Iron Skillet Pizza

I grew up in the mountains of West Virginia. It was a small town of like….10….no, really, it was tiny. When you hear someone say “I live in the middle of nowhere” that was where I was from.  It had its ups and downs. The land was spectacular. We had what felt like fields of fruit trees to climb, creeks to wade in, and ponds to swim in. Lots of crawdads and snakes to catch, woods to wander in, and bushes to pee behind- hey, I was just a kid….

Fast food was reserved for long shopping weekends, or even summer vacations, and ordering in pizza was only possible if ordered from our very own kitchen… What I’m saying is, I’m not a stranger to- if you want it or crave it, make it…… It wasn’t for health reasons it was our only choice.

Many pizzas have been ordered by the Polis family, we are no stranger to it, they are easy, cheap, and convenient. When my husband suggested we make these Iron Skillet Pizza’s instead of making them on a sheet pan I thought we would give it a try, and they trurned out perfect! Not only do they taste great, but they are healthier- heres a couple reasons why.

Why Iron Skillet Pizza is healthier

1. Way healthier. I know you may not be thinking “healthy” when you think of pizza, but if you are ordering from a franchise you are getting loaded down with GMO’s, MSG, and tons of other chemicals. I checked out some popular pizza places ingredient lists and it reminded me of why we feel so bad in our bodies. Bad food causes inflammation, inflammation is the root of most disease.
2. It tastes way better! Several months ago, my husband suggested making them in the Iron Skillet, because we are convinced that everything tastes better when its made in Iron Skillets, and they did! The crust turns out perfect, and they are absolutely delicious!
3. I can make mine how I want! It may sound a little selfish, but I don’t love a traditional pizza. This way I’m not stuck with eating pepperoni and cheese, and they don’t have to eat gorgonzola, grape, and fresh rosemary…..

Let me leave you with this:

“People are fed by the food industry which pays no attention to health, and we are treated by the health industry, which pays no attention to food.”  Wendell Berry

For other Iron Skillet Recipes check out Skillet Apple Cider Cake with Healthy Caramel!

Print Recipe

Iron Skillet Pizza

Baking a pizza in a skillet gives the crust a wonderful texture. Let everyone pick their own toppings!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Rest1 hr

Total Time1 hr 35 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: cast iron skillet pizza, cast iron skillet pizza recipe

Servings: 4 pizzas

Ingredients

Dough

• 1/4 cup warm water and 1 pack yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups warm water
• 4 1/2 cups unbleached flour and extra for surface

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425
• Place 1/4 warm water, yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl. Let set for 3-5 min until yeast is active (it will look foamy)
• Mix in salt, oil, and 2 cups water.
• Add in flour 1 cup at a time, and stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated.
• Cover (I use press and seaand set in a warm place in your kitchen until dough doubles in size.
• When dough is ready, turn onto a floured surface and knead dough for about 5 min. sprinkling more flour as your kneading (if needeto make dough not sticky.
• Once you knead your dough, separate into for even balls (like pictured above)
• With a pastry brush, brush about 2 tsp olive oil in the skillet
• With a rolling pin, roll out one section of the dough so it will fit in your skillet, press it into your oiled skillet ( you want it to come up on the sides of the skillet a couple inches)
• Add desired toppings and bake for about 25 min or until dough around edges looks slightly brown.

Notes

• This makes 4 pizzas. You could cut the dough recipe in half if needed
• For traditional pizza I use 1/3 cup sauce, 1 cup shredded mozzarella, and nitrate-free pepperoni.

Other pictured pizzas are
Caprese: tbsp olive oil, 1 fresh garlic clove, 1/4 tsp pink salt. Add a few slices fresh tomato (sprinkled with salt and pepper) top with fresh mozzarella (I slice it in half and lightly season with salt)season with Italian seasoning and bake. Add fresh basil leaves when it comes out of the oven.
Gorgonzola and grape: I know it sounds weird but it's delish! 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese. Cut about 6-8 grapes in half place them over cheese. Top with 1 1/2 tsp fresh chopped rosemary. Bake until finished and add fresh arugula!

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