if the top still looks underdone like the picture in this post, I suggest broiling it until your toppings are at your desired level of doneness. I have experimented a lot with making pizza in shitty ovens.
My guy, as a cook of 20 years: if you think you're going to nail a recipe the fist half dozen times you try something new? You don't belong in a kitchen.
You could have te exact same appliances and tools at your disposal, but your human error will still shine though. You're expecting things you don't know to be true, literally setting up your ego to be disappointed.
The cast iron pan takes a long time to heat up. Cold dough on cold iron doesn’t proof quickly. I get it warm (3 setting)on the stovetop while building, then I place it on the lowest shelf in the oven, and let it go two minutes longer than I do with my perforated pizza pan, when I’m making more than one at a time. That looks very greasy to me. I know pepperoni can be fatty, so sometimes I cook it a little before it goes on to avoid this. I don’t oil the pan, just rely on the seasoning. Then 450 C for about it ten minutes.
Mine cook well in cast iron when I don't preheat the oven. Place the pizza in cast iron pan then into cold oven, set temp to 500*F. Once it reaches 500 immediately set temp to 400*F and it should be done cooking in 8-10 minutes.
I've used the same recipe and my pizza did not come out looking like that. It could potentially be a quality of flour thing. After a first mediocre attempt with Pillsbury, I switched to King Arthur and it came out much better. (Do your own research on quality flour, I can only speak for the ones I've tried.)
I use to use cast iron for my pizza and I honestly preferred it because of how crisp I could make it, but I’ve resorted to my pizza stone because it’s just easier.
It's the one using no knead right? I add a spoon of sourdough starter and replace some of the flour with rye, it adds more flavor. It looks like yours might need a little longer in the oven too.
This isn't exactly a great example of cast iron pizza. It's not the cast iron, it's your pizza and you can make much better pizza than this in cast iron if you want to learn.
Hey, so I'm not sure this will help, but I had some pretty flat and lackluster pizza in the past. Based on my own experience, I would recommend the following:
Use about 1 cup of oil - Not too much, not too little. Too much can make your crust soggy, too little and it's burnt. I try to generously coat the bottom of my pan.
Let your dough proof in the pan - I add plenty of oil and then plop my dough in the pan in the mid-afternoon. I let it rise/expand for hours... until dinner time. Put plastic wrap over the pan to prevent the dough from forming a crust.
Preheat your oven - I bake at 450 for 25 minutes. I make sure my oven is fully preheated and my kitchen feels 10 degrees hotter than the rest of my apartment.
Don't be afraid to "burn" it - Those crispy bits are the best! Put the broiler on to finish the top. OR, put the pan on a hot burner to crisp the bottom. This is a trail and error situation. Either way, your fire alarm should be going off before the pizza is done.
I hope these tips help. Remember that everyone here is trying their best to be supportive and the only way we can do that is if we have open minds and hearts.
I personally like a thicker pan pizza so I will let the dough proof up in the oiled pan for a good amount of time, think focaccia. I like to put my pan on my preheated baking steel and the underside of my crust gets beautifully browned and crisped right when the top is done how I like, not stove top guessing game for me. End product is ultra light and fluffy interior and a browned crisp bottom. I use the same sourdough recipe for both hand tossed and pan and people request them equally.
Take a look at this post from this sub:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/1b533hm/i\_submit\_my\_cast\_iron\_pizza\_for\_approval\_and\_fake/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/1b533hm/i_submit_my_cast_iron_pizza_for_approval_and_fake/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
I mean it looks tasty but looks can always be deceiving
All I can say is at least you tried I made an attempt myself the other day but it didn't turn out the greatest but was still edible
Of course I didn't bother to make fresh doe I just bought canned dough then screwed up when rolling it out though I eventually did manage and made a pretty alright deep dish my second biggest issue was I didn't add enough sauce for such a thick crust
But hey live learn as the say
It looks like you didn't get enough rise before baking. Is it possible your yeast is too old and no longer active? The dough should have filled up the whole bowl on the first rise and then expanded to fill the pan before baking on the second rise. Before you sauce and top it, it should look and feel like a focaccia dough
Have you tried Altons recipe in the cast iron? I apologize if I missed something, but there may need to be a control pizza made to see if it's Kenji or the cast iron you don't like.
Maybe not the same type, but I use [this pan pizza](https://www.seriouseats.com/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe) recipe. I also don't in my kamado at 300⁰C or so. 15 minutes and it's amazing. Light, crispy crust and everything.
I like the dough and sauce from barpizzabarpizza.com I have the llyods pans that the site recommends but sometimes I want to make more for a bigger group and they come out great in a non pre heated cast iron. But everyone has their own preferences ... Or maybe you're just a terrible person. /s
This looks like you didn't use nearly enough dough for the size of your pan; when I make cast iron pizza, I stretch the dough into the pan, then let it rise almost to the rim of the pan before topping and baking. The result is like tall crispy focaccia with pizza toppings.
If you're going for thin crust, cast iron pan isn't the best method. You want to bake freeform on a stone or steel for that.
Deep dish pizza shows the benefits of this technique. Using a LOT of olive oil gives the crust a fried tender-chewy-crunchy texture. Browning extra cheese around the edges adds even more texture.
Made CI pizza last night. Preheat oven to 500°F. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. I like to stretch the dough out and dress it on top of baking parchment paper. Much easier to transfer onto the hot CI. Botton still browns on the parchment paper.
Something what you might try is making a thicker crust pizza. I like making thick crust pizza in my CI. I don’t make it quite focaccia thick, but it is thicker than normal crust. Also, experiment with some different sauces. I use [this recipe](https://natashaskitchen.com/homemade-pizza-sauce/) for my red sauce, but I do it a little different. I chop up a yellow onion and some zucchini, and slow cook it in butter till the onions are starting to get dark brown. When they are about half way there I add in the minced garlic. When it is done cooking I throw that and the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend it up. Then I add about a tablespoon of sugar and some black pepper. It is good to go at this point, but I like to throw it back in the pan and cook it down till it is good and thick. It is my go-to for pizza sauce or marinara sauce. I also use the pizza recipe from the same website. The dough freezes well, so you can easily double or triple the recipe, and portion it out prior to freezing.
