Cast Iron Skillet Margherita Pizza (Cook's Country)

By zircon50

Ingredients

• PIZZA DOUGH
• 2 2 2 312 plus 2 Tablespoons (11 ounces, 312 grams) bread flour
• 1-1/8 1-1/8 1-1/8 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 3/4 3/4 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 3/4 177 cup (6 ounces, 177 ml) filtered water
• SIMPLE HOME MADE PIZZA SAUCE
• 1 1 794 (28-ounce, 794 grams) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
• 2 2 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1 1 teaspoon red or white wine vinegar
• 1 1 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• to and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• PIZZA MARGHERITA
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1 1 pound Pizza Dough room temperature
• 2/3 2/3 2/3 cup Simple Home-Made Pizza Sauce
• 1/2 1/2 43 cup (1.5 ounces, 43 grams) Parmesan cheese, grated
• 3 3 340 cups (12 ounces, 340 grams) whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 2 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Step 1

Pizza Dough
Add bread flour, yeast, and salt to bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Pulse 5 times to combine. Add olive oil and water. Process until a rough ball forms, 30 to 40 seconds. Let rest for 2 minutes. Process an additional 30 seconds. Transfer to lightly floured surface; knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. Place in a large, lightly greased bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1-1/2 hours. (Alternatively, the dough can be refrigerated for at least 8 hours or up to 16 hours.) Yield: 1 pound of pizza dough - enough for 2 pizzas.

Simple Home-Made Pizza Sauce
Place drained tomatoes in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Add garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and oregano; process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 1 month.) Yield: 2 cups.

Cast-Iron Skillet Pizza Margherita
Preheat oven to 500° F.
Brush 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in bottom of 12-inch cast-iron skillet; set aside.
Divide pizza dough in half. Press and roll one piece of dough into an 11-inch round. Transfer to prepared cast-iron skillet; gently push it to the corners of the pan. Spread 1/3 cup of simple home-made pizza sauce over surface of dough, leaving 1/2-inch border around the edge. Top with 1/4 cup (half) of the grated Parmesan cheese. Top with 1-1/2 cups (half) of the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Set skillet over medium heat and cook until the outside edge of the dough is set and the pizza is lightly puffed, about 5 minutes. Transfer skillet to preheated oven; bake until the edge of the pizza is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove skillet from oven and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of chopped basil; let cool 5 minutes. Slide pizza onto paper towel lined cooling rack; cool 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.
Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, dough, 1/3 cup of simple home-made pizza sauce, grated Parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, and basil.
Yield: 2 11-inch pizzas.