Pizza with a Spicy Twist

Deva
Jul 3, 2020
6 min read

Updated: Jan 1, 2022

In Pizza We Crust

JUMP TO RECIPE

This is a simple and classic pizza recipe that can be made using typical pantry staples in your kitchen. The most vital ingredient is a keen desire to have a deliciously gooey, yet healthy slice of heaven! You can skip the delivery because you'll always be able to make your own delicious pizza at home.

Do you remember the best pizza slice you ever had? That riveting sensation of pizza sauce tickling the tip of your tongue while the sumptuous amount of fine mozzarella and garden-fresh toppings overwhelmed your taste buds? Was it on the couch at home with your family? In a cozy restaurant with your significant other? After a night out with friends? In your kitchen as a late-night snack?

Pizza has always been a favorite of many; whether it is from a local chain, an artisanal pizza shop, or frozen.

My husband & I initially met over a delicious pie at his favorite spot in SoCal. Although it's been a couple of years since we have been married, our relentless pursuit of the perfect pie continues to drive us towards, both, optimizing homemade recipes and actively seeking unique pizza spots to satiate our taste buds.

My mother-in-law's recipe, having its own South Asian twist, inspired me to develop my own.

I adapted this recipe from her's and molded it with my husband's love for pan pizza by baking it in a cast-iron pan.

This recipe yields a chewy and fluffy dough on the inside, crispy, flavorful crust on the outside & an aromatic yet zesty taste all throughout.

Why homemade?

It's fresh, fulfilling, and fun!

How to make Homemade Cast Iron Pizza

Prepare a 1 lb. (16 ounces) ball of pizza dough; it can be store-bought or homemade (My recipe to come soon)! When I use store-bought dough I tend to leave it outside for a couple of hours to make it easier to manipulate and shape to my pan. Colder doughs tend to bounce back and are harder to pull into your desired size.

Have your favorite pizza sauce ready for spreading (or use my secret sauce; coming soon too)!

When I use a store-bought sauce I like to add more flavor to it and take away the biting tomato taste. I usually sauté a clove or two of garlic and half an onion, diced very finely, in a little bit of olive oil, and add crushed red pepper flakes and oregano before adding a jar of sauce; just to spice things up.

You will need to preheat your oven for 525 degrees Fahrenheit. We want this pizza to cook high and fast! Don't worry about the pizza burning as the dough is very thick and we want to cook all the toppings thoroughly as well as crisp up that crust.
Place your cast iron pan on your stove and brush the bottom and sides with a thin glaze of olive oil (this will prevent your pizza from sticking as well as give it a nice and crispy crust when it comes out. Set the stove on the lowest temperature and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. We want the pan to be super hot because we will be starting the cooking process on the stove.

Now it's time to get your favorite toppings ready! For this pizza, I chose to include my husband's favorite ingredients, low-moisture mozzarella, red onions, fresh garlic, Thai chilis, green bell- peppers, tri-colored sweet peppers, cilantro, and fresh basil. Wash and chop your ingredients very finely, we are piling them on top and want all of them to cook evenly; no raw veggies here! If you are using a cheese block now it's time to grate, baby, grate! I have used fresh mozzarella before and found that absorbing the liquid before grating it makes the pizza come out less watery. This can be done by slicing the fresh cheese, or separating it if it's pre-sliced, and placing the cheese slices on a kitchen towel. Cover the cheese with the towel and place a heavy object on top to squeeze out all the liquid for at least 30 minutes.

It's time to roll out your dough. Generously flour a large surface and place your dough in the center; sprinkling more flour over the top. We are going to knead this dough until it becomes smooth and malleable and holds its shape. Take a rolling pin and begin to roll the dough out into a large circle; trying to keep the sides as even as possible in thickness.

In a small bowl, make flavored butter. Take about 1-2 tablespoons of salted or unsalted butter and melt it in a microwave at 15-second intervals. Once it is melted add and mix your spices; garlic powder, dried parsley, dried basil, and dried oregano (and salt if you used unsalted butter).

When your dough is rolled out, place it in the hot pan on the stove and turn up your heat to low-medium. Brush your garlic butter all over the crust and then add your toppings in order; sauce, cheese, onions, peppers, minced garlic, and chilis. Save your leafy toppings for the last 1 minute of cooking time. We want to wilt the greens, not dry them out.

Carefully place your completed pizza in the oven and let bake between 12-15 minutes. Keep checking and when it looks almost done add leafy toppings and let bake for one more minute.
When the pizza is done remove it from the oven and place it back on the stove, turning it on at high heat for about 30 seconds to a minute. This will ensure that your crust is extra crusty.

Turn your stove off and using a flat spatula, or 2, remove the pizza from the pan and place it on a surface to cut. Let it rest for about 2 minutes. Brush the crust with the garlic butter before cutting and enjoy your delicious pizza! This pizza is warm and soft and cracks with each bite on its crunchy crust. As you bite further you get the robust flavor of the toppings, the gooey salty rush of the cheese, and bright. and spicy flavor of the crust. All of these flavors are married into one irresistible dish Homemade Cast Iron Pizza.

Cast Iron Pizza

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 1 10-12 inch pan pizza

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

1 lb (16 ounces) Pizza dough (Homemade or Store-bought)
14 ounces of Pizza sauce (Homemade or Store-bought)
8 ounces of shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
1/2 red onion, cut into thin slices
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin slices
4-6 sweet peppers, cut into thin slices
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
3-4 Thai chilis, minced
5-6 fresh basil leaves, ripped
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil

Method

Preheat oven to 525 degrees Fahrenheit
Place a cast-iron pan on the stove, brush olive on the bottom, and all sides. of the pan and place the heat at the lowest temperature.
Make or open a jar of pizza sauce.
Wash, dry, and chop all desired pizza toppings. Shred cheese
Melt butter and add oregano, garlic powder, parsley, and basil and mix in to create garlic butter.
Roll out prepared pizza dough into a 10-12 inch circle and place on the hot pan and raise temperature to medium-low. Using a pastry brush, spread the butter mixture all over the crust.
Spread sauce, cheese, and chopped toppings generously over pizza; saving leafy toppings for the last minute of baking.
Place the pizza in the hot oven and bake for 12-15 minutes; checking for brownness on the crust and bubbling of the cheese.
Once the pizza looks almost done add the leafy toppings, such as cilantro or basil, and let bake for one additional minute.
When the pizza is done place the pan back on the stove and turn the heat onto high for about 30 seconds to one minute.
Carefully remove pizza from the pan and place it on a solid surface. Brush the additional butter mixture on the crust.
Let the pizza sit for 2 minutes before cutting it with a wheel cutter.
Enjoy!

Notes:

The toppings mentioned in the recipe are to my personal taste. These toppings can be modified to individual taste
The dough and sauce can be homemade but it is not necessary. To save on time it is fine to use pre-prepared ingredients.
Depending on how the pizza is cut, and how hungry you are, it will serve between 2-4 people.
Prep time will vary depending on whether or not the dough and sauce are homemade.
Keep an eye on the oven as some may be hotter or cooler than mine. The cooking time may slightly vary but a browning on the crust and vigorous bubbling of the cheese indicate doneness. The best way is to tap the crust with your finger and see if it feels hard.