Skillet Pizza

In recent years, I've grown to love cooking with cast iron skillets.  Paella, cornbread, and these cookies -- yum!  My favorite cast iron piece is an eight-inch, beautifully-seasoned one of my mother-in-law's.  One of the easiest things to cook in the skillet, I've found, is pizza.

We'd seen images of cast iron skillet pizzas online, but I decided to try it out.  When our gas oven was broken recently, I was so happy to have this little skillet that fit beautifully into the toaster oven  (which I use daily, anyway).

Typically, I whip up my own sauce.  Making it yourself saves money and lasts through multiple pizzas.

I also make my own dough.  Again, it is cheap and takes very little time.  This recipe doesn't even call for sitting more than 5-10 minutes (though it also refrigerates well for a couple days, too).

I smear coconut oil in the cast iron skillet, and sprinkle it with cornmeal.

When the ingredients are ready, I press the dough into the pan.

Next I spread on some sauce.  This is a rich, hearty sauce; you don't need too much.

 Then throw on whatever toppings are on hand.  This time, it was prosciutto, onion, and mushroom.  I had run out of both mozzarella and Parmesan.  It was topped with  colby jack this time!

Only a few minutes later:  yum!

Here's the recipe I use for sauce.  The key ingredient, I think, is fennel seed.

And here's the dough recipe I've used for years.

I'm determined to try out new and different pizza recipes, also, like a Thai pizza. Do you make your own pizza?  What are your favorite methods and toppings?