Originally published in September 2014
School started this week, and I sent my little ones off on the bus for the first time. Independence is rather bittersweet as a parent; I’m so proud of their growth, but I still want to bottle the summer up and keep them home with me forever.
I had great plans of baking and recipe testing during these school days all alone, but my oven broke, and I was left with just a stovetop and a broiler. Luckily, I have this gem of a recipe tucked away for such occasions. This pizza is cooked in a skillet right on the stovetop, then sent under the broiler for a minute or two, which makes the cheese bubbly and toasty brown. It’s easy, delicious, and one of our favorite meals.
Skillet Pizza
Adapted from Bread in 5
I used Bread in 5’s olive oil dough here. You will have much more dough than you need, but the dough keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge, or can be used for other baked goods (their site has lots of recipes). Your favorite pizza dough should work too.
Other toppings would work well too—pear, sausage, and thyme is a good combination (and is also pictured above). If you use a larger cast-iron skillet, you will need more dough (about 6 ounces for a 10-inch pan, and 8 ounces for a 12-inch pan).
Olive oil pizza dough (see note above)
4-6 slices heirloom tomatoes
6-8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
6-8 basil leaves
Start by heating an 8-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Cut off a quarter-pound piece of dough (4 ounces) and shape it into a ball. Flatten the dough, and then roll it into a 1/8-inch thick round.
Carefully transfer the dough to the preheated pan, and quickly spread the tomatoes over the dough, then evenly scatter the mozzarella cheese. Cover the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes without lifting the lid (unless, of course, you smell scorching).
Using a spatula, gently lift up a corner of the pizza to check on the bottom crust. When your bottom crust is browned to your liking, remove the lid, turn on the broiler, and toast the pizza for 1-2 minutes under the broiler to get a crisp top crust.
Remove the skillet from the oven, then take the pizza out of the pan with a spatula. Allow the pizza to cool slightly on a wire cooling rack. Top with the basil. Cut into wedges and serve.
Sarah Kieffer spends much of her time taking photographs and in the kitchen with her two little ones. She loves to use any available free time re-reading books and sipping cold press. She shares her recipes and musings at The Vanilla Bean Blog, a space dedicated to creating a family food history.
