One of the longest carried, broadest reaching, and most loved kitchen traditions in the world is cast iron.

One of the longest carried, broadest reaching, and most loved kitchen traditions in the world is cast iron. 

I am IN LOVE with cast iron everything! It's easy to use, easy to clean, everything safe, and lasts more than a lifetime if well cared for! I use cast iron EVERY DAY... Usually MULTIPLE times per day!  But for now, I'm sharing how I demonstrate my pizza panache with cast iron!

Cast Iron has been around for...forever! It's becoming more popular recently, with entire cookbooks dedicated to cast iron cooking. I know pizza has been around for quite a while, too, but making pizza at home has never been easier or more fun than today... Especially when you can buy things like cast iron pizza pans!!!

I have a cast iron pizza pan like just like this one, and I love it! (You can purchase this on Amazon)

Since I got married (2015!!), Friday night homemade pizza has become a tradition.  I'll share with you how I make pizza and you too can celebrate things like cast iron pizza pans, Friday night, general panache-ness, or whatever the occasion suggests! 

I start out with The Pioneer Woman pizza crust recipe. It's one of the most simple and delicious crust recipe I have come across in all my pizza making years. (And I learned to make pizza 10 or 11 years ago...) This recipe has only 5 ingredients. Though she recommends it, it doesn't require a rise time, and it'll keep in the fridge for up to a week before you cook it!

You can then go on to dress your pizza the way Ree recommends, or you can personalize to your taste. My favorite way to proceed is with a homemade tomato sauce.

I start with organic tomato paste and add equal parts of water and olive oil (usually about 1/4 cup each) until my desired consistency is reached.  Then I flavor with salt, oregano, and garlic powder to taste. For a fun flavor kick, add just a dash of balsamic vinegar. Add more seasonings than you think you need, because this will just add extra flavor and aroma to your pizza!

After spreading that on my stretched crust I go on to the toppings. My husband and I are fans of a blend between a meat-lovers and supreme pizza. :) I like to use pork sausage, browned ground beef, black olives, bell pepper, and sometimes diced onion. Last week our pizza included some homegrown bacon!!

Top all that with a generous amount of grated mozzarella and bake at 500 degrees for 13 minutes! It's best to let the pizza cool for about 5-7 minutes before slicing.

Another favorite of ours is white sauce, shredded chicken, sliced eggplant, sliced onion, and sun dried tomatoes!

This cast iron pan turned out the best pizza!!  Even though I pressed the dough out on the pan rather than stretching it like I usually do, nothing stuck! All I had to do when finished was wipe it with a paper towel and put it away! (I did season the pan once before use.)

If you like to make pizza, let me know your favorite toppings! You can even send me pictures of your pizza panache!! ...I think we need to start a hashtag! #pizzapanache! 

-Live well,
Hannah