Hearty Cast Iron Pizza – BBQ Edition!

Aside from actual FOOD (which, you know, we need to survive), a cast iron skillet is THE most practical item to have in your kitchen. Cooking with cast iron is practical. Or as the kids would say, practical “AF” (that must mean “as food,” obviously).

If I can find a reason to cook with my cast iron, you can bet browned butter I will. I’m a huge admirer of cast iron and I prefer it over any other cooking vessel for many good reasons:

1. it maintains even heat distribution (thus even cooking)
2. is durable and seems to last forever is taken care of
3. ridiculously easy to clean
4. isn’t coated in non-stick franken-chemicals 
5. often found in thrift stores
6. it can be used on and IN a variety of cooking platforms, including, stove, oven, BBQ, and even right over an open campfire!
7. so many one-pot dishes due to it’s stove-to-oven capability
8. because of many of the above, it is a rather environmentally sound choice

I’m also a huge fan of cooking on the BBQ! Like cast iron, there are many benefits!

Why use a BBQ vs conventional oven?

• Effortlessly reaches high temps in excess of 600 degrees, for that pizza-oven heat
• Can add smoked wood chips for flavor
• Keeps the house cool on hot days
• An excuse to get outside and enjoy!

I cook (and bake!) with my cast iron year round, but spring through fall, I use it on the BBQ as much as possible. In fall, pizza on the BBQ is a cozy treat. In the summer, it’s a miracle to have hot food without having a house that’s an oven.  If you have air conditioning, you probably can’t relate to this level of peasantry, however, you can still enjoy the many other benefits to cooking outdoors with cast iron.

Jump to recipe

Here‘s the exact Lodge Cast Iron skillet we use below. At 12″diameter, this baby serves up pretty decent personal pie. We picked ours up at Bass Pro, but they are available in many locations as well as online.

It’s always wise to keep an eye out for cast iron at thrift shops too! That’s the amazing thing about cast iron; despite what rusted condition you find it in, unlike other non-stick pans destined for the garbage, cast iron can be rehabilitated with some love and care (scrubbing and seasoning).

This also makes is a much more environmentally friendly option. Buy one when you become an adult and you can keep it your while life, and pass it down. How many non-stick pots have you tossed in your lifetime?

Safety

The cast handle is (obviously) going to get VERY hot! Before you begin, you must have good quality oven mitts that can withstand the extremely hot pan, and a plan to get a 600 degree fiery piece of metal into the house or to the table without dropping it on a cat, kid, or your floor.

Safety is always a priority in the kitchen, but seriously, this skillet is going to be HEAVY and HOT AF (hot “as food”), so actually do take a minute to think this through.

The dough we use is not a fancy Italian recipe. It is not “rustic”, “artisan”, or any other trending buzzword. You know what it is? Heirloom.  It’s my husband’s family recipe, passed down from his dad (they are both excellent bakers, much to my delight!).  But alas, it has been passed on to me as well (also to my delight). The extra glugs of olive oil help to roll it out and it come out crispier.

Start your BBQ about 20 minutes ahead of time to let it get up to heat. You want to roughly get to 400º F.  For us, on our Broil King, that means warming it up on high, and turning it back to medium high.

Go extra heavy on the tomato sauce if you’re feeling wild.