Cast Iron Pizza and how I clean my Cast Iron Skillet

I thought today I would bring you all a recipe for a delicious and really simple pizza recipe, cooked right in your cast iron skillet.

I went years, and I mean yearssssss, without a cast iron cookware of any kind.  I always wanted one, I knew that when it came to cooking, there simply wasn't anything like a good old cast iron piece.  But, I also found them to be quite intimidating.

Pictures of rusted out skillets and pots made me cringe, I kept thinking there is no way you can eat something out of that mess.  And that came from my own ignorance and preconceived notions of what I saw but didn't understand.

After doing some research I decided that I just had to make the leap.  I made a comment on my personal Facebook page about really wanting one and the next thing I knew, my sweet friend Amy was sending me one.  I was beside myself with joy and from that minute on, this one skillet became my best friend.

I have made some amazing food using it, like this Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie.

Some Pull Apart Pepperoni Garlic Knots

One Hour Skillet Foccaccia

And then the usual, I've fried chicken, I've made cornbread, I've made casseroles and meat sauces and so forth.  It truly is the best thing to cook in.

But anyway, let me tell you how to make a really yummy pizza, and then I'll show you how I clean my skillet and keep it looking like new, without any of the nasty rust.
 

Cast Iron Pizza

Make sure your pan is very well seasoned.  Put in a little bit of oil and wipe it around the bottom and sides of the skillet.  You just want to be sure that it's nicely greased but don't leave oil in there.

Use your favorite pizza dough.  Press it into the pan and a little up the sides.  Add your toppings and bake in a 500 degree oven for about 12 to 15 minutes.  I always bake my pizza at the hottest temperature my oven will go. 

Now you've enjoyed your pizza and there's a dirty pan to clean.  The good thing is that there's minimal clean up from the pizza so washing the skillet is pretty quick and easy.

Start with warm water, you don't want very hot water because that can expand the metal and allow water to seep into the pan which is a huge contributor of the rusting.

Use a plastic scraper to remove any pieces that are caked on. I've never really needed anything more than hot water and a scraper.  Now I know many people swear by the NO soap with cast iron cleaning, but if you do a little research it's actually been said that it's simply not true.  You don't want to use a lot of soap, but a little soap doesn't kill you.  I choose not to use soap, but that's my personal preference, you do whatever works for you.
 

Once clean, give it a very good wipe until it's completely dry.

Now place it on your stove and turn the stove on to low to medium.  I find it helps to dry up any water that has remained and therefore avoiding the rust issue.

Many people use oil or lard to season their pan, I use Crisco and it works for me. 

You don't need a lot, just a little bit on a paper towel or rag, and then just wipe it all around the bottom and sides of the pan.  Be careful not to burn yourself.

I just wipe on enough to give it a good coat, but I don't leave any excess oil on there.  I wipe the bottom the sides and the rim and handle.

Many people will do the underside of the pan etc, but I don't.

Turn the stove off and let it cool down on the burner.   And that's it.  It's ready to go again.

It doesn't leave any sticky residue and I've been doing this for a really long time.  It's just what works for me.

I'm pretty sure there are many of you out there who have your own way of using, cleaning and seasoning your cast iron cookware, and if that works for you then by all means continue to do it :)

One of the reasons I wanted to do this post is because when I first got my pan, I had no clue what to do or how to handle it, clean it and all that.  There are a lot of links online if you do the research, but I'm hoping that if one of my blog readers is wanting to take the plunge into cast iron cooking and is maybe a little intimidated or scared, this will make them realize that there's really nothing to keeping a well seasoned cast iron pan, and the rewards of cooking in one are amazing.

So if you don't own one, maybe look into getting your very first cast iron pan this year.  You won't regret it!!!

Do you all have or cook with cast iron, do you have any recipes you swear by that you would like to share?  Tips and tricks?

Be sure to leave it down in the comments, I would love to hear from you.