Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Base
- 225 g store-bought pizza dough, room temperature
- 15 ml olive oil
Toppings
- 80 ml pizza sauce, room temperature
- 100 g low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 10 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 30 g pepperoni slices
- 5 g fresh basil leaves, torn
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 601 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbohydrates
- 57 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 1281 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 50 mg
- Potassium
- 279 mg
- Calcium
- 450 mg
- Iron
- 2.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 24 mg
- Phosphorus
- 343 mg
- Zinc
- 2.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 147 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 6 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 20 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.24 mg
- Niacin
- 1.1 mg
- Folate
- 22 mcg
- Water
- 69 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Position an oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the broiler to high. Ensure your skillet is oven-safe.
On a lightly oiled surface, stretch the room-temperature dough into a circle roughly the same size as your skillet base (approx. 25cm/10in).
Heat olive oil in the cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking.
Carefully place the dough into the hot skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and large bubbles form on the top surface.
Flip the dough using a spatula. Immediately turn the heat down to low. Quickly spread pizza sauce, sprinkle cheeses, and add pepperoni.
Transfer the skillet to the oven under the broiler. Cook for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and spotty brown. Watch closely to prevent burning.
Remove carefully from the oven (handle will be extremely hot). Transfer pizza to a cutting board, garnish with fresh basil if using, slice, and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Room temperature dough is non-negotiable; cold dough will snap back and refuse to fill the pan.
- Use a block of low-moisture mozzarella and grate it yourself for the best melt; pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that inhibit melting.
- If you lack an oven-safe skillet or broiler, you can cover the pan with a lid after flipping to melt the cheese, though the top will lack browning.
- BEWARE: The skillet handle will remain scorching hot for a long time after coming out of the broiler. Wrap a dry towel around it immediately as a visual reminder.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap tightly in foil and plastic wrap.
Reheating: Reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat to recrisp the bottom.
Troubleshooting
Bottom crust burned before cheese melted
Cause: Skillet heat was too high after flipping
Fix: Remove from stove immediately and finish strictly under the broiler
Prevention: Turn stove heat to low or completely off immediately after flipping the dough
Cultural Context
While pizza has Italian roots, the skillet method is a distinctly American home-cook adaptation, born from the necessity of quick weeknight meals and the ubiquity of the cast-iron skillet in American kitchens.
