Deep Dish Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

Close up side shot of a cast iron skillet pizza on a wooden board

5 from 2 votes

Deep Dish Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

This deep dish Cast Iron Skillet Pizza has a thick, crisp, and chewy crust that's piled high with Italian sausage, pepperoni, marinara sauce and cheese!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword cast iron skillet deep dish pizza, cast iron skillet pizza, deep dish pizza

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Resting Time 10

Total Time 55

Servings slices

Calories 501kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

Pizza dough for 1 (14-inch) crust, store-bought or homemade (about 16 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 lb. Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
½ cup pepperoni slices
1 ½ cups marinara sauce
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh oregano, basil or parsley, to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Instructions

If the pizza dough was refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes - 1 hour before shaping.
Preheat oven to 450° F. Coat a 12-inch cast iron skillet with oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal.
Roll pizza dough into a 14-inch circle. Place the dough in the prepared skillet, pressing the dough about 2 inches up the sides of the pan.
Sprinkle with 1 ½ cups of the mozzarella. Add sausage and pepperoni. Spread marinara sauce over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan, remaining ½ cup mozzarella.
Bake until the crust and cheese are golden brown, about 23-25 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with oregano, basil and red pepper flakes, if desired.

Notes

Store-bought pizza dough: for a shortcut, you can purchase a 16-ounce ball of fresh pizza dough at the grocery store. That will be the perfect amount of dough for this recipe.
Homemade dough: if you prefer to make the dough at home, this is my favorite easy recipe. You will not need all of that dough for this recipe, so you can weigh out 16 ounces and freeze the extra for another day.
Add veggies: feel free to make it a "supreme pizza" with thinly-sliced bell pepper, mushrooms and onions.
Different meats: use any combination of meats that you prefer. Good options include diced ham, cooked bacon, or the Italian sausage and pepperoni shown here.
The Sauce: Use a high-quality store-bought marinara or make your own at home. The sauce is a significant component of the pizza, so you want it to be rich, flavorful and delicious!
The Best Cheese: I use shredded mozzarella and freshly-grated Parmesan for this pizza, but other good options include sliced fresh mozzarella or a shredded Italian cheese blend.
Cook the Italian sausage without casings, breaking it up in the pan. This makes it easy to crumble over the pizza in an even layer. You can prepare the sausage in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day or two before assembling the pizza.
Room Temperature Dough: If your dough is in the refrigerator, let it sit on the counter and come to room temperature for 60 minutes before trying to roll or shape it. The warmer dough is much easier to work with.
Garnish with fresh herbs like basil, parsley and oregano for a bright touch of flavor at the end, and add crushed red pepper flakes for a little bit of heat.

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