Cast iron pan pizza makes the best crunchy pizza crust ever! With a delicious spinach and feta topping, this pizza with mediterranean flavors makes a satisfying dish.
Add a fresh tomato cucumber salad and watermelon juice to complete your summer meal.
Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
With this recipe you can make pizza that tastes and looks professional in your good old cast iron skillet. The crust is AMAZING and tastes like it came out of a wood fired oven.
I top that with an equally amazing spinach and feta filling made in a Mediterranean style. The end result is that it tastes like a spinach pie. Except that it is a lot easier and lighter.
A crunchy crust with a thick cheesy spinach topping.
Chicago style pizzas are a nice change to the routine, but this recipe is real easy and you only need one pan to make it. Call it deep dish pizza or pizza pie, this one will become your go-to recipe for a quick fix.
I love cast iron skillet and use it almost everyday to turn out our family favorites such as seared cod fish and zucchini frittata. It is one piece of equipment that is so versatile and a must-have around the kitchen.
Ingredients
Bread flour, Dry yeast, Spinach, Green Onions, Garlic, Dried herbs, Feta Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Red Pepper Flakes, Salt, Olive oil
- Flour: I mix whole wheat flour with bread flour to make it more hearty and increase the fiber in the dough. You could try readymade pizza dough too.
- Spinach: I prefer to use fresh greens. But you can also use about 5 ounces frozen spinach. Just squeeze the water out and evaporate the juices a bit.
- Cheese: Because this recipe uses a variety of cheese, you will not need to add salt. Adjust it per your preference.
Step By Step Overview
- Combine warm water, yeast, sugar, flour, salt and olive oil and knead it into a smooth dough. Let it rise until double in bulk.
- Sauté garlic, spinach and green onions. Stir in dried herbs, crumbled feta and some cheddar cheese.
- Roll the dough and transfer to skillet and coax it to the edges. Spread the spinach filling and top with remaining cheese.
- Cook few minutes on stove top and then transfer to oven and bake until golden brown on edges.
How to Serve
This is a one pan dish from cooking to serving. You can use a cast iron skillet to make the spinach feta filling, to cook the pizza and also to serve it.
Cut it into wedges and the pizza will remain warm for a long time in the skillet. Be careful handling the hot skillet.
The pizza also slides off easily from the pan. So you could serve it on a different serving platter too.
Store and Freeze
The leftovers can be stored in containers for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in cast iron skillet either on stove with a lid or in oven. And it will magically revive the crunchy crust.
Leftovers can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat as above.
Make Ahead
The spinach filling and pizza dough can be made ahead. The recipe makes dough for two crusts. The remaining dough can be refrigerated for couple days or freeze for later.
Variations
This is a vegetarian, egg free and soy free recipe.
- Dairy Free and Vegan: Skip the cheese and replace with crumbled and seasoned tofu. Add nutritional yeast for flavor.
- Gluten Free: Use a gluten free pizza dough.
- Low Carb Pizza: Try this low carb pizza crust. But make sure the spinach filling is not wet.
- Nut free: The pine nuts are optional.
Nutrition Facts
Spinach is a great source of vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, potassium and folic acid. These greens, if included in your diet regularly, can support health benefits such as better diabetes management, bone health, intestinal health, cancer prevention, lower blood pressure, good hair and skin.
The cheese used in this recipe are some of the healthiest, giving you more flavor for the amount of calories and fat.
More Pizza Recipes
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Spinach Feta Pan Pizza
Ingredients
Pizza Dough (makes two 10 inch crusts)
- 1⅓ cups warm water 120 to 130 degrees F
- 2 teaspoons yeast dry, fast acting
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3½ cups bread flour plus more, may use half whole wheat flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more (rolling and shaping)
Spinach and Feta Topping
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped shallots or onions, optional
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 8 oz spinach fresh
- 1 cup chopped green onions
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme oregano or basil
- 4 oz feta cheese
- 2 oz cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts optional
Garnish
- coarse salt fresh ground pepper, extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Dough
- In a stand mixer bowl, fitted with a dough hook, pour warm water. Then scatter yeast and sugar. Wait couple minutes until foamy. Stir in 3 cups bread flour. Cover with a lid and let it rest for 20 minutes.Tip: Try using all or part whole wheat flour for more fiber. In which case, you will need slightly less flour for the dough.
- With the mixer running at low speed, add salt and olive oil. Gradually add remaining flour, little at a time, until the dough is soft and slightly sticky.
- Knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes at medium-high setting. The dough should pull away from the sides and should be soft and elastic. It should stretch without tearing. Check the window pane test.
- Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a lid and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until double in bulk (inside an oven that is not preheated works well).
Spinach and Feta Topping
- While the dough rises, make the spinach and feta topping. In a cast iron skillet (or sauté pan) heat olive oil and sauté shallots and garlic. Then add spinach and let it wilt.
- Push the spinach to the edges and make a well in the center to let the juices collect. Increase the heat and let the juices evaporate. Dont overcook the spinach, just get rid of the excess juices.
- Then stir in chopped green onions, dried herbs, crumbled feta cheese and ⅓ of grated cheddar cheese. Transfer the filling to another bowl.
- Wipe off the cast iron skillet with a paper towel and lightly coat with olive oil.
Make the Pizza
- Preheat the oven to maximum setting (in mine it is 550° F).
- Turn the dough out onto a well-floured or lightly oiled work surface. Cut the dough in half and refrigerate one portion to use later.
- Roll the dough into a ball, flatten it and let it rest five minutes. With your finger tips or using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a 8-inch disc.
- Heat the skillet. Once preheated, carefully transfer the pizza round to skillet and coax it to the edges using your fingertips. Tip: Be careful not to burn your fingers. You could try placing a small piece of parchment paper over the dough and coaxing it.
- Dollop the spinach and feta topping over the dough and spread it evenly. Top with remaining grated cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese and pine nuts (optional).
- Cook the pizza for 3 to 5 minutes on the stove at medium-high.
- Then transfer skillet to the oven, lower to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges turn golden brown.
- Top with red pepper flakes. Let it rest 5 minutes and cut it into wedges and serve.
Notes
- Dough Alternative: You could try readymade pizza dough too.
- Frozen Spinach: You may use about 5 ounces frozen spinach.
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers in containers for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in skillet either on stove with a lid or in oven.
- Freeze: Pizza can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat as above.
- Make Ahead: The filling and dough can be made ahead. This recipe makes dough for two crusts. Refrigerate the rest for couple days or freeze for later.
- Variations: You can make this pizza vegan, gluten free, low carb and nut free. Tips in blog post.
Sara Welch
This was everything a gourmet pizza should be, and then some! Easily a new favorite pizza recipe in out home; loved it!
Roxana Begum
Thanks for sharing.
Bintu
We love pizza in our house and this looks and sounds so good! Definitely giving this a try!
Andrea
Making pizza in a cast iron pan is genius! I love the flavors here. Thanks for this fantastic recipe!
Roxana Begum
I love my cast iron pan too. Its a must-have.
Noelle
Yum! This made for the perfect dinner, everyone in my family loved it
:)
Roxana Begum
So glad you liked it.
Pam
Anything as gorgeous as this pizza has got to be good! (love my cast iron too!)