# This one's for you, Craig.



## karri0n (Dec 1, 2009)

I know you're a pizza buff, though I'm not sure your favorite style. This is my cast-iron deep dish pan pizza. It's got sausage and Pepperoni, but I suppose I could give you permission to make it a veg... :coolsmirk:

You need:

A well-seasoned large cast iron skillet - a 16" would be great, but I was only equipped with a 12" so that's what I used. Mine was I believe 2.5" deep, which worked pretty well.

Either homemade or pre-made pizza dough. Try to avoid a "betty crocker" style mix. Pizza dough is extremely easy to make if you can't buy it premade. You're going to be making two crusts, so a little extra won't hurt. Don't go overboard, the crust is going to be plenty thick. You will want a batch of 1.5 rather than double most likely. 

If you are using a pre-made dough, knead a good amount of olive oil into the dough. If you need to add some flour to get it the right consistency afterwords, that's fine. The olive oil is what will make our delicious pan style crispy crust.



1. Separate the dough into two equal portions.

2.  Put a light layer of olive oil and a light layer of flour on the bottom of the pan. Lay the dough into the pan, and make it so it can fit all the way up the sides and extend down 1-1.5" over the edges. If the edges in the pan are lifting and won't stay flush with the pan, the crust is stretched too tight.

3. Lay down a light layer of sauce. The second layer is where we will be putting more of the sauce, so even if you like especially saucy pizza, lay it light on this first layer.

4. apply toppings. I used Sausage, peppers, pepperoni, and chopped onions. Spread these evenly all the way to the edge.

5. Apply cheese. You can do pure mozzarella, or you can do mozzarella, parmesan, provolone. any combination, this one's up to you.

6. Lay out the second crust on top. You want the sides of this to extend down just as far as the first crust.

7. Apply another light layer of sauce, medium if you really love saucy pizza.

8. This time, before applying the toppings, mix a bit of shredded cheese and a bit of sauce together with the toppings. Once again, go easy on the sauce unless you really love saucy pizza. Apply the toppings, sauce, and cheese mixture liberally. 

9. Apply a liberal amount of cheese. All together this should now be even with (or a LITTLE bit over) the top of the pan.

10. if you have more than 1.5" of dough hanging off the sides, trim it a bit. Roll the excess dough inward to create a nice round crust that rests on top of the toppings.

11. Pour olive oil all along the outer ring of the crust, separating the crust from the pan here and there to allow the oil to run down the sides. Brush the crust with a pastry or basting brush to fully cover with oil.

12. Put whatever toppings you want on the actual top of the pizza, either for style or flavor(or both!)

13. Sprinkle a small amount of olive oil over the whole pie.

14. Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes, until crust is golden brown. This time will be longer if using a 14, 16, or 18 inch pan.

It's possible to take the pizza out of the pan whole after it has cooled for at least 15 minutes, but it's easier and safer to just cut and serve it from the pan. Trying to take it out could be disastrous. You can use a springform pan if you have one which will allow you to much more easily remove the pizza from the pan, but it doesn't cook the crust quite the same as a cast iron.


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## karri0n (Dec 1, 2009)

Before cooking, crust rolled. Note the olive oil around the edge. This pizza could have used more olive oil. olive oil is the only thing on this pizza you shouldn't be afraid of going overboard with. "Pizza man" decorations optional.






Trying for a size comparison with a yogurt container, didn't come out too well.






Slight zoom, better focus, overall best "before cooking" pic.






Slightly better size comparison attempt; still not great.






Out of the oven! It's hard to tell "Mr. Pizza" ever existed. Note how big the crust is. This was with just about 2 inches of extra dough hanging off the pan. I would have liked the crust a bit smaller, but it was very tasty, not like some inedible pizza crusts I've had. The kicker is you end up with a "stuffed crust" effect, as you rolled the crust up and over the toppings.






I like this angle. You can see that I didn't press the double crusts together as well as I could have.






Finally a size comparison that came out well.






Definitely my favorite pic.






Slice the bigger one in this pic in half, and you've got a meal for 3. All of us were plenty full from one slice.


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## Highbeam (Dec 1, 2009)

Looks great. Made my mouth water as it's getting close to lunch time here on the left coast.


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## gibson (Dec 2, 2009)

stove top or in the stove?


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## karri0n (Dec 2, 2009)

Sen. John Blutarsky said:
			
		

> stove top or in the stove?



I made it in the oven - 375 for 45 minutes.


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## wenger7446 (Dec 2, 2009)

I know what I am doing this weekend.


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## meathead (Dec 2, 2009)

This is photoshopped. That pizza never really existed and I bet $1.00 you can't prove it was real. 

Luck for you I also live in eastern CT...just get another one of those going and I'll be by in an hour to pick it up and test it for realness (the only way to test for realness is by consuming the entire pizza and washing down with beer). I'll bring $1.00 in case I lose the bet and my own beer.


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## Highbeam (Dec 2, 2009)

I bet he would pay you a dollar if you could eat the whole thing. That pie looks like something that you think you can eat all of but you have to quit halfway to prevent sickness.


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## meathead (Dec 3, 2009)

Highbeam said:
			
		

> I bet he would pay you a dollar if you could eat the whole thing. That pie looks like something that you think you can eat all of but you have to quit halfway to prevent sickness.