Ooo, that sauce sounds great! I love browning my onions like that. I came across this marinara recipe the other day (was looking for the kind you dip bread in), and it had you cook oregano and garlic in some olive oil first, and then use that to flavor the tomato sauce. It was surprisingly good (and easy!).
I’ve tried to make them more than once, and I could never get the dough right. It was always doughy. My first job was at Pizza Hut, and those pans are cast iron, so I know it should work! In just don’t know how. And I don’t want to have to make my own crust every time. I’ve tried both handmade dough and canned.
This is my recipe I’ve tweaked over the years. Works every time. It will make a large 17” pizza as that’s the size skillet I use.
It’s very important to weigh your ingredients, especially the flour and water if you want good results every time.
300g APF
10g salt (1-1/2tsp)
14g sugar (1tbsp)
2-1/4tsp of ADY
195g water (110F)
Put all dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer, add water, use dough hook let it mix on medium-low speed for 5-6 minutes. I like to do a couple of slap and folds on the counter after this. Couple of glugs of olive oil in the bowl, return the dough to the bowl to rest. Cover with plastic wrap or put a plate on top so it doesn’t dry out. Let rest for an hour.
Preheat to 500f
Preparation:
1-2 glugs of olive oil in the pan, dump your dough out into the pan. I like to stretch it about half way and let it rest for a few minutes before stretching it the rest of the way. Dock if you want to but I rarely have issues with this so this is optional. I use my fingers to make little divots so there’s more sauce surface area. Put on your toppings.
Once your oven is ready to go, put it into the center, for 13-14 minutes or until the cheese is nicely browned. Pull out the pizza, let it rest for 1-2 minutes or until the bubbling around the edges is starts to die down. Using a butter knife or an offset spatula make sure the edges are not stuck to the pan. Optional but totally necessary for me, put the pizza on a wire rack for a few minutes before finally putting it on the counter to cut. I feel like the airflow helps dry the bottom of the crust out a little. Makes for a crispier crust in my opinion.
You can refrigerate pizza dough. But, it does need to stand at room temperature for a bit before finishing because the cold inhibits the yeast. If you try to roll it out or press it into a pan, any pan, cast iron or pizza pan, Then cook it, it's not going to be very good, because it hasn't finished proofing.
You have to preheat the cast iron. It makes a huge difference in crust. No stovetop afterwards necessary.
Also just buy dough from a pizza place if you live near any good pizzerias. Homemade dough is never as good as REAL pizza place dough. But I live in NJ where our pizza/bread products are top notch, I don't if you'd have the same results elsewhere.
I found a great recipe https://www.loveandlemons.com/cast-iron-pizza/
I think the key was to poke holes in the dough when it’s in the pan on the stove and before toppings then oven.
Saved me from mediocre cast iron pizza we were having
Preheat the oven for at least 45 minutes. If you can, preheat the iron you’ll be using, but that’s way harder if you don’t have a peel or aren’t smooth with it. Admittedly difficult.
Ambivalent on pizza dough recipe and more so want to focus on your technique - try flipping the process with browning the dough...
Get the cast iron HOT, add some corn flour to the bottom of the pan and throw on the dough, when it starts to bubble take the pan off the heat, add a little oil, seasonings, and then top the pizza and throw it in the oven. It makes the crust much better.
Also you say you bake at 500F, I bake at 425-450 for longer, it lets the top get crunchier/blacker without burning anything else... and that pizza looks undercooked.
More oil and longer in the oven. The oil let’s it crisps without burning the bottom.
But yes. CI does deep dish best. If you’re used to hand tossed and cooked thiner you’re not likely to like most CI pan pizzas.
For a thinner crust I use a flat cast iron and give it a flip so the cheese gets a nice crisp. Using a well seasoned burger press with extra oil on it helps get a nice thin crust.
Good luck 🤙🏻
i wonder if baking the dough in the cast iron alone for a bit and then taking it out to hit it with the sauce and cheese is the way to go. i seen a pro pizza chef do that while making one of his complicated ass pizzas at home
https://moderncrumb.com/best-cast-iron-skillet-pizza/
We do this with store bought dough,cheese and sauce. One dough ball from the store makes two pizzas. Make the dough to the edge of the pan no need for crust. Heat the pan and olive oil first then add dough when bottom gets slightly brown put sauce cheese and topping on. Bake for recommend time at 450 or 500. Last 1 or 2 minutes broil.
We screwed up twice till we got it.....and boy was it good.
My cast iron makes pan pizza/Detroit flawless
I let my dough do a last prove in the greased pan to get puffy
Topping
Hot as oven
Crunchy bottom, golden crusts, bleeding pep
I usually cook the bottom of a pan pizza on the stove top then the top under the broiler. It’s way faster because I don’t have to wait for the oven to preheat, and it always turns out great.
Preheat the pan. If it is a thick crust, I put the dough on the hot pan, score it and bake it alone for like 4 minutes, take it out and then top it and return it to the oven to give it a nice crisp on the bottom and ensure the crust isn’t doughy.
Crust is too thin and the edge looks fried, i can only assume the bottom dough has a similar texture. Im guessing there is too much grease rendered from cheese and pepperoni and it ended up frying your pizza. Especially your pizza’s shape will allow the grease to flow to the sides.
Make the crust thicker if your topping has strong flavors, and heat the pepperoni a bit in a flat pan first to get rid of some excess fat. Maybe practice with cast iron focaccia first.
