Directions: |
Directions:This pizza takes time to sit and rise, so start the process around noon to allow plenty of time for the processing.
Make Pizza dough from bread machine pizza dough recipe in this book. One recipe will make either two 10" - 12" cast iron skillets or one 10" - 12" skillet and a large hand tossed pizza.
Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a 10 to 12 inch cast-iron skillet. Repeat with a second skillet if making two. Swirl to coat the bottoms of the pans. Divide the risen dough into two pieces. Gently form into a ball by pulling the side of the dough and tucking it under, rotating 1/4 turn and repeating the tug and tuck, rotating another 1/4 turn and repeating the tug and tuck, then finally doing it once more to form a loose ball. Lay it smooth side down in the oil, then flip so the whole thing is coated in oil. Use the palm of your hand to gently flatten the dough pushing it out the the edges of the pan. It will likely not spread to the edges yet, but that is okay. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and set out at room temperature -undisturbed- for 2 hours.
To Prepare the Pizzas:
Preheat oven as high as it will go, preferably to 550°F. Remove plastic wrap from the pans with the pizza dough in them. The dough should now have spread itself (or nearly spread itself) to the edges of the pan. Simply lift the edges of dough to pull toward the sides of the pan if necessary. This will help loosen any trapped air under the dough as well. If there are any large air bubbles, nudge them down with the back of a knuckle.
Generously spread your desired pizza sauce on each pizza right to the edges of the dough. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and then desired toppings evenly to the edge.
Put into the hot oven and bake for 12-20 minutes (depending on how well done you want your pizzas.) You can check the underside of the pizza crust for doneness by lifting the edge gently with a flexible spatula (like a fish turner). A finished pizza will have a crisp, deep-brown bottom and a bubbly, golden- to deep-golden brown top. I pull my pizzas when the edges have some deeply caramelized (or lightly charred) edges and some dark brown bubbles on top. If the pizza bottom is not quite complete, but the top is starting to burn, loosely place a piece of foil on the top for the remainder of the baking time. Also, what works very well is to remove the pizza from the oven and place on the stove top to continue to brown and crisp the bottom of the dough.
Either remove the pizza from the pan to a cutting board using your flexible spatula, or leave in the pan for cutting after the rest time. Let the pizza rest for 5 minutes before slicing into wedges, then let it rest without moving it for another 3 minutes before serving. |
This recipe for Julie's Cast Iron Pan Pizza is from