My friend, you have never seen me eat :lol: ... :gulp: ... :sick:


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## firefighterjake (Dec 3, 2009)

Wow . . . that looked really, really good.


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## karri0n (Dec 3, 2009)

meathead said:
			
		

> Highbeam said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I would absolutely bet that dollar. No way can you finish this whole thing. I've cleared entire pizzas without any trouble before, but one slice of this and I was full. I Could do two slices, but any more than that and I think you're in mortal danger.


Just as a funny update, the pepper grinder I used for a size comparison fell apart into pieces last night. I'm fairly certain it's due to exposure to the incredible power radiating from the pizza   :coolgrin:


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## karri0n (Dec 3, 2009)

firefighterjake said:
			
		

> Wow . . . that looked really, really good.




Haha... Thanks. It was.  :coolsmirk:


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## webbie (Dec 5, 2009)

I'm a real snob when it comes to Pizza....big time!
If it was not baked at over 700 degree - and if it took over 5 minutes, it hardly qualifies....

Heck, that looks like one of those midwest pizzas - where the primary aim is to use up too much Wisconsin cheese!

(ducking and running).......

Eastern CT? Head over to Moheghan Sun and get a Frank Pepes from the 800 degree coal fired oven.....or, if you can make the trip, go to Pepes or Sallys in Hartford....

An elitist snob, I remain. That might be a good cheese and meat pie, but for a minimalist like me....only a bit of cheese, tomatoes, crust....olive oil and basil will do the trick.

Make it look like these- must have some black on the crust and bottom.....and I'll be there....


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## billb3 (Dec 5, 2009)

I'm no snob as long as thier is no dead fish on it.
Stop by my house on Fridays and show  me how to make one anytime.
Preferably repeatedly.


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## webbie (Dec 5, 2009)

SE Mass......
Go on Sunday Afternoon - not too awful far away....for a nice drive to scenic Jamestown RI.
ONLY from 4:30 to 7:30
you will thank me many a time, and I am likely to find you in line........and be sorry that I now have to wait even longer......
http://www.villagehearthbakerycafe.com/

All their other stuff is great too (other hours), but Sunday eve is the time....
Don't be surprised if you hear Italian spoken.


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## bigtall (Dec 6, 2009)

WHERE'S THE MEAT??????


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## webbie (Dec 6, 2009)

Dis ain't no Mellow Mushroom pizza......like you eat down there.....
http://www.mellowmushroom.com/


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## bigtall (Dec 6, 2009)

I don't eat "any" Mellow Mushroom pizza. There are far better places to eat a good meat pie down here, but most of them are owned or operated by people from up north. Giovanni's (not a southern name), Johnny's New York, Big Al's. We do have a "spirit world" pizza, aka Mellow Mushroom, here in Carrollton, but I have not eaten there in many years.


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## webbie (Dec 7, 2009)

Ah, all this talking....got me eating.....

Dat dere is a coal oven.
Dat dere is a Frank Pepe pizza....


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## btj1031 (Dec 8, 2009)

Webmaster said:
			
		

> SE Mass......
> Go on Sunday Afternoon - not too awful far away....for a nice drive to scenic Jamestown RI.
> ONLY from 4:30 to 7:30
> you will thank me many a time, and I am likely to find you in line........and be sorry that I now have to wait even longer......
> ...




I have had their breakfast treats a number of times, never the pizza, but I have heard it is excellent.  We call it the "hippie bakery", not to be confused with Slice of Heaven d/t where the real "beautiful people" get their Sunday morning treats.


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## karri0n (Dec 8, 2009)

Hmm I saw frank pepe's in person. Looked OK, better than the "greazza" or "greeca" you get in most places in CT(both greasy and generally greek style). However, If I want brick oven, I'll hit Little Rendezvous in Meriden, without having to go into the casino or spend $20 for a plain cheese. Family owned is always win in my book.


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## billb3 (Dec 8, 2009)

small world, I've been there for muffins for breakfast to kill some time waiting to help a cousin pick up his  Beneteau for some gel coat work to sail back to Marion.

I'm not a pizza snob, but I'm not a fan of oil on pizza, either.
Keep it on the stone if you gotta have oil on everything.


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## wenger7446 (Jan 23, 2010)

Making this pizza recipe right….NOW


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## raybonz (Jan 24, 2010)

Webmaster said:
			
		

> SE Mass......
> Go on Sunday Afternoon - not too awful far away....for a nice drive to scenic Jamestown RI.
> ONLY from 4:30 to 7:30
> you will thank me many a time, and I am likely to find you in line........and be sorry that I now have to wait even longer......
> ...



Wow that video made me drool! That's not too far away, maybe a little over an hr...There is a place in New Bedford called Pa Raffa's that I have always enjoyed..Ultra thin crust is made there and that is my favorite.. They make an excellent linguica pizza... Now that I think about it I am overdue to go back there... Yummmmmmmmmmmm

Ray


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## hareball (Jan 24, 2010)

Nice looking pie! I love homemade pizza. I usually do a few a week.

I want to get another stone for the wood stove. These are from the oven at 535 °F for about 8 mins.


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