The Ultimate Crispy Cast Iron Pizza

The Cold Stretch Place your dough in a room-temperature 12-inch cast iron skillet coated with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Press the dough to the edges. If it snaps back, cover it and let it rest for 15 minutes, then try again.
The Proof Once the dough reaches the edges, cover it and let it rise in the pan for 30–60 minutes. This creates those airy, bubbly “focaccia” holes in the crust.
The “Wall-to-Wall” Cheese Preheat your oven to 500°F (or its highest setting). Spread your sauce, then sprinkle the cheese all the way to the metal edge. As it bakes, the cheese hits the cast iron and forms a crispy, caramelized “frico” crust (like a Detroit-style pizza).
The Stovetop Start (The Secret Step) Before putting it in the oven, place the skillet on a stovetop burner over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. This jumpstarts the bottom crust, ensuring it’s golden and rigid before the cheese even starts to melt.
The Bake Slide the skillet into the oven on the top rack. Bake for 10–14 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
The Finish Check the bottom with a spatula; it should be deep golden brown. Let it sit in the pan for 2 minutes, then slide it onto a wire rack so the bottom doesn’t steam and get soggy.

Low-Moisture Cheese: Avoid fresh mozzarella (the kind in water) for this specific method. It releases too much moisture and will turn your crispy crust into a soggy mess.
The Oil Flavor: Use a high-quality olive oil. Since the bottom of the dough is essentially frying in it, that flavor will be the first thing you taste.
The Hot Skillet: If you want an even faster cook, you can preheat the empty skillet in the oven, then carefully drop the dough in—just be prepared to work fast!