Deep Dish Skillet Pizza
Thick slices of homemade pizza filled with melted mozzarella, slices of pepperoni and lots of marinara sauce, all baked in a cast iron skillet.
I have a slight obsession with pizza. Though really, who doesn’t? I could probably eat it every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And I’m only slightly exaggerating.
But as much of a pizza lover as I am, and even though pizza night is a weekly thing at our house, I hadn’t ever before made a deep dish pizza. This was my very first. And whoa! I’ve been missing out, because this pizza was ahhh-mazing.
It wasn’t any harder to make than traditional homemade pizza— it’s just homemade crust and toppings— but there is a completely different experience because of how it’s all put together.
It starts with my basic pizza crust recipe which I pressed inside a large cast iron skillet (you could also use any oven-proof skillet or even a cake pan). And inside the crust you layer all of the toppings in reverse of the pizza norm— first the cheese, then the “toppings” (use whatever you like!), and finally the marinara or pizza sauce.
The final pizza is thick, gooey, messy, and best enjoyed with a fork. And I promise you will enjoy it!
Deep Dish Skillet Pizza
Ingredients
For the pizza dough:
- 3 ½-4 cups all-purpose flour (420-480 grams)
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active-dry yeast (1 envelope)
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon dried herbs , optional
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder , optional
- 1 cup water (250 ml)
- ⅓ cup olive oil (80 ml)
To assemble the pizza:
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (227 grams)
- ½ cup sliced pepperoni , or other toppings (35 grams)
- 2 cups marinara sauce (490 grams)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (50 grams)
- Olive oil , for brushing
- Fresh basil , optional
- Red pepper flakes , optional
Instructions
To make the pizza dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or in a large bowl if mixing and kneading by hand), combine 2 cups of the flour, yeast, salt, herbs, and garlic.
- Heat the water and olive oil in a small saucepan until steaming. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes, or until temperature is between 120-130°F.
- Slowly add the water and oil to the dry ingredients, while mixing on low speed. Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on medium low, add the remaining flour a ¼ cup at a time, mixing until incorporated between each addition. Continue adding flour until the dough clears the bowl and is sticky to the touch without coming off in your hands.
- Knead with a dough hook or by hand until smooth and elastic, 5-8 minutes.
- Shape dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put in a warm place and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
To assemble the pizza:
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Gently push down on the center of the dough to release the gases and knead by hand on a clean surface a few times. Let dough sit for a few minutes, then roll out into a large circle and transfer to a large 11-inch cast iron skillet.
- Cover the bottom of the crust with the mozzarella cheese and top with sliced pepperoni or other desired toppings. Spread marinara on top and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
- Brush exposed crust with olive oil and bake until crust is golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Let stand about 15 minutes, then slice and serve.
Notes
NOTES
- Feel free to use whatever toppings you prefer, like sausage, pepperoni, peppers, olives and mushrooms.
Well this looks amazing. Think I’d be able to swing it in a 10-inch cast iron skillet? 🙂
Absolutely! You’ll have some dough left over for another little pizza, or you could divide the dough in half and roll it really thin to fit the 10-inch pan, freezing the other half for later.
Oh. My. Word. This looks incredible and is now on my “to make” list!
Should I grease the inside of the pan before putting dough in?
Never got a response regarding greasing the inside of the pan before putting the dough in is that a need to do or is it a dry crust
Easy recipe and such a good recipe to impress friends and family. My sister thought I’d gotten it from a restaurant!
Delicious pie turned out great
Used white whole wheat flour. My layers were mozzarella pearls, toppings, 8 oz crushed tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Very filling and very good.