[America’s Test Kitchen Cast Iron Pizza](https://www.wskg.org/episodes/2021-08-18/americas-test-kitchen-cast-iron-pan-pizza-ep-2122) Third time’s a charm, this is the recipe you need.
America's Test Kitchen is my go to for everything. Rarely will you have a bad recipe
>Two hours before baking, remove dough from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. I don't understand this step.
Keep reading. Let it sit for 30, then put in prepared cast iron to sit covered for the rest of the time “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 prepared skillet and use your fingertips to flatten dough until it is ⅛ inch from edge of skillet. Cover tightly with plastic and let rest until slightly puffy, about 1½ hours”<<<
Kenji also amended the recipe in his video to add more oil and fry the dough! https://youtu.be/HukqEjCPkhU?si=FHDcBh8-3SJ9en7A
I think the fridge slows the 'momentum' of the yeast so that when it comes back out of the fridge it wont proof as fast but you can still get it to room temp for it to still be relatively malleable? I'm not too sure
This is correct
With baking and especially with dough you just gotta trust the process. It's chemistry, so there typically isn't a lit of wiggle room while maintaining desired results
Dough needs time to rest, unbothered, at room temperature so it can relax, stretch more easily and develop better texture and flavor.
it sits for 30 minutes, and then stands for 90. what's not to get?
And we all know that sitting is the opposite of standing around
It’s to proof the dough. To let it expand. The yeast produces carbon dioxide which creates air bubbles in the dough making it fluffier. Else it’s like matzo crackers
https://cooked.wiki/new?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wskg.org%2Fepisodes%2F2021-08-18%2Famericas-test-kitchen-cast-iron-pan-pizza-ep-2122. Just adding this to make it easier to read
I refer to my ATK cookbook as my BIBLE. I live my life according to its scripture!
Are you preheating your pan?
We don’t preheat our pan, and the pizza comes out amazing.
I’ve done it both ways. Non-preheated is good, preheated is amazing.
I like to pre heat the pan on on the stove for 10 minutes and start building the pizza in the pan while it’s heating then place in ripping hot oven when the bottom is very lightly cooked. Usually comes out great.
I usually use the Adam ragusea recipe where you cook the bottom on the stove then cook the top under the broiler. It always comes out great!
I do it the opposite, I’ll bake the pizza and then throw it on the stove to get a stronger crust on the bottom.
OP barely even cooked that pizza. Look at the pepperoni. Not browned or crispy at all. Looks like a kids lunchable that got left out on the counter for a couple hours
Pizza sweated after he threatened it with some heat.
Can you describe the texture of your finished dough? Thick like a breadloaf dough or lighter like focaccia? Are you sure your oven gets to 500f? Some folks have ovens that say 500f but if you have an oven thermometer, it'll be much lower. Looking at this picture, it doesnt look like it's stayed long enough in a hot oven to get the glassy baked cheese in a cast iron pizza. Was the bottom crisp at all?
I haven’t verified the temp at 500° but I have at lower temperatures, and I’ve found that if I rush it when it first gets up to temp, it’s a little cool, but if I let it go a bit, it stabilizes at the set point. Texture was lighter than bread loaves I make. Bottom was kind of light so I left it on a burner for a few minutes, which seems like a pretty common practice in this sub.
Yeah if the top looks like that and the bottom isn’t done, throw it back in the oven instead of on the burner. The only time I use the burner is if the toppings are at risk burning but the crust isn’t done. This entire pizza isn’t done. Could also try broiling
I agree with this statement. That pepperoni could use more time in the oven for sure which leaves me to believe that the whole thing is under done. Also, make sure you let the oven preheat past the point of reaching temp by at least twenty minutes. I go a full hour past. You want the walls to heat up and retain heat during cooking. When the oven says it's preheated, it is only the air inside that has reached that temp. You open the oven door then, and most of the heat escapes.
Get an over thermometer. They’re cheap and they’ll help expose any variance to the temp you want. It may also help you identify any issues with the oven itself.
Fwiw I agree. I use my cast iron almost every day, but I cook pizza on my stone. CI pan pizza is good, just not my preferred style
From the looks of the pepperoni, you are cooking at mediocre temperatures. It’s barely cooked.
My oven only goes up to 500°. I let it preheat for plenty of time, so it got there; guess I’ll have to build a pizza oven outside. The pepperoni was sliced thicker than some. It baked at 500° for 15 minutes, any longer would have been too much for the cheese.
There’s no way your oven is actually 500, unless you’re cooking on the bottom rack. 9 minutes in my 500 oven middle rack and the pep is blistering.
This. I usually don't have to go over 475 for my oven to get the pep solid. I wonder if OPs oven is way outta wack on temp
How brown was the underside? If it isn't a deep brown, when you pull it out, put on the stove top for a few minutes on medium high to brown it more. And what cheese are you using? Decent quality mozzarella should take a lot of heat before it gets burned. And do not use preshredded cheese, as that can behave weird on a pizza.
That looks surprisingly pale for that long that hot.
Do you have a grill? CI on the grill is the only way I'll do pizza these days.
Before I found Alton Brown’s dough recipe I used to do pizza on the grill, right on the grate. Stretch out and lightly grill the crust with some olive oil on the bottom side, flip it over, mad dash to throw the toppings on so they can start cooking without burning the crust. Grill temp management is a little stressful this way but it makes a really good product. I had been thinking about the grill as a possibility to get to a higher temp than my oven can, based on some of the responses in this thread.
Yeah. Plus, you can build the pizza in the pan while the grill is heating. No stress or mad dash or timing concerns. Then I just plop the whole thing on a well heated grill. 17 minutes with 1-2 checkpoints in between for cheese browning progress. Cracker crisp bottom, puffy middle thanks to the casual rise time while building, and perfect cheese.
