Cast Iron Pizza

I love cooking with cast iron.  A well-seasoned cast iron skillet is perfect for this recipe.  The dough could easily be made in the morning, allowed to raise all day and stretched into pizzas after work.   

• 14 ozs bread flour
• 1 t yeast
• 1 ½ t salt
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 c plus 2 T water

 Grease a bowl and set aside.

Place flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together.   Add oil and water and stir with wooden spoon. Place the dough in the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft free place for at least eight hours.

Place the dough onto lightly floured surface and divide in half.   Form balls with each half, then place each into separate, lightly oiled bowls, flipping to coat all surfaces of the balls with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature and make the sauce.

• 2 T olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 t oregano
• 3 ozs tomato paste
• 28 ozs crushed tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste

Place the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat with the garlic, and oregano.  Cook for a minute and add tomato paste, stirring constantly for another minute.   Stir in the crushed tomatoes and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for one hour.  Season with salt and pepper.   Remove from heat and set aside.

• 4 T olive oil
• 1 lb. mozzarella, shredded
• 2 ozs parmesan cheese

Coat two ten inch cast iron skillets (or ten inch cake pans) with two tablespoon of oil.   Transfer dough balls, one at a time, to a lightly floured board and stretch out into a ten inch circle. Place in the prepared skillets or cake pans.  Adjust the oven rack to the bottom position and preheat oven to 500°F.

Top each pizza with one cup of sauce, spreading it to within half an inch of the edge. Divide cheese evenly between the two pizzas, spreading it all the way to the edge of each pie.

Bake pizza until top is bubbly and golden brown, about fifteen minutes.   Remove pizzas from oven and with a thin metal spatula, release the edges from the pans.   Carefully lift pizza to check for doneness underneath.   Slide pizza onto cutting board, allow to rest two minutes, slice, and serve.