Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza Recipe

David Dial | Spiced Blog

Cast iron deep dish pizza that's better than anything you can get delivered!

Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza Photo

It’s no secret that we love pizza around our house. A homemade pizza on Saturday night is probably our single-most guilty treat of the week… and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t look forward to that pizza all week long!

Normally we go with a classic pizza crust with pepperoni and diced jalapeno on top. (If you’ve never tried diced jalapeno on a pizza, do it. Do it now. Just don’t forget to remove the seeds first!) So last week I was thinking that I wanted to try something different. Why not try making a deep dish pizza at home?

I’ve ordered deep dish pizzas at restaurants, but I’ve never tried one at home. Wow! This Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza was awesome! Warning: this is a fork and knife type of pizza pie, but it’s well worth the extra effort here.

We don’t own a deep dish pizza pan, but I found that our 12" cast iron skillet worked like a charm! In fact, since the crust in a deep dish pizza comes up the side of the pan, the hot skillet did a great job of crisping up the sides of the pizza.

Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza Picture

I actually made two versions of this Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza. The crust on the first one was way too bready and thick. I know a deep-dish pizza is supposed to be thick, but this was too thick. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed my pizza, but it needed some work.

For the second version, I went back to my classic pizza dough recipe. (On a side note, my wife and I spent months perfecting the texture and taste of that dough. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!) The second version was the easy winner. I just made a slightly larger batch of dough since deep-dish pizzas need extra dough to go up the sides of the pan.

Overall, I was surprised at how easy it was to make this deep dish pizza. I think I still prefer "regular-style" pizzas over deep dish, but this Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza recipe has certainly earned a spot in our regular pizza rotation!

Several weeks ago, I came across a tip that suggested using sliced rather than shredded mozzarella on a pizza. I figured I was trying something new already, so why not go ahead and try the sliced mozzarella, too? (Note: I had to visit the deli counter at my local market to find sliced mozzarella.)

Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza Image

I layered several slices of mozzarella across the bottom of the pizza… and the result was pretty much amazing! The bottom of the pizza featured a melted, delicious layer of cheese that was way “stringier” than shredded mozzarella.

My next experiment is to see if sliced mozzarella also works well on "regular-style" pizzas. I suspect it will work quite well. But until then, I’ll be enjoying my delicious deep-dish style pizza!

Make it a complete meal - add our Brussels sprout salad recipe or Strawberry Spinach Salad!

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Cast Iron Deep Dish Pizza Recipe

      8 Servings

Ingredients

For the Dough:
  • 6 cups Bread Flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Instant Yeast
  • 1 3/4 cups Boiling Water
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
For the Toppings:
  • 8 ounces Mozzarella Cheese, sliced
  • 1 1/2 ounces Pepperoni, sliced
  • 1/4 cup Onion, sliced
  • 1 cup Pizza Sauce
  • 14 1/2 ounces Diced Tomatoes, drained and all liquid pressed out (1 can)
  • 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

To Make the Dough:

  1. In a countertop mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and yeast) and mix well. Add the water and mix on low speed for 3 minutes, or until the dough begins to come together.
  2. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and mix on low for another 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 3-4 minutes. (Tip: If the dough doesn’t want to form a ball after adding the olive oil, just add 1-2 tablespoon of additional flour to the bowl.)
  3. Transfer dough to a large, oiled bowl. Cover and place in a warm (85°F) location for 75 minutes.
  4. Flip dough out onto a well floured countertop and gently fold it several times. Transfer dough back into the oiled bowl, cover, and place in a warm location for another 75 minutes.
  5. Brush the bottom and sides of a 12" cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Gently stretch or roll dough into a large circle and then press into the bottom and up the sides of skillet.

To Make the Pizza:

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. Layer sliced mozzarella evenly across the top of the dough.
  3. Spread the sliced pepperoni and onions evenly on top of mozzarella.
  4. Spread the pizza sauce evenly on top. Scatter chopped tomatoes on top of the sauce.
  5. Top pizza with grated Parmesan, and brush top edge of the dough with remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  6. Bake at 450°F for 20-22 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Allow pizza to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Recommended

Published:
Modified:
Author:
Cooking Method:
Baked
Cuisine:
Cast Iron Cooking
Category:
Dinners
Tags:
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Related Recipes:
Cast Iron Cooking Recipes, Pizza Recipes, Pizza Dough Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Easy Dinner Recipes, Italian Recipes, Baked Recipes
Recipe Yields:
1 12" Pizza
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Rising Time:
Total Time:
Related Post:
Published:
Author: David Dial
Recipe Yields: 1 12" Pizza
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 230 minutes

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 slice
Servings Per Recipe 8

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 130
Calories 586

% Daily Value*
25%
Total Fat 16g
14%
  Saturated Fat 3g
26%
Sodium 629mg
27%
Total Carbohydrate 81g
4%
  Dietary Fiber 3g
  Sugars 1g
44%
Protein 22g

* Percent Daily Value are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrition Facts are estimated based on ingredients and data provided by Fat Secret. Please consult a doctor if you have special dietary needs.
David Dial

About David

David is bringing up the guy quotient here on Food Fanatic, representing all things Grilling in a big way. On his own site, Spiced, David covers every kind of culinary adventure.

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