Deep Dish Cast Iron Sicilian Pizza
Deep Dish Sicilian pizza is my all-time favorite food, but I’ve never been able to accomplish making it ideally at home. The dough never came out the way I wanted.
The best deep-dish pizza is soft around the edges but able to hold the layers of sauce, toppings, and cheese, and yes, there will be a lot of cheese. It needs to hold its shape when I pick up a slice.
As I said, I wasn’t able to get the crust right until I decided to try to use a cast-iron skillet.
I grew up where my mother was always cooking with cast-iron skillets, so I’m not sure why it took me so long to figure this out. The insulated heat of the skillet produces the crust I had always looked for in a homemade pizza.
I must warn you; the dough needs 24 hours in the refrigerator, so plan. We like to have this pizza for Sunday night dinner.
The dough is made with two kinds of flour, all-purpose, and semolina. The semolina flour produces a softer cake-like dough, while the all-purpose flour adds more structure. The two flours together make the perfect deep-dish crust.
The sauce is simple and comes along quickly. The spices are understated so they will not overpower the pizza if you like a heavily sauced pie.
Remember to allow the pizza time to rest after removing it from the oven, or the cheese will pour out, and you will be sad.
Try this fantastic pizza! You will be speaking Italian after the first bite.
Deep Dish Cast Iron Sicilian Pizza
An amazing thick crust pizza baked in a cast iron skillet and topped with a rich tomato sauce and a ton of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. This recipe makes two 10" skillet pizzas. The dough and sauce should be divided between the two skillets.
This pizza can be made using a 9×13 baking sheet without dividing.
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups semolina flour
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp instant rapid rise yeast
- 1 2/3 cups ice water
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 1/4 tsp salt
Sauce Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 28 once crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
Topping Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
For the dough
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Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, sugar, and yeast on low speed until combined. With the machine running, slowly add the water and oil until a dough forms and no dry flour remains 1 to 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
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Add the salt to the dough and mix on medium speed until the dough forms a smooth, sticky ball that clears the sides of the bowl, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead briefly on a lightly floured counter until smooth, about 1 minute. Shape the dough into a tight ball and place in a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours.
For the sauce
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Make the Sauce: Heat the oil and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, occasionally stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt and cook, occasionally stirring, until the sauce measures 2 cups, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, allow to cool and refrigerate until needed.
Making the pizza
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Place a baking stone on the upper-middle rack and preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray, then coat the bottom of the pan with the olive oil.
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Remove the dough from the refrigerator and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough and gently press into a 12×9-inch rectangle. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into an 18×13-inch rectangle. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, fitting the dough into the corners. Spray the top of the dough with non-stick cooking spray and lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the dough. Place a second baking sheet on the dough and let it stand for 1 hour.
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Remove the top baking sheet and plastic wrap. Gently stretch and light dough to fill the pan. Spread the sauce in an even layer over the surface of the dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the entire surface of the dough, then repeat with the mozzarella cheese.
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Place the pan on the baking stone, reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and bake until the cheese is bubbly and browned, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the rim of the pan to loosen the pizza. Transfer to a cutting board, cut into squares, and serve.