Cast iron pizza is easy to cook but still requires delicious dough to be prepared first! Add 500ml water to the mixing bowl, along with a small sprinkle of flour and 4g dry yeast.

Mix this together using the stand mixer until the yeast and flour have more or less dissolved.

Next, add 500g of flour to the bowl and mix for a minute, before adding the salt and the rest of the flour.

Now, leave the mixer to combine all of your ingredients and turn the dough into a ball – when it starts to form, it will become much noisier as the ball hits the sides, and the dough is now ready!

Prepare a mixing bowl, by drizzling some EVOO in it and basting it around the sides, before placing the ball of pizza dough for your cast iron pizza inside.

Using your hands, knead the ball of pizza dough inside the bowl, covering it with the EVOO and forming a round ball.

Cover the bowl with Cling wrap, making sure to leave no gaps so that air doesn’t get in and the dough can grow!

Then, let it rest for around 2 hr, before placing it in the fridge for 18-24hr to grow.

Once the pizza dough has had time to rest, it should grow nicely in the bowl!

Remove the dough from the bowl, and place it on a chopping board/kitchen bench stretching it out, and cutting it half.

Now it’s time to cut a piece and create small pizza balls, each which should weigh 250g.

To create the balls, don’t over work them, just enough to make them round, and then move them onto a tray, dusted with flour beforehand.

Once all the balls are made, gently cover them with a tea towel and leave them to rest for at least 1 hour.

STEP TWO | HOW TO MAKE THE CAST IRON PIZZA

Cast iron pan – this cannot be substituted!

To make the cast iron pizza, first baste the pan with EVOO, as this will help prevent the pizza from sