Cast Iron Pan Pizza

Make authentic Chicago deep dish at home with this cast iron pan pizza—featuring a fluffy double-rise dough, layers of mozzarella, rich tomato sauce, and a crispy caramelized cheese crust.

Course dinner, Main Course, main dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword cast iron pan pizza, comfort food, easy, party food

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 30

Servings Servings

Calories 269kcal

Author Bon Appeteach

Equipment

12 inch Cast Iron Pan

Ingredients

For the Dough

2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 cups Bread Flour
1 & 1/3 cups Warm Water
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 packet Rapid Rise Yeast
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt

For the Sauce

1 28 oz can Marinara Sauce (Dell'Alpe recommended)
2 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 tsp Dired Oregano
1/2 tsp Dried Basil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Sugar

Assembly

1 lb Mozzarella Cheese (deli slices) do not use shredded cheese
1 tbsp Cornmeal
Toppings of choice

Instructions

Combine both flours and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
Add olive oil and yeast mixture to the flour. Stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with a dough hook or by hand for 5 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Cover and let rise for 1.5 hours.
Punch down the dough and let rise again for 1 hour.
During the second rise, combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Let it sit at room temperature while the dough finishes rising.
Preheat oven to 500°F.
Cut 5 or 6 pieces of the deli-sliced mozzarella in half. Line the edge of a 12-inch cast iron pizza pan with the halved slices, pressing them upright against the sides of the pan. Sprinkle cornmeal across the bottom of the pan.
Dump dough into the pan and press flat toward the edges. Do not press up the sides. Dimple the surface with your fingers. Cover loosely and rest 25 to 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
Press the dough flat one more time. Layer remaining mozzarella slices over the top of the dough in an overlapping pattern, covering all exposed dough. Add any toppings over the cheese layer (except I recommend pepperoni goes over the sauce). Then pour all of the sauce over the cheese layer and spread evenly (if adding pepperoni, do so now).
Place the pizza on the middle rack. Lay a loose sheet of aluminum foil on the top rack above the pizza. Bake 15 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes or until the cheese edge is caramelized and looks almost burnt, the top is bubbly, and the bottom crust is crispy.
Let rest at least 10 minutes before cutting. Transfer to a cutting board, slice, and serve.

Notes

Dough can be made through the first rise and refrigerated overnight. Bring fully to room temperature before using, about 1 hour on the counter.
Whole milk mozzarella from the deli counter melts better than pre-shredded. Shredded cheese has a starch coating that prevents proper caramelization at the edges.
Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat in a covered cast iron skillet over medium-low heat for the best crust texture.

Nutrition