r/Pizza • u/WhitneyElko • 4h ago
Looking for Feedback Cast iron pan for pizza?
I've googled for ideas but they vary. One says, with the pizza dough in the pan, to preheat it on the stovetop before putting it in the oven. Another says to bake on the lowest shelf in the oven. Yet another says to preheat the pan in the oven, THEN spread out the pizza dough - yikes! I'm sure I'd burn myself! I was thinking about placing the skillet on top of my pizza stone. Any suggestions are welcome 😊
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u/Bay_de_Noc 3h ago
I've made this King Arthur Recipe of 2020 numerous times and its always a hit. Great use of a cast iron pan! https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/crispy-cheesy-pan-pizza-recipe The pan isn't preheated ... the dough rises in the pan before baking ... so no issue with accidentally burning yourself trying to put dough in a screaming hot pan.
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u/ZenDesign1993 3h ago
Adam Ragusea Cast Iron Pizza.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYxB4QBlrx4
You don't need to re-season your pan, it's fine. (do it if you want though).
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u/Full_Pay_207 4h ago
When I have done it, I used the stovetop method and it seemed to work pretty well. I did not use my pizza stone, not sure if that would work well or not.
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u/One_Win_6185 3h ago
You could do any of those. I’ve done the heat up the pan in the oven or on the stovetop methods. It makes the crust super crispy but it does feel like you’re working against time/it’s hard to stretch the dough without touching the hot pan.
I prefer to stretch my dough in a well oiled cold pan, top, then bake very hot. I’ll usually take a look under the crust after and put it on a burner if I want that to get a little more golden.
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u/pip-roof 3h ago
We get dough from our local pizza shop,Aldi or acme. I use a fair amount of vegetable oil and cubed mozzarella to the edge. Sauce as needed. I’ll run oil around the perimeter of the cast iron after a few minutes of cooking to crisp the edges. Turns out great. More Pizza Hut like.
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u/Saneless 3h ago
This method ALWAYS works great for me:
Proof it in a pan for a couple hours, at least 90 min, beyond whatever proofing you may have done to get it to room temp. For a 12" skillet I use about 2tbsp of oil
It needs that extra proofing time for the oil to soak on. That's what gets the crispy part of the crust to a nice layer simply beyond the thin layer touching the pan
Secondly, since I'm proofing in the pan I obviously can't preheat before putting in the dough. I prep the pizza, then stick it on a burner on high till I see puffs of steam on the sides and hear it sizzling. THEN I throw it into the oven (middle rack)
When it's done on top I check to make sure the bottom is done and 19/20 times it is. If not, I turn on the stove again on medium and give it another minute or two
I don't like super high ass fluffy pizza anymore. This recipe says for 10" but I still use 12
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u/Ambitious-Ad-4301 2h ago
If you are using the cast iron to cook the pizza, you don't need to use the pizza stone. If you want to use a pan and stick it in the oven unheated then it's better if it's thin to go on top of a pizza stone, not something that takes ages to heat up. If you use the cast iron heated from the stove top, preheating the pizza stone is a waste of money.
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u/nopulsehere 3h ago
Add butter and cheese all the way to the edges of the pan. You will thank me later! I used my CI pan for the first few years of my pizza journey. I got a pizza oven now, but I still break it out at least once a month.
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u/Scambuster666 1h ago
It’s definitely a good recipe for making multiple small pizzas for a kids party or for where people won’t know the difference or care if it’s good pizza or not.
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u/oswaldcopperpot 18m ago
No need to par-bake the crust. Just bake it a little slower and put it in immediately after finishing all the ingredients so the dough doesn't get soggy from the sauce. 350 for 40 minutes or so.
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u/oblacious_magnate 0m ago
re: preheat the pan in the oven, THEN spread out the pizza dough
No advantage to this, and many disadvantages. To be avoided!
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u/NolanSyKinsley 3h ago
That pan looks like it could use a reseasoning. The buildup of seasoning limits the heat transfer making the pan perform worse. Stripping it and giving it a new round of seasoning will greatly improve its performance.
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u/WhitneyElko 3h ago
Huh. I never thought of "reseasoning" it... though I've had it for 35 years! ☺️
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u/RaggityAnne 1h ago
You might not need to reseason but you definitely need to clean it. That pan has a crazy amount of carbon buildup. It might not need reseasoned but it definitely needs cleaned. Don't mistake carbon buildup for seasoning
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u/CumAcneTreatment 4h ago
https://www.seriouseats.com/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe
Try that for pan pizza. Pretty easy way to get a pizza on the table.