Hot Honey Pepperoni Cast Iron Pan Pizza
This cast iron hot honey pepperoni pizza uses a no-knead, make-ahead dough for a thick, airy crust with crisp edges. Easy, cozy, and perfect for pizza night.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 cup warm water, between 105-115°F
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2¼ cups plus 2 tbsp, unbleached all-purpose flour
For the Pizza:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more for drizzling
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 8 ounce block of low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1½ ounces pepperoni slices
- 1-2 tablespoons hot honey
Optional Toppings:
- fresh herbs, like basil or oregano
- grated cheese, like pecorino or parmesan
- red pepper flakes, for extra heat
Instructions
- Mix together the water, olive oil, active dry yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the flour and combine with a wooden spoon just until there are no dry pockets; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Stop there; this is a no-knead dough. It will be pretty wet and sticky, and that is normal. (You can also use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for this step, but I find it just as easy to do it by hand.)
- Make-ahead step: If you don't plan to make your pizza in a couple of hours, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to one day.
- Grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, covering the bottom and sides (use a brush, if needed). Transfer the pizza dough to the skillet and turn it once to coat the surface with oil. Using your hands, press the dough into a round disc of even thickness. Cover the skillet with a kitchen towel, or loosely with plastic wrap, and allow it to rest at room temperature for about 2 hours. (If your room is drafty, place it in the oven with the light on.)
- The dough will rise and expand to fill the pan, and there will be pockets of air. Use your fingertips to dock the entire surface of the dough and pop any large air bubbles without deflating it completely; similar to making focaccia.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F with a rack positioned in the center.
- Cover the dough with pizza sauce (to the edge or leave a small border). Sprinkle with cheese, then top with pepperoni.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melty and the edges are golden and crispy.
- If your toppings are nicely browned, but the bottom of the crust isn't done to your liking, place the skillet over medium heat on your cooktop until it reaches your desired level of crispiness.
- Immediately drizzle the top with hot honey. If using any optional toppings, add those now. Transfer to a cutting board (use a spatula to help). Cut into 8 slices and serve!
Nutrition
Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 721mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 305IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 2mg
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