Cooking Pizza in A Cast Iron Skillet

Mike asks:

Albert -


Thanks for all the help. I am on the quest for the perfect white dough! I am actually trying it out tonight.

If you have time I do have a couple of questions. Have you ever cooked one in a cast iron skillet? How comparable would this be to a pizza stone since you can technically let it heat up with the oven as well? What temperature would you recommend?


Pizza is my life and I just started getting excited about it again after eating at a Mellow Mushroom just down the road from us.

 I used to work in the pizza business for about 7 years, at McSalty's Pizza Cafe  in Springfield MO. A local owned very good pizza. Probably one of the top two or three I have ever had. It is a wheat crust rolled real thin and baked at 550 degrees. It tastes like a pepper cracker.

 If you are ever near that area I would highly suggest you check it out. Dough and Sauce are made from scratch daily, and we chopped our own onions and green peppers as well.

Thanks for your time and thanks for the dough recipe. I am sure that we will enjoy making the pizza tonight.

Thanks again.

My response:


Hi Mike, thanks for writing.


Honestly no, I have never used a cast iron skillet. But I really know it will work great.

Interestingly enough someone gave me a special cast iron skillet made exclusively for cooking pizza, and I have never used it...

I have sampled pizza made in a cast iron skillet and it was great.

I may pull it out the next time I make pizza.

I'm sure it will work great for you as well.

For temp: I always recommend the hottest temperature you can make ie. The hotter the better.

At least 500+. If you can get your oven hotter than that great.


Think of this: the best pizza is made in wood or coal fired ovens that get up to 700-900 degrees F. You want your pizza to cook quickly and completely.

I hope this helps. Please let me know how you make out.

Albert Grande
Pizza Therapy

Here are some great cast iron pizza pans: