Cast Iron Pan Pizza is a perfect, fun meal for camping, a backyard evening, or a casual dinner with friends. This pan pizza turns out with a crisp bottom, golden, cheesy edges, and a nice airy rise. With your favorite toppings, it becomes a satisfying and easy cast iron pan pizza recipe.
This recipe uses a straightforward all-purpose pizza dough that works well for oven baking, grills, and cast iron skillets. If you prefer store-bought refrigerated dough, that will work too—just bring it to room temperature before stretching. Using homemade dough gives the best texture and flavor: one batch of the all-purpose dough makes three 10-inch cast iron pizzas, and requires a 2-hour rise if you follow the homemade method.
Table of contents
- Why you will love this Cast Iron Pizza recipe
- Ingredients for Cast Iron Pan Pizza
- Pizza dough tips
- How to prepare dough for this pan pizza
- How to prep the cast iron pan to bake pizza
- How to bake Cast Iron Pan Pizza
- Suggested toppings for cast iron pan pizza
- Frequently asked questions
Why you will love this Cast Iron Pizza recipe
This skillet pizza is ideal for trips, vacation rentals, or whenever you want a casual, crowd-pleasing meal. It bakes beautifully in a hot oven or on a gas grill set to about 500°F. A preheated cast iron skillet gives you that crisp, blistered bottom and puffy edges. If you use the all-purpose dough, portion one-third of the batch for each 10-inch pan pizza and allow a 2-hour rise for homemade dough. Premade refrigerated dough is a convenient alternative—just let it come to room temperature before stretching.
Ingredients for Cast Iron Pan Pizza
- 1 pizza dough ball — homemade all-purpose dough or store-bought refrigerated dough
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce (store-bought or a simple tomato-based sauce)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3–6 ounces sliced pepperoni
- Olive oil for brushing the dough and the pan (about 2 tablespoons total)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (optional)
- Optional toppings: cooked Italian sausage, thinly sliced peppers and onions, sliced olives, mushrooms, etc.
- Grated Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes for serving
Pizza dough tips
If you plan to cook away from home, assemble pizza kits with dough portions, sauce, and cheese so each person can customize their pizza. Dough freezes well if you want to prepare portions in advance; thawing is quick when you bring it to room temperature. These cast iron pizzas bake fast—about 10–12 minutes—so they’re great for a quick lunch or dinner paired with a simple green salad.
How to prepare dough for this pan pizza
Bring refrigerated dough to room temperature before stretching. Lightly dust your work surface with flour to prevent sticking. For a 10-inch skillet, stretch the dough into an approximately 11-inch circle so it reaches the pan edges once fitted. Don’t worry about a perfect shape—once in the hot pan it will settle and bake evenly. You do not need cornmeal for this method because the dough goes directly into a preheated, oiled skillet.
Note: For the all-purpose dough, use roughly one-third of the batch per 10-inch pan pizza.
How to prep the cast iron pan to bake pizza
Preheat the oven or grill to 500°F. Place the empty cast iron skillet on the middle rack or over the grill grates and heat for about 10 minutes. Wearing an oven mitt, remove the hot skillet and brush a thin layer of olive oil on the bottom and sides—this helps the crust crisp and prevents sticking.
How to bake Cast Iron Pan Pizza
Carefully transfer the stretched dough into the hot, oiled skillet and press gently so it covers the bottom and reaches the sides. Optionally brush a little olive oil on the dough and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Spread sauce to the edges, add plenty of mozzarella (letting some cheese reach the rim yields those desirable cheesy edges), and arrange pepperoni and any additional toppings.
Return the skillet to the oven or grill and bake for 10–12 minutes. The pizza is done when the dough has puffed, the bottom is crisp, and the edges are golden brown and bubbly. If using a gas grill, keep the temperature near 500°F for consistent results.
When finished, loosen the pizza with a metal spatula and slide it onto a cutting board. Slice into 6–8 pieces with a pizza cutter or long knife and serve with grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes if desired.
Suggested toppings for cast iron pan pizza
Classic cheese and pepperoni work beautifully in a cast iron pan. For a combo-style pie, cook and slice Italian sausage and use thinly sliced peppers, onions, olives, and mushrooms. Slice vegetables thinly so they cook through in the short bake time, or sauté them briefly beforehand to ensure they’re tender.
Frequently asked questions
Ready-made crusts are not recommended here. Using dough that reaches the pan edges creates the crisp, puffed edges characteristic of a cast iron pan pizza.
One batch of the all-purpose dough yields three 10-inch cast iron pan pizzas when divided into thirds.
Yes. Brushing the skillet with olive oil helps the crust crisp and prevents sticking. Avoid using butter or aerosol cooking sprays for best results.
If you wait a long time between pizzas, reheat the skillet for a few minutes to restore high surface temperature. If you bake pizzas back-to-back, the pan will likely stay hot enough without reheating—just add fresh oil between runs.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating to help other readers—your feedback is appreciated!
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
Cast Iron Pan Pizza
Ana Coronado
February 7, 2024
Pin Recipe
Equipment
-
1 cast iron skillet 10 inch
Ingredients
Cast Iron Pan Pizza
- 1 dough ball homemade or store-bought refrigerated dough
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 3-6 ounces pepperoni, sliced
- Olive oil to brush onto dough and pan
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (optional)
Additional toppings (optional)
- Cooked Italian sausage, sautéed peppers and onions, sliced olives, mushrooms, etc.
- Parmesan cheese, grated for serving
- Crushed red pepper flakes for serving
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- Make or purchase dough and bring refrigerated dough to room temperature before stretching.
- Dust your work surface with a little flour. Stretch dough to about an 11-inch circle for a 10-inch skillet so it reaches the pan edges.
- You don’t need cornmeal—this dough is placed directly into a heated, oiled skillet.
- If using the all-purpose dough, use roughly 1/3 of the batch per pan pizza.
Prep the cast iron pan
- Preheat oven or grill to 500°F.
- Place the empty cast iron pan in the oven or on the grill for 10 minutes to heat through.
- Using an oven mitt, remove the hot pan and brush the bottom and sides with olive oil.
Bake the pizza
- Place the stretched dough into the hot, oiled skillet and press to the edges as needed.
- OPTIONAL: Brush dough with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
- Spread sauce to the edges and add cheese and toppings.
- Return to the oven or grill and bake 10–12 minutes until puffy and golden.
- Loosen the pizza with a metal spatula, transfer to a cutting board, and slice into 6–8 pieces.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated online and should be used as a guide.
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
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