Cast Iron Margherita Pizza

Cast Iron Margherita Skillet Pizza is easy to make at home.  Made with ripe tomatoes, Mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and pizza sauce.  The homemade pizza crust bakes up crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  This skillet pizza is a winner!

So if you're a fan of easy Italian recipes, be sure to check out my Easy Meat Lasagna recipe.  It's make-ahead and freezer-friendly, too!

Welcome to My Kitchen Serenity!  I'm excited to share with you this recipe for margherita pizza baked in a cast iron skillet.  If you're new to cast iron pizza, you're in for a huge surprise!

 I love the simple ingredients for this pizza!  The fresh tomatoes, cheese, and basil are so "unprocessed."  Adding them on top of your homemade pizza crust seals the deal.  Look for pizza sauce that has simple ingredients and no preservatives.  Rao's Homemade Pizza Sauce is our favorite.  Available in most grocery stores as well as Amazon.

Best Pizza Dough

The pizza crust is the foundation for every great pizza, right!  If the crust isn't good, the whole pizza is just not up to par.  This homemade yeast pizza crust is my go-to when I want the best.  It's way better than pizza delivery - once you try it, you'll agree!

What is Pizza Margherita?

The ingredients of a classic Pizza Margherita represent the colors of Italy with its ripe red tomatoes, white Mozzarella cheese, and fresh green basil. Not only is this pizza beautiful, it's downright delicious and very popular with all pizza connoisseurs.  There's no meat on this pizza but I will say you won't miss it!

This version combines all of the above with a well-seasoned cast iron cooking surface and a super-hot 500°F oven to deliver a delightfully crispy crust with a soft, but not overly chewy, interior.

Why Use a Cast Iron Skillet for Pizza?

It’s no secret that large cast iron skillets are great for making deep dish pizzas at home, but it can be tricky getting the pizza out of the skillet without damaging the crust.  To make it easier, the flat surface of a 10½-inch square cast iron combo grill/griddle is used here instead. Because it doesn’t have high sides, it's super easy to slide the finished pizza onto a more suitable surface for slicing.  The Lodge LSRG3 Cast Iron Single-Burner Reversible Grill/Griddle, 10.5-inch is available now on Amazon.

Ingredient Notes

Homemade Pizza Dough:  The chewy crispy crust can stand up to the sauce and juicy tomatoes.

Pizza Sauce:  Use your favorite jarred pizza sauce.

Campari Tomatoes:  Usually sold on the vine at your grocery store, these tomatoes are very flavorful and meaty.

Mozzarella Cheese:  We'll use fresh mozzarella cheese as well as shredded.

Fresh Basil:  Fresh tastes best!  Basil is easy to grow in a flower pot outside.  You'll always have fresh basil on hand!

Seasonings:  Dried Italian seasoning and garlic powder.  Crust red pepper flakes are optional.

TIP:  This recipe yields enough dough to make two medium-crust pizzas on the cast iron griddle shown. If preferred, the dough can be divided to create three thin-crust pizzas of this size. Unused dough can be wrapped tightly and refrigerated or frozen for later use.

What are Campari Tomatoes

Campari tomatoes are usually sold "on the vine" at the grocery store.  They're larger than a cherry tomato but smaller than a regular tomato.  San Marzano tomatoes are often used for Pizza Margherita, partly because they are less watery than other varieties. If they are not available locally, you can substitute other varieties, as well. Campari tomatoes were used for this recipe. 

Roma tomatoes can be used but pat them with a paper towel after slicing to remove the juice.  If you are worried about a soggy crust, chop the tomatoes instead of slicing them and strain for excess liquid before placing on top.  Pat with a paper towel to absorb extra liquid.

How to Make It

please scroll down to the recipe card for the printable version.

Prepare the Pizza Dough

• Add warm water to a large bowl, then add the yeast and sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes.

• Add salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil to the same bowl and stir to combine. Gradually add 2-½ cups flour, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until the flour is thoroughly incorporated into the dough.

• Lightly sprinkle some flour onto a clean work surface and your clean hands. Place the dough onto the prepared work surface and knead in remaining flour just until dough is no longer sticky. Shape the dough into a ball.  Spray a clean bowl with non-stick spray and add the dough. Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until the dough had doubled in size.

• When the dough is almost ready, place the top oven rack in the center position and pre-heat oven to 500°F.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down with your lightly floured fist. After a few minutes, divide the dough in half and roll out one half on a clean, well-floured surface until it is a little bit larger than the surface of your cast iron skillet or griddle, as shown.

• Place the dough onto the cast iron griddle and stretch it with your fingers until it completely fills the space. The outside crust of the pizza should be a little thicker than the rest of the crust. Brush the remaining olive oil around the perimeter of the outer crust, as shown. 

Add the pizza toppings

• Spread the pizza sauce into a thin, even layer up to the edge of the oil-brushed crust. Sprinkle Italian seasoning and garlic powder on top of sauce.
• Arrange the sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese on top. Sprinkle with the low-moisture shredded Mozzarella and carefully place the pizza in the pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is brown and bubbly.

• Carefully remove from oven and cool for several minutes before topping with fresh basil and crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Tip: The pan will be very, very hot at this point, so use extreme caution while working around it.

• To serve, carefully slide the baked pizza to a clean cutting surface and slice into individual pieces.

 

 

Does a Margherita Pizza Have Meat

The traditional Margherita Pizza does not have any meat on it.  I'm sure there are those who are quick to point this out if you dare put meat on it.  Here's my answer:  Your house - your pizza!  You can certainly make a meaty Margherita pizza if you want to!  A chicken Margherita pizza is fantastic.  Salami and pepperoni are also great meats to add to this pizza.

If you enjoy making homemade pizza dough, you may want to try my Homemade Oatmeal Bread!  Well worth the time and wait!

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