Cast Iron Pizza

[DoubleF]

You guys are preheating the cast iron pan on the stove top before putting the oil and dough in, right?

[KelVarnsen]

I use this recipe for thin crust pizza with my baking steel all the time
https://bakingthegoods.com/72-hour-p...-baking-steel/

[TherapyforGlencross]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

You guys are preheating the cast iron pan on the stove top before putting the oil and dough in, right?

I didn’t and the dough didn’t cook all the way through. So, future making will include preheating the cast iron. I’m also thinking of coating the pan with cornmeal, as this would likely bake the dough rather than frying the bottom when oil is used.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by TherapyforGlencross

I didn’t and the dough didn’t cook all the way through. So, future making will include preheating the cast iron. I’m also thinking of coating the pan with cornmeal, as this would likely bake the dough rather than frying the bottom when oil is used.

Is be interested to hear the results with cornmeal on the bottom. Fingers crossed that it works

[Weitz]

What’s the benefit of using a cast iron for pizza?

We make pizza often and just use a stone.

[Slava]

I followed this recipe almost exactly this weekend. I make pizza regularly, and I have an Ooni, and I make it all different ways. My wife said that this was the best pizza she's ever had in her life!

[fundmark19]

Originally Posted by Weitz

What’s the benefit of using a cast iron for pizza?

We make pizza often and just use a stone.

I am assuming it would make the pizza taste more Pizza Hut like

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Weitz

What’s the benefit of using a cast iron for pizza?

We make pizza often and just use a stone.

If you preheat the cast iron before putting the pizza inside, I think you can basically say it imitates some of the reason why you use a pizza stone. Plus it's a pan and can keep everything from spilling out making things a little bit easier to clean.

But it is also a different type of cooking method that can create scenarios that you wouldn't get with other types of pizza cooking methods as well, so you have to factor that in. The pan can help keep things moist, but moist for some might mean soggy for others.

I think if using a cold pan to put the pizza in, you'd also want to bake vs roast the pizza. But a cold pan for pizza makes no sense to me in the same way using a pizza stone cold makes no sense to me. Heat from top could mean topping are good but underneath is uncooked as the pan/stone is still absorbing energy vs distributing it to the pizza (as intended) from below. I think you can also get a cast iron pan hotter than a pizza stone, but there's pros/cons with that.


I think a lot of these alternative methods all come down to having a non-ideal way to do pizza. There's no true best/worth method overall, just best/better methods for your situation overall. Cast iron, pizza oven, BBQ, pizza stone, straight on baking racks, air fryer etc.

[Fuzz]

I actually switched to using a cold pizza stone for my GF pizzas, because the bottom tended to burn before the toppings were done. So now I do 500 on the top rack on a cold stone for about 15-20 minutes, and it's perfect. Same if I am using the BBQ in the summer. But these are GF pizza people problems.

[TorqueDog]

I want one of these but unfortunately because it's an orange flame (what you want for a pizza oven), they cannot be used safely indoors.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

I want one of these but unfortunately because it's an orange flame (what you want for a pizza oven), they cannot be used safely indoors.

It's the exact same as the Ooni (which is outdoor only also).

[KelVarnsen]

Ooni has electric version that can be used indoors
https://ca.ooni.com/products/ooni-volt

[blender]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Is be interested to hear the results with cornmeal on the bottom. Fingers crossed that it works

It works well

[Torture]

Originally Posted by blender

It works well

Agreed.

You guys are preheating the cast iron pan on the stove top before putting the oil and dough in, right?

Yeah - but usually just in the oven while it preheats rather than stove top.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I actually switched to using a cold pizza stone for my GF pizzas, because the bottom tended to burn before the toppings were done. So now I do 500 on the top rack on a cold stone for about 15-20 minutes, and it's perfect. Same if I am using the BBQ in the summer. But these are GF pizza people problems.

I could see that, so oof, I feel for you.

I used to make roll kuchen with someone who was celiac. Ours was soft and fluffy and her GF stuff came out fresh looking like a hard survival biscuit with a shelf life of 3 years. Our was a soft bread, hers cracked and crumbled when she ate it.

On a side note, have you ever tried adding riced cauliflower to GF dough? What happens? I'm not a huge fan of the cauliflower dough pizza, but I like riced cauliflower. So I wonder if riced cauliflower would actually improve the GF dough experience or if it's the same for adding cauliflower to dough in a GF and non GF experience.

[Fuzz]

I haven't made my own dough in years, it's just too much of a PITA with GF. Sticky, doesn't rise, generally a disappointment and waste of effort, so I use pre-made crusts. I do have a pour-able recipe I use for GF deep dish though, which works well enough.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I haven't made my own dough in years, it's just too much of a PITA with GF. Sticky, doesn't rise, generally a disappointment and waste of effort, so I use pre-made crusts. I do have a pour-able recipe I use for GF deep dish though, which works well enough.

I have an Ooni and the dough is such a pain in the ass including clean-up I just don't use it much. Then not using it much, I forget the times and techniques to optimally bake the things so its either burnt or underdone.

Easier to just go and grab some Savino Pizza from his backyard truck.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by fotze2

I have an Ooni and the dough is such a pain in the ass including clean-up I just don't use it much. Then not using it much, I forget the times and techniques to optimally bake the things so its either burnt or underdone.

Easier to just go and grab some Savino Pizza from his backyard truck.

Haha, you never perfected it? I’ve got it down to a science now. I prefer making my own dough though. I’ve bought the stuff from the Italian Centre and Coop and such, but it’s too bland and boring. Plus, I like to use some whole wheat or other flours sometimes.

I did think it was a steeper learning curve than I expected. I tried a lot of things and finally got it figured out. But I had some mangled pizzas and some complete messes on the way there.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Slava

Haha, you never perfected it? I’ve got it down to a science now. I prefer making my own dough though. I’ve bought the stuff from the Italian Centre and Coop and such, but it’s too bland and boring. Plus, I like to use some whole wheat or other flours sometimes.

I did think it was a steeper learning curve than I expected. I tried a lot of things and finally got it figured out. But I had some mangled pizzas and some complete messes on the way there.

I got a bread maker and use the dough function. Easy to make great dough, confusing to me how to manipulate the dough without getting the dough to stick to stuff I try flattening it with. I've tried combos of flour and oil and I just can't get the mess free part right. Taste and texture seem right, but I can't roll or flatten it like they do in cooking shows.

Unless beer doughs are naturally super sticky?

[Slava]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

I got a bread maker and use the dough function. Easy to make great dough, confusing to me how to manipulate the dough without getting the dough to stick to stuff I try flattening it with. I've tried combos of flour and oil and I just can't get the mess free part right. Taste and texture seem right, but I can't roll or flatten it like they do in cooking shows.

Unless beer doughs are naturally super sticky?

I only use my hands to flatten (not sure if you’re using a rolling pin?). But basically, I get a disc and then on the floured countertop, I press with my fingertips and stretch it out away from me. Then I pick it up and turn it, and repeat until the crust is all stretched out properly. And it can’t be too sticky because you won’t be able to get it on the peel, or of course off the peel to slid it into the oven (if you’re doing the Ooni or a stone).