Cast Iron Pizza
As I mentioned before, I have finally conquered my dough demons while here in Nacogdoches. Not sure what it is about the Piney Woods that made it seem so possible, but it did and it was.
Pizza dough, especially with the aid of a stand mixer, is quite easy. From what I understand it’s very do-able in a food processor, too. But if you’ve got a stand mixer with a dough hook then your ticket to good pizza dough has already been bought and paid for.
Brian, who I often do the taste offs with, makes his with a food processor. From the pictures I’ve seen and the raves I’ve gotten he’s quite successful with it. He is the one that got me to finally put the fears aside and go after it with gusto. The gusto of a Wolfgang Puck pizza dough recipe no less.
The recipe and directions at About.com is so great, I’m not even going to try to retell here. Just go and make it. If you are visual like me, then this video, filmed by the same guy who wrote the About.com article, will help a ton.
The great thing is that after you make it a couple of times you can start playing around with it. I’ve figured out that I like to cook it at 450F for about 13-15 minutes instead of 500F for 10-12. It’s a little less crispy that way. I like my crust sweet, so sometimes I’ll double the honey. Once I added oregano to the dough. It was okay, not great. But you could try using an infused olive oil–maybe garlic. You could try adding an egg if you want a softer dough. There is no end to the possibilities…just know all of them might not have the best results. Best. It’s pizza. It’ll still be good!
The other thing I do a bit differently is use a cast iron skillet to cook them in. The idea came to me the night I had the pizza ready to go into the oven when I discovered my pizza stone had cracked in half. The cast iron was about the right size and much closer by than the cookie sheet. I grabbed it, put the pizza in and hoped for the best. I got the best. I actually like it better than the pizza stone. For whatever food science Alton Brown could come up with, the crust is just a bit puffier. I dig it.
I think it would be important to be sure you have a very well seasoned skillet. I am at least the third, but probably fourth, generation owner of this skillet. She’s non-stick all the way. If you have any doubts, I’d just put some corn meal in the skillet before the pizza…just a dusting.
As for toppings, I kinda believe that is a matter too intimate to discuss here. What you want to put on your pizza is your own business. People shouldn’t judge you for trying an egg every now and again.
Or loving an old standard like Canadian bacon and pineapple. You wanna make your own sauce? Let me know and I’ll tell you how to make a delicious one in 45 minutes or so. Wanna use a jar of Prego? A can of tomato paste? Pesto? Bechamel? Go naked? It’s your own damned business, not mine. You know, unless you do something that’s really, really good. Then you can tell me. Really. Please.
Oh! Another thing about the dough. You can freeze it. The recipe makes enough for four small pizzas. I usually make one right away or the next day, keep one in the fridge, and freeze two. The one I made tonight, the pics of the pepperoni, was frozen. I made it on February 21. Still delicious. I let it thaw in the fridge all day and then take it out to let it come to room temperature for about two hours.
