Pizza
Grilled Cast Iron Pizza (Pro Technique)
The cast-iron pizza method is what pizzerias use when they do not have a 900F wood oven but still want a crispy, slightly fried bottom. The iron skillet acts as a thermal battery, it is preheated to full grill temperature and holds that heat in direct contact with the dough for the entire cook. The result is a bottom crust that is deeply browned and shatters like a cracker, paired with an airy interior crumb. The Ninja Woodfire Pro XL at 700F pushes this technique into restaurant quality. You are not going to make a true Neapolitan here, but you will make a pizza better than anything delivery can bring you, and possibly better than most pizzerias within a 30-minute drive.
Ingredients
- 1 lb pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 8 oz mozzarella
- 2 oz Parmesan
- 4 oz pepperoni
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Semolina flour for dusting
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- 01
Preheat a 12-inch cast iron skillet directly on the grill at 700F for 15 minutes. The skillet must be ripping hot.
- 02
Stretch the dough into a 12-inch round. Dust with semolina.
- 03
Drizzle olive oil into the preheated skillet. Quickly place the dough into the skillet (it will sizzle hard).
- 04
Top immediately: sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan, pepperoni.
- 05
Close the grill lid. Cook 8-10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown.
- 06
Slide the pizza out of the skillet with a spatula (it should release easily from the oiled, hot surface).
- 07
Finish with basil and let rest 2 minutes before slicing.
Pro Tips
From our kitchen
- ★Cast iron holds far more thermal energy than a pizza stone. The bottom of a cast-iron pizza is crisper than anything you can achieve on stone.
- ★Semolina flour on the bottom is the secret to easy release. Regular flour burns at 700F; semolina handles the heat.
- ★700F on the Ninja Woodfire Pro XL is enough to fully replicate Detroit-style and Neapolitan-adjacent pizzas with a cast-iron skillet.
We recommend for this recipe
Ninja Woodfire Pro XL OG850
The Ninja Woodfire Pro XL OG850's 406 sq in surface and 700°f searing temperature and 30% more cooking space than standard make it our pick for this recipe.
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