Cast Iron Pizza

[AwesomeOpossum74]

Thinking about trying this tonight. I have a 10.5" flat CI skillet, my wife's 12" CI fish fryer (deep skillet), and a 10.5" CS pan.

For general use, I was told to treat the CS pan the same as my CI stuff. But does that rule stand for pizza? It's thinner, so I'm guessing it will not hold/transfer heat as effectively?

Any other words of wisdom between these tools, for pizza?

 

[Andy M.]

For some foods, there is no real difference. You can cook them equally well in either CI or CS. I not sure pizza is one of those. I think the dough would cook better with the heat retention characteristics of CI. Also, less chance of burning.

 

[WhateverYouWant]

My experience with CI pizza is to do the final proof of the dough in the skillet with a small puddle of olive oil. Then put it on the stovetop over medium-high heat and add the toppings and wait for some light browning on the bottom before transferring to the broiler to finish.

My reservation with CS is that it would not retain enough heat to finish the crust while under the broiler.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

If I was going to use a cast iron skillet for a pizza it would have to be Chicago style deep dish. I prefer to cook a regulation pizza on a pizza pan and Sicilian pizza on a pizza stone. Believe me, I am Sicilian. I know these things.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I am not Sicilian. I have made thick crust, fried pizza by liberally coating the CI pan with butter, and WEVOO, thin crust with just a coating of oil in a 500' oven, dep dish , and stuff crust pizzas. I have also made all of these over screaming hot lump charcoal on the Webber Kettle, with the lid on. All of them came out great. Everyone has their preferences. ability to create great pizza is a function of knowledge, not ethnic background. /You don't have to be a cowboy to make great chili. You don't have to be from Naples to make great Neapolitan pizza. You don't have to be from main to cook great lobster. You do need to do the research, understand the properties of your heat source, and cooking tools, understand flavor components such as herbs, spices, smoke, slight charring, and textures, and how to obtain them. You need to understand how to balance flavors, and in the case of pizza, understand the difference between well topped, and to much on top (keeps the crust from cooking all the wat through).

I tend to take exception when anyone says - I'm such and such ethnicity, so I know. I can pretty much make any kind of food, from anywhere in the world, that I desire to make. If I'm unfamiliar with a recipe, then I can ask those who are familiar with it, or do the required research. Please don't throw ethnic background at me, as I'm sure there are French who can't make a good cassoulet, and Italians who can't make a proper Bolognaise, etc.

Sir-Loin-of-Beef, I know you to be a very good cook. I'm not trying to insult you, or chastise you. Your knowledge, and perhaps the things learned from family, are what sets your cooking apart. That's all I'm saying. We are all born equal, knowing nothing. We all learn everything, except for the auto functions of our bodies. Jut because I have a lot of Native American in me doesn't mean I know how to harvest, and cook cattails.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[AwesomeOpossum74]

Attempts and improvements made. Question about hard dough.

Been a couple months, and we've done a few pizzas since!

First attempt, wife made the dough while I heated the chicken frier and flat skillet in the oven. I received 2 wrist burns trying to flatten the dough in the chicken frier. She made too much dough, so the pizzas were very thick and crunchy. But everything was good.

We ended up buying a large reversible Lodge flat skillet, and replaced the chicken frier with it on the second attempt. Also used less dough. Came out a bit less crunchy and thick; better than before. And I didn't receive any wrist burns!

We continue to home in on proper amount of dough each subsequent attempt now, and everyone is really enjoying the pizzas.

The dough continues to be harder on the bottom than we'd like, and I'm not quite sure how to rectify it. We are cooking at 425 for about 15 minutes in the oven. Reduce temp to 400 for same amount of time? Other ideas?

 

[dcSaute]

I do pizza on parchment paper (a cheat for poor peel skills...) on a round stone.


if you want the crust a bit softer, when done, take it out of the pan and let is sit ~5 minutes on a solid surface. the dough continues to cook and the steam gets trapped between the surface and the bottom, softening the crust.


otoh, I slid mine off the parchment onto a cooling rack so that the bottom stays crisp....

 

[AwesomeOpossum74]

if you want the crust a bit softer, when done, take it out of the pan and let is sit ~5 minutes on a solid surface. the dough continues to cook and the steam gets trapped between the surface and the bottom, softening the crust.

I'll give this a shot!