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Baked Pizza Amatriciana in white Staub cast iron skillet. The skillet sits on a white surface, surrounded by a striped linen napkin.

Cast Iron Skillet Pizza all’Amatriciana

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  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 2
  • Category: Pizza Recipes
  • Method: Baked, Skillet Recipes
  • Cuisine: Italian

Description

Everything you need to know about how to make pizza in a cast iron skillet! Cast iron pizza is the simplest, quickest, & easiest way to make the perfect homemade pizzas without any special equipment or gadgets: you need a cast iron skillet, pizza dough, & your favorite pizza night toppings! 

This particular skillet pizza recipe is all’Amatriciana-inspired, with spicy, pancetta-infused tomato sauce with plenty of cheese & pepperoni. See the blog post, above, for more pizza toppings ideas!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 17.6-ounce DeLallo Pizza Dough Kit
  • 1 1/4 cups warm water
  • kosher salt
  • 6 ounces pancetta, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • 1/21 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup DeLallo Pizzeria-Style Pizza Sauce
  • 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella or shredded pizza cheese blend of choice
  • 2 heaping tablespoons grated parmesan
  • optional: 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni
  • optional: 1/2 cup sliced calamata olives
  • for serving, as desired: grated parmesan, crushed red pepper flakes, etc.

Instructions

PREP:

  • Prepare the pizza dough kit: At least 1 hour before you’d like to start prepping your pizza, prepare the DeLallo Pizza Dough Kit according to package directions: combine the kit contents in a large bowl, seasoning with a pinch of salt. Add in the warm water, stirring until the dough begins to come together. The mixture will be very shaggy & wet. Turn it out on to a lightly floured surface. Knead until the dough comes together in a soft & smooth ball, 2-3 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel & set it in a warm place in your kitchen to rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour. 

CAST IRON SKILLET PIZZA:

  1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Once the dough has risen & you’re ready to start prepping your cast iron skillet pizza, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F, with a rack positioned in the center of the oven.
  2. Prepare the crust. Using a knife or a bench scraper, divide the dough into 2-3 equal pieces. Form each piece of dough into a ball, tucking the edges back into the center of itself until a smooth ball forms. Set aside to proof for 5-10 minutes. Roll 1 of the dough balls into a 12-inch round. Set the remaining 1-2 dough balls aside for later use. See Recipe Notes, below, for tips for rolling out pizza dough & pizza dough storage. See blog post, above, for step-by-step photos.
  3. Cook the pancetta. Add the pancetta to a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pancetta is rendered & crisp. When the pancetta is about 1 minute away from being ready, add the garlic & crushed red pepper to the skillet, stirring constantly until fragrant & sizzling. Transfer the pancetta mixture to a plate, leaving a little of the pancetta renderings in the skillet, & set aside. 
  4. Assemble the pizza. Carefully transfer the prepared crust into the skillet used to cook the pancetta. The edges of the crust will come partially up the side of the skillet – this is totally fine. Working quickly, spread the DeLallo Pizza Sauce over the crust. Top with half of the pancetta mixture from Step 4. Sprinkle the cheeses over top. Finish with the remaining pancetta & any additional toppings you’d like. 
  5. Bake the cast iron skillet pizza. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven & bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted & the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven & set aside to cool slightly, 1-2 minutes, before slicing.
  6. Slice & serve: Carefully slice the pizza on a cutting board. Slice into 6-8 pieces. Top with additional grated parmesan or crushed red pepper flake, as desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Pizza dough tips & tricks for success:

  • Rolling out pizza dough: Lightly dusting your work surface with flour to help prevent any sticking. Use your palm to press down the center of your dough ball, creating a disc. Using your fingers, work the dough at the center of the disc out towards the edge, making the disc larger & larger. Once your dough is about halfway there, pick it up. Holding the dough by its edge, rotate the dough as though you’re turning a steering wheel. Gravity will help stretch the dough into a larger round. 
    • Stubborn dough: If at any point your dough isn’t really working with you & it’s snapping back into the same shape/size despite working at it, the best thing you can do is give it a minute or two to breathe. The stubborn proteins holding the dough together just need a minute to relax – how high-maintenance of them, ha! Let the dough rest (ahem, pour yourself a glass of wine while you’re at it!) & try again in a couple of minutes – should be much easier!
    • Holes in the crust: If a hole or two shows up when you’re rolling out your dough, that’s totally fine. Use your fingers to pinch it closed. Problem solved!
  • Make-ahead pizza dough: You can prep fresh pizza dough up to 3 days in advance. Divide the dough into individual dough balls according to Step 2 of Recipe Directions, above. Rather than proofing & rolling out the dough, transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To use, let the dough balls come up to room temperature & proof for about 30 minutes before rolling out the dough.
  • Freezing pizza dough for later: This cast iron skillet pizza recipe only uses 1/3-1/2 of the pizza dough you’ll prepare from the DeLallo Pizza Dough Kit. I suggest freezing extra pizza dough for the easiest pizza night ever down the road. To freeze DeLallo’s Pizza Dough Kit pizza dough, place your extra pizza dough balls in a freezer bag (Step 2 of Recipe Directions, above). Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight OR thaw quickly by placing the dough balls (still in the freezer bag!) in a bowl of warm water. Once the dough balls are thawed all the way through, set them on the counter for about 30 minutes to come up to room temperature before rolling out the dough into rounds & assembling your pizzas.