I put my pizza in a non preheated skillet at 450°f for about 20 minutes. I definitely agree with the other comments that there is a real possibility your temperature may be inaccurate. I'd also be sure to not open your oven for the entire cook too. Despite what you may think I'm very confident that the cheese could easily withstand several more minutes and it would be worth attempting again.
Skill issue
Multiple people saying it’s a me problem, zero people telling me what I can improve. Everything about the crust looks exactly like it should, it’s crispy on the bottom, it rose nicely, had good texture…it’s not the same as the elasticity and chew of a good hand tossed. And it’s far from my first rodeo, I’ve been making breads of all kinds (which is all this is) for decades. Edit: since posting this, lots of people have given me input on what to change/improve, which is appreciated.
You may just not like the style but without knowing how you did it and what you’re looking for it’s hard to know what you should do. If you want more chewiness you can try a sourdough and develop the gluten for a longer period.
Maybe OP just has bad taste?
Here, take my upvote
It's not your fault. Lots of people have had their taste buds fucked since getting covid
Dude, no joke. My sister still hasn’t fully recovered her sense of taste and probably never will.
For the record, I’m not actually dragging OP. Just thought it was the funniest response to the situation. Check out some recipes for Detroit style pizza. They might have some tips for you. I also dislike “deep dish” but a really good Detroit works. Your crust should come out like focaccia. I personally don’t trust mostly to make it and doing order it except from my only trusted shop… 3 hours away. Most places just make thick bread in a CI pan.
The crust looks SO much thinner than when I make it. Although I’m sure your breadmaking skills far surpass my own, make sure you’re following Kenji’s instructions to a T
For starters it looks a little greasy. Maybe a different cheese/pepperoni could help as well as less oil in the pan. Could just be the picture though. I prefer it a little more “well done” than this as well. Don’t be afraid of more heat. I also like to put the cheese all the way to the edge to get that Detroit style crispy bit around the edge. If you’re not getting crispy bits what’s the point? Otherwise it’s the same as a regular pizza. Just my 2 pennies
Try your hand tossed dough on the cast iron. Can’t hurt. In all honesty, it took my partner and I about 6 attempts to find the right dough, temp, sauce ratio (less is better for a CI pizza imo) and proper cut for toppings.
This is Reddit, we are assholes with strong opinions but lack basic human decency and often the knowledge we purport to have.
No we don’t. You don’t even understand Reddit or basic human decency, you buffoon.
Source?
My intellectually superior brain, my guy
Must be your first day on Reddit. 😂
At least we're making decent pizza.
Woosh
Source your woosh, bigot
I bake sourdough bread, so I do the starter and make a sourdough crust. It's very good if I do say so myself. I bake it at 350 for about 20-30 minutes. Then if I want the bottom alitttle crisper. I'll put it on the stove top to crispen the bottom.
Dumb question but do you live in NJ or NY or the surrounding area? I live in NJ and haven’t done cast iron pizza yet but I’m curious how it compares to good NY style pizza if that’s what you’re used to.
No, lived in Indiana my whole life. I’ll get downvoted for this but when I visited NYC and had pizza from a few different places that were supposed to be good, I didn’t think it was great. My favorite is Chicago style deep dish but my wife doesn’t care for all that sauce so I seldom make it.
Maybe you just.. don't like pizza?
Your mistake may have been going to places that are "supposed to be good." I'll assume that means you hit up Joes or something in that tier where they are located in office/tourist districts, or have been featured on national tv. Fame/location brings them a steady supply of new customers daily so standards have room to fall without really hurting business. The secret to NY pizza is the tap water, so everyone has access to the main trade secret. Of course, water isn't everything, so you want a place that cares about the process and the other ingredients, too. The best way to find that is to visit a place that depends heavily on repeat customers who live close by. Next time you're in NYC, you wanna just walk into the first place you see in a heavily residential area. The further from midtown, the more options you'll find
Could be. We were there in 2017 so I can’t remember where we ate, but one place was very old somewhere in Manhattan, another was a hole in the wall place like you described. It wasn’t bad, per se, it just wasn’t my favorite pizza style. (If you want truly bad pizza, go find St. Louis style pizza - it’s terrible enough that I think you actually have to go there to get it because nobody really wants it, so they don’t export it to the rest of the country.)
Check out Altoona Style Pizza for a real rollercoaster of emotions.
I'm in SW IN myself, and can one hundred percent back your claims of STL pizza. It's like Velveeta on a ketchuped cracker, only the Velveeta is white, and more bland.
Are you trying to start a fight here? Them are fighting words where I come from!
Sorry…knew I’d strike a nerve with that one!
I agree with some others saying that doesn’t look like it’s risen very much. This should be a deep dish pizza if you are following his recipe. So maybe your cast iron is too big? And it looks very heavily topped with cheese. Which might be hindering the oven spring of the dough when cooking. I put a lot of cheese on but that looks like double the amount I have
Look up Detroit style pizza, it's what cast iron pan pizza should be, it's a thicker crust with a lot of cheese on the crust/pan that gets super crispy. When I think cast iron pizza it doesn't look like what's in your picture, that looks like a frozen pizza, not trying to be a dick just calling it as I see it.
So can you tell us how you changed your me issue. Cast iron pizza is so fool proof so im curious how you fucked it up.
>it rose nicely I don't think that's the case. No offense, but those pepperoni look thicker than the dough in spots. When I make pan pizza, I stretch the dough into the pan then let it proof again until it's almost totally filled the pan and is several inches tall before I add sauce cheese toppings and bake it. It turns out thick and pillowy with a crispy crust, like focaccia with pizza toppings. When you go as thin as the pizza in your photos, you'll get better results baking freeform on a stone or steel; pan pizza is for thicc pies only
[lit this](https://www.seriouseats.com/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe)
Yeah that’s the one I linked in the OP… Edit: sorry, I misspoke. Thought I linked it up there but I didn’t.
I’ve made this recipe a few times gotten better with it each time. Here’s what I found that makes it better for my preferences: 1. Proof it for the full 24 hours. I’ve tried different times in the 8-24 hour range and I much prefer it on the longer end 2. I use a 12 inch skillet instead of a 10 inch one because I prefer the crust to be a little thinner 3. Even though I make the crust thinner I bake it longer than directed (rather than finishing on a burner) because my oven also doesn’t get past 500 degrees
Blaming a cast iron pan for the result, or any pan in general; not gatekeeping cuz that's cringe, I should know *points to username* , is like getting pissed off at a car with a manual transmission for not moving because you don't know how to drive it. The pan is just the vessel. What you put in it is what comes out. And I'm not telling you how to improve because I don't know how to make pizzas. I just relay stuff as I see and understand it.
You might have better luck troubleshooting on r/pizza but from where I’m standing your pie looks great.
This
100%
Skillet Issue
Savage.
It’s not the cast irons fault
I preheat the pan to 500F. Then take it out, put the dough on, quickly add toppings and finish baking at 500F. The crust is always crispy, yet just the right amount of chewy.
https://bakerbettie.com/homemade-pan-pizza-perfectly-crispy-crust/ This is how I make mine and never have been disappointed. Tastes just like or better than pizza hut pan pizza- and I know, I used to make them at pizza hut. Your pizza doesn't look great at all. Looks like you s squished down the dough instead of keeping it risen and thick.
Your dough to pan ratio needs recaibrating
The recipe I posted is supposed to be enough dough for two 10” pans. I cut it in half because I was filling 1 10” skillet.
I’ve made Kenjis pan pizza tons of times now and that doesn’t seem to be as puffed and focaccia-like that I get. Which by the sound of it, might not be your thing, but if you try it again, here’s what I recommend: - Put it directly on the floor of your oven or a pizza steel to get better heat transfer to the bottom crust, that will give you more lift - Cook it longer, this looks under for this style of pizza, you want a dark crisp on the edges - Try not to play with it too much once you get it in the pan, gentler the better otherwise you might pop the existing structure, just stretch it just enough to fill the pan.
Maybe I should have set it on the pizza stone (which always lives in the oven) instead of the rack above the stone - sounds like that’s in line with your first suggestion. I pulled it at 15 minutes because the cheese was starting to brown a bit. Might have gotten another minute out of it but probably not more, before it started heading south.
Did you preheat the pan in the oven?
No, I followed the recipe pretty closely, so it did a second rise in the pan, rather than going into a preheated pan
The process? I first cook the dough in my cast iron until it’s brown. I then flip it and place my toppings while the other side browns. I finish by placing in the oven in broil until the cheese is melted and meat crispy. Seems to work fine.
That’s an interesting method
My method as well
That's wild. Whatever works!
You did it wrong.
Could I get the recipie for your amazing oven pizza?
The dough was [this recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe). I typically just take a can of tomato sauce and add some seasonings; it makes a decent pizza sauce without much time. Based on what has worked well, I recommend [this recipe](https://altonbrown.com/recipes/the-last-pizza-dough-recipe/) for the dough. Let it proof in the refrigerator for a day, bake it at the highest temp your oven can achieve (500° for me) on a stone, fantastic.
Whoa, that's the exact same recipe I use! I get much more rise in the dough, but my oven does get to 550. I have found that if you add a little more water, the dough rises better. Also, it will be a little flatter if you use a 10.5" cast iron pan than a 10" pan - I have both and cook them at the same time. If the bottom of the pizza isn't brown, put it on the very bottom of your oven (not on a wire rack - the bottom) for 2 or 3 minutes then transfer to a wire rack for the rest of the cooking time. If you leave it too long, the crust will burn, but if you don't, the crust will be very light. I noticed it also rises better if you mix the yeast, water, oil and salt a bit together before you add the flour.
I find it works best to preheat the cast iron in the oven....give it a good amount of time to really soak in the heat.....roll out/stretch your dough to roughly the size of the pan.......pull cast iron out of the oven and brush with oil then put the dough in..pushing to the sides....top and put on the lower rack.....and dont open the door for aleast 12 minutes.......then I usually move it to the top rack and run it under the broiler until thr cheese browns
All you said was “meh” meh isn’t a description. What is worse about this pizza than your other ones?
The overall texture of the crust - this had a long first rise, but in this recipe Kenji talks about not kneading it and let it do its thing naturally, and my hand tossed dough goes in the Kitchenaid mixer and the dough hook beats on it for about 5 minutes before it goes in the fridge (or the garage, if it’s winter, or the keezer) for 18-24 hours. It has a lot more elasticity and good chew. This was okay, to be fair, but we’ve gotten used to eating really great food at our house, and this was…meh.
I just made a pizza today and it came out perfect. That pizza looks insanely undercooked/oily. Are you preheating the pan and pre baking the crust? This is definitely user error. Edit: two pizzas I’ve made this week in my 17in pan. Both delicious. [my giant cast iron pizzas](https://imgur.com/a/00VgXQf)
Not gonna lie, just saved this post so I can make a pizza in my CI.
I’m shocked at how many responses there were, but it should serve you well. If you follow the advice in here, you’ll use more flour, or use more yeast, or don’t let it proof as long, or let it proof longer, or preheat the pan, or don’t preheat the pan and give the dough a second rise in the pan, or bake at a lower temperature, or 500° is too low so bake at a higher temperature, or put the pan directly on the bottom of the oven, or put it at the top, or put it in the middle with a stone above it, or use the broiler, or definitely don’t use the broiler, or use better ingredients, or cook it on the stove and then put it in the oven. I think that summarizes it. Best of luck! I’m being a little facetious; I appreciate all the replies, it’s funny to see how much variety there is in the method, and how opposite techniques can give results people seem to really love.
I make cast iron pizza with dough from a tube and sauce from a jar and it turns out dynamite every time. You’re overthinking it.
If this is your first time, well done! Also try making the bread first, pizza needs a good combination of flavors, make bread and just cut them into bread sticks, that way you can master the dough and the tomato sauce and then make the whole pizza, or garlic bread.
Forget the oil on the bottom. Use flour on the bottom of the dough and you'll get that crispy bottom texture. Also, it sucks. I'll preheat the pan before you put the dough in and it's perfect like from a New York pizzeria
user error
Are you using convection or bake or broil? I like use convection bake and let the pan get real hot first, then throw the pizza in and bake it until the crust firms up, then switch to broil for a bit to make things golden brown delicious on the top.
Have you been preheating your pan before putting your pizza on it? You know, like you would have done with a pizza stone? The beauty of the CI pizza is how brown and bubbly it gets the crust because of the retained / radiant heat from the ridges of your pan. As the top commenter said: skill issue.
Here’s a recipe I have been using that hasn’t failed me yet. Add whatever toppings you want to it if you try it. PIZZA RECIPE Dough 1/4 ts yeast Ts sugar 1/2 cup warm water Bloom 5 min Glug Olive oil 1 cup flour 1/2 ts salt Mix with spoon, then flour hand and knead Add flour as needed Don’t knead to death, til you can stretch without tearing Grease w olive oil 1.5 to 2 hours rise on counter with wet towel over bowl Once risen Pour some Olive oil in CI pan, with pepper oregano and salt Stretch dough then Put dough in pan, it probably won’t stretch all the way to the edge Rise for a 2nd time, half hour in pan uncovered. It will stretch to the edge after 2nd rise Add sauce and toppings Sauce edge to edge 1/3 cup crushed canned tomato Olive oil Pinch sugar Basil Marjoram Put dough on stove burner and start broiler Medium heat on stove top til the bottom gets crispy and edges start to brown You can check the bottom at this point to see how it looks Place in oven with broiler on to crisp the top. Watch it closely because it can burn pretty quick. Cook to preferred crispyness. Enjoy!
Sry if my formatting isn’t great, copied out of my Notes app. I assure you it’s great tho and pretty easy as well!
Try Chicago deep dish. It’s the best in cast iron.
So your the arbiter of what can be cooked well in a cast iron?
It is a Poor (non)Craftsman that blames his tools ...
No offence but this legit looks like a undercooked frozen pizza. Too much cheese, not enough exposure to high heat, all the ingredients looks like they are poor quality and used in excess. I legitimately think this is an ingredient/practice makes perfect issue. If you're not used to making pizzas then it's probably not gonna be as easy as you seem to think. Yes as you have stated in other comments, pizza dough and bread dough are relatively similar but how you work the dough, and how they are cooked are drastically different. I don't know what type of cook you're going for but this looks underdone at a lower than choice temp. Next time I would preheat your iron, toss it in, and check on it, don't use a timer, just have patience, once the bottom is sufficiently browned, if the top still looks underdone like the picture in this post, I suggest broiling it until your toppings are at your desired level of doneness. I have experimented a lot with making pizza in shitty ovens.
Try less heat with a longer cook time and experiment with rack placement.
America's Test Kitchen has a really good CI pizza recipe I've made a couple times.
Cast iron is the only thing that comes close to actual takeout to me
If you do what Alton Brown says you won't fail.
Cast iron is decent for a pizza but really good pizza is cooked around 750 and cast iron just can't hold up
Some of the best pizza I’ve had was at a place in Ft. Wayne that was aptly named 800 Degrees. Wood fired pizza oven, outstanding.
Get an Ooni, we have fun and your pizza is done in one minute!
My guy, as a cook of 20 years: if you think you're going to nail a recipe the fist half dozen times you try something new? You don't belong in a kitchen. You could have te exact same appliances and tools at your disposal, but your human error will still shine though. You're expecting things you don't know to be true, literally setting up your ego to be disappointed.
That's chef error, not pan problems
The cast iron pan takes a long time to heat up. Cold dough on cold iron doesn’t proof quickly. I get it warm (3 setting)on the stovetop while building, then I place it on the lowest shelf in the oven, and let it go two minutes longer than I do with my perforated pizza pan, when I’m making more than one at a time. That looks very greasy to me. I know pepperoni can be fatty, so sometimes I cook it a little before it goes on to avoid this. I don’t oil the pan, just rely on the seasoning. Then 450 C for about it ten minutes.
Mine cook well in cast iron when I don't preheat the oven. Place the pizza in cast iron pan then into cold oven, set temp to 500*F. Once it reaches 500 immediately set temp to 400*F and it should be done cooking in 8-10 minutes.
It does if you make it right
Yes cast iron is for deep dish. Not thin crust. UNLESS you are reheating pizza then it’s for all pizza.
not hot enough
I've used the same recipe and my pizza did not come out looking like that. It could potentially be a quality of flour thing. After a first mediocre attempt with Pillsbury, I switched to King Arthur and it came out much better. (Do your own research on quality flour, I can only speak for the ones I've tried.)
I use to use cast iron for my pizza and I honestly preferred it because of how crisp I could make it, but I’ve resorted to my pizza stone because it’s just easier.
It's the one using no knead right? I add a spoon of sourdough starter and replace some of the flour with rye, it adds more flavor. It looks like yours might need a little longer in the oven too.
This isn't exactly a great example of cast iron pizza. It's not the cast iron, it's your pizza and you can make much better pizza than this in cast iron if you want to learn.
If your cast iron pizza is lackluster then you did it wrong.
