Cast Iron Pan Pizza

Ingredients

• 2 cups bread flour (11 ounces)
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 cup warm water (105 to 110 degrees; 8 ounces)
• Vegetable oil spray
• 1 can whole peeled tomatoes (14.5-ounce)
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (for the sauce)
• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 0.25 tsp sugar
• 0.25 tsp table salt (for the sauce)
• 0.25 tsp dried oregano
• red pepper flakes (Pinch)
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (for the skillet)
• 4 oz Monterey Jack cheese (shredded (1 cup))
• 7 oz whole-milk mozzarella cheese (shredded (1¾ cups))

Steps

1. 1

   Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir 11 ounces of bread flour, 1 teaspoon of table salt, and 1 teaspoon of instant or rapid-rise yeast together in a large bowl.

2. 2

   Add 8 ounces of warm water (105 to 110 degrees) and mix until most of the flour is moistened.

3. 3

   Using your hands, knead the dough in the bowl until it forms a sticky ball, about 1 minute.

4. 4

   Spray a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan with vegetable oil spray. Transfer the dough to the prepared plate and press it into a 7- to 8-inch disk.

5. 5

   Spray the top of the dough with oil spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

6. 6

   Place 1 (14.5-ounce) can of whole peeled tomatoes in a fine-mesh strainer and crush them with your hands. Drain well to ensure the sauce isn't too watery.

7. 7

   Transfer the drained tomatoes to a food processor. Add 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, ¼ teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

8. 8

   Process the mixture until smooth, about 30 seconds. (Note: Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

9. 9

   Two hours before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

10. 10

    Coat the bottom of a 12-inch cast-iron skillet with 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.

11. 11

    Transfer the dough to the prepared skillet and use your fingertips to flatten the dough until it is ⅛ inch from the edge of the skillet.

12. 12

    Cover tightly with plastic and let rest until slightly puffy, about 1½ hours.

13. 13

    Thirty minutes before baking, adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 400 degrees.

14. 14

    Spread ½ cup of the prepared sauce evenly over the top of the dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Save the remaining sauce for another use.

15. 15

    Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese evenly over the border. Press the cheese into the side of the skillet, forming a ½- to ¾-inch-tall wall to create a crispy edge.

16. 16

    Evenly sprinkle 1¾ cups of shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese over the sauce.

17. 17

    Bake until the cheese at the edge of the skillet is well browned, 25 to 30 minutes.

18. 18

    Transfer the skillet to the stovetop and let it sit until the sizzling stops, about 3 minutes.

19. 19

    Run a butter knife around the rim of the skillet to loosen the pizza. Using a thin metal spatula, gently lift the edge of the pizza and peek at the underside to assess browning.

20. 20

    Cook the pizza over medium heat on the stovetop until the bottom crust is well browned and crispy, 2 to 5 minutes. Use caution as the skillet handle will be very hot.

21. 21

    Using two spatulas, transfer the pizza to a wire rack and let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

The overnight rest in the refrigerator allows the gluten to strengthen without active kneading. Moving the skillet to the stovetop at the end ensures the bottom is perfectly crisp. The Monterey Jack cheese pressed against the side of the pan creates a 'frico' (crispy cheese) edge.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pizza
• cast iron
• baked
• no-knead
• dinner
• vegetarian