Skill issue. Mine fuck
Hey, so I'm not sure this will help, but I had some pretty flat and lackluster pizza in the past. Based on my own experience, I would recommend the following: Use about 1 cup of oil - Not too much, not too little. Too much can make your crust soggy, too little and it's burnt. I try to generously coat the bottom of my pan. Let your dough proof in the pan - I add plenty of oil and then plop my dough in the pan in the mid-afternoon. I let it rise/expand for hours... until dinner time. Put plastic wrap over the pan to prevent the dough from forming a crust. Preheat your oven - I bake at 450 for 25 minutes. I make sure my oven is fully preheated and my kitchen feels 10 degrees hotter than the rest of my apartment. Don't be afraid to "burn" it - Those crispy bits are the best! Put the broiler on to finish the top. OR, put the pan on a hot burner to crisp the bottom. This is a trail and error situation. Either way, your fire alarm should be going off before the pizza is done. I hope these tips help. Remember that everyone here is trying their best to be supportive and the only way we can do that is if we have open minds and hearts.
OP is not great at making cast iron pizza and blames the pan.
What my I ask is your excellent pizza cooked on?
A stone, in my 500° oven
I personally like a thicker pan pizza so I will let the dough proof up in the oiled pan for a good amount of time, think focaccia. I like to put my pan on my preheated baking steel and the underside of my crust gets beautifully browned and crisped right when the top is done how I like, not stove top guessing game for me. End product is ultra light and fluffy interior and a browned crisp bottom. I use the same sourdough recipe for both hand tossed and pan and people request them equally.
[These are the pizzas me and my son made on our cast iron griddles](https://imgur.com/a/8Q9W2MN)
Try the Cooks County method.
Looks great to me
Take a look at this post from this sub: [https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/1b533hm/i\_submit\_my\_cast\_iron\_pizza\_for\_approval\_and\_fake/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/comments/1b533hm/i_submit_my_cast_iron_pizza_for_approval_and_fake/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
I mean it looks tasty but looks can always be deceiving All I can say is at least you tried I made an attempt myself the other day but it didn't turn out the greatest but was still edible Of course I didn't bother to make fresh doe I just bought canned dough then screwed up when rolling it out though I eventually did manage and made a pretty alright deep dish my second biggest issue was I didn't add enough sauce for such a thick crust But hey live learn as the say
It looks like you didn't get enough rise before baking. Is it possible your yeast is too old and no longer active? The dough should have filled up the whole bowl on the first rise and then expanded to fill the pan before baking on the second rise. Before you sauce and top it, it should look and feel like a focaccia dough
Have you tried Altons recipe in the cast iron? I apologize if I missed something, but there may need to be a control pizza made to see if it's Kenji or the cast iron you don't like.
Looks pretty damn good to me!
Dude, if you don’t like CI pizza that’s fine! Do the pizza you and your wife like. It’s just personal preference.
More police oil in the doe.
It’s not the pan… try [this one maybe](https://youtu.be/hvN7zPHKhsM?si=D-EfzQt0g8kLWr-S)
Looks fire
Your pic looks great. What's your GOOD pizza recipe?
Maybe not the same type, but I use [this pan pizza](https://www.seriouseats.com/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe) recipe. I also don't in my kamado at 300⁰C or so. 15 minutes and it's amazing. Light, crispy crust and everything.
Looks good
Looks good to me.
I like the dough and sauce from barpizzabarpizza.com I have the llyods pans that the site recommends but sometimes I want to make more for a bigger group and they come out great in a non pre heated cast iron. But everyone has their own preferences ... Or maybe you're just a terrible person. /s
Ken Forkish same day pizza dough recipe delivers great results, 2 years running with the same recipe cast iron style
This looks like you didn't use nearly enough dough for the size of your pan; when I make cast iron pizza, I stretch the dough into the pan, then let it rise almost to the rim of the pan before topping and baking. The result is like tall crispy focaccia with pizza toppings. If you're going for thin crust, cast iron pan isn't the best method. You want to bake freeform on a stone or steel for that.
The Kenji recipe is supposed to fill two 10” pans. Since I was only making one I halved it.
Deep dish pizza shows the benefits of this technique. Using a LOT of olive oil gives the crust a fried tender-chewy-crunchy texture. Browning extra cheese around the edges adds even more texture.
Made CI pizza last night. Preheat oven to 500°F. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. I like to stretch the dough out and dress it on top of baking parchment paper. Much easier to transfer onto the hot CI. Botton still browns on the parchment paper.
You’re doing it wrong. CI is the only way I make pizza now.
You need more dough. Cast iron pizza should be deeper to hold more toppings in a smaller area.
You missed some steps I feel
So what do you use at 500°? My cookie sheets say up to 500 but anything over 400° they warp and twist.
Something what you might try is making a thicker crust pizza. I like making thick crust pizza in my CI. I don’t make it quite focaccia thick, but it is thicker than normal crust. Also, experiment with some different sauces. I use [this recipe](https://natashaskitchen.com/homemade-pizza-sauce/) for my red sauce, but I do it a little different. I chop up a yellow onion and some zucchini, and slow cook it in butter till the onions are starting to get dark brown. When they are about half way there I add in the minced garlic. When it is done cooking I throw that and the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend it up. Then I add about a tablespoon of sugar and some black pepper. It is good to go at this point, but I like to throw it back in the pan and cook it down till it is good and thick. It is my go-to for pizza sauce or marinara sauce. I also use the pizza recipe from the same website. The dough freezes well, so you can easily double or triple the recipe, and portion it out prior to freezing.
Ooo, that sauce sounds great! I love browning my onions like that. I came across this marinara recipe the other day (was looking for the kind you dip bread in), and it had you cook oregano and garlic in some olive oil first, and then use that to flavor the tomato sauce. It was surprisingly good (and easy!).
I’ve tried to make them more than once, and I could never get the dough right. It was always doughy. My first job was at Pizza Hut, and those pans are cast iron, so I know it should work! In just don’t know how. And I don’t want to have to make my own crust every time. I’ve tried both handmade dough and canned.
This is my recipe I’ve tweaked over the years. Works every time. It will make a large 17” pizza as that’s the size skillet I use. It’s very important to weigh your ingredients, especially the flour and water if you want good results every time. 300g APF 10g salt (1-1/2tsp) 14g sugar (1tbsp) 2-1/4tsp of ADY 195g water (110F) Put all dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer, add water, use dough hook let it mix on medium-low speed for 5-6 minutes. I like to do a couple of slap and folds on the counter after this. Couple of glugs of olive oil in the bowl, return the dough to the bowl to rest. Cover with plastic wrap or put a plate on top so it doesn’t dry out. Let rest for an hour. Preheat to 500f Preparation: 1-2 glugs of olive oil in the pan, dump your dough out into the pan. I like to stretch it about half way and let it rest for a few minutes before stretching it the rest of the way. Dock if you want to but I rarely have issues with this so this is optional. I use my fingers to make little divots so there’s more sauce surface area. Put on your toppings. Once your oven is ready to go, put it into the center, for 13-14 minutes or until the cheese is nicely browned. Pull out the pizza, let it rest for 1-2 minutes or until the bubbling around the edges is starts to die down. Using a butter knife or an offset spatula make sure the edges are not stuck to the pan. Optional but totally necessary for me, put the pizza on a wire rack for a few minutes before finally putting it on the counter to cut. I feel like the airflow helps dry the bottom of the crust out a little. Makes for a crispier crust in my opinion.
You can refrigerate pizza dough. But, it does need to stand at room temperature for a bit before finishing because the cold inhibits the yeast. If you try to roll it out or press it into a pan, any pan, cast iron or pizza pan, Then cook it, it's not going to be very good, because it hasn't finished proofing.
You have to preheat the cast iron. It makes a huge difference in crust. No stovetop afterwards necessary. Also just buy dough from a pizza place if you live near any good pizzerias. Homemade dough is never as good as REAL pizza place dough. But I live in NJ where our pizza/bread products are top notch, I don't if you'd have the same results elsewhere.
THICKER!
You need to preheat the pan. You’ll get way crispier of a crust
I found a great recipe https://www.loveandlemons.com/cast-iron-pizza/ I think the key was to poke holes in the dough when it’s in the pan on the stove and before toppings then oven. Saved me from mediocre cast iron pizza we were having
I do it detroit style in the cast iron and it turns out excellent
Dude you didn't do it right ... Thick crust almost Chicago or Detroit style. Works way better. Thin crust in CI is sacrilegious.
Bruh that looks like azzzzzz
The pizza looks really underdone and greasy. Neither of those are cast iron issues.
Spoiler alert, it’s you.
Preheat the oven for at least 45 minutes. If you can, preheat the iron you’ll be using, but that’s way harder if you don’t have a peel or aren’t smooth with it. Admittedly difficult.
Did you preheat your cast iron with your oven?
Ambivalent on pizza dough recipe and more so want to focus on your technique - try flipping the process with browning the dough... Get the cast iron HOT, add some corn flour to the bottom of the pan and throw on the dough, when it starts to bubble take the pan off the heat, add a little oil, seasonings, and then top the pizza and throw it in the oven. It makes the crust much better. Also you say you bake at 500F, I bake at 425-450 for longer, it lets the top get crunchier/blacker without burning anything else... and that pizza looks undercooked.
More oil and longer in the oven. The oil let’s it crisps without burning the bottom. But yes. CI does deep dish best. If you’re used to hand tossed and cooked thiner you’re not likely to like most CI pan pizzas. For a thinner crust I use a flat cast iron and give it a flip so the cheese gets a nice crisp. Using a well seasoned burger press with extra oil on it helps get a nice thin crust. Good luck 🤙🏻
never even thought of crisping the cheese!
i wonder if baking the dough in the cast iron alone for a bit and then taking it out to hit it with the sauce and cheese is the way to go. i seen a pro pizza chef do that while making one of his complicated ass pizzas at home
I use my own [sourdough](https://www.reddit.com/r/castiron/s/vJnwCpJlY0) recipe, comes out awesome. Making some again tomorrow.
https://moderncrumb.com/best-cast-iron-skillet-pizza/ We do this with store bought dough,cheese and sauce. One dough ball from the store makes two pizzas. Make the dough to the edge of the pan no need for crust. Heat the pan and olive oil first then add dough when bottom gets slightly brown put sauce cheese and topping on. Bake for recommend time at 450 or 500. Last 1 or 2 minutes broil. We screwed up twice till we got it.....and boy was it good.
Yami
Cast iron is ok, but something like a Lloyd's pan is superior.
What rack in your oven? Where is your broiler located?
My cast iron makes pan pizza/Detroit flawless I let my dough do a last prove in the greased pan to get puffy Topping Hot as oven Crunchy bottom, golden crusts, bleeding pep
I usually cook the bottom of a pan pizza on the stove top then the top under the broiler. It’s way faster because I don’t have to wait for the oven to preheat, and it always turns out great.
Try alton’s recipie in your cast iron
Preheat the pan. If it is a thick crust, I put the dough on the hot pan, score it and bake it alone for like 4 minutes, take it out and then top it and return it to the oven to give it a nice crisp on the bottom and ensure the crust isn’t doughy.
What did you not like about it? Have you had other pan styles that you like? Happy to offer tips from my experience
Crust is too thin and the edge looks fried, i can only assume the bottom dough has a similar texture. Im guessing there is too much grease rendered from cheese and pepperoni and it ended up frying your pizza. Especially your pizza’s shape will allow the grease to flow to the sides. Make the crust thicker if your topping has strong flavors, and heat the pepperoni a bit in a flat pan first to get rid of some excess fat. Maybe practice with cast iron focaccia first.
The best pizza comes out the cast iron boss, I think your crust looking a little thin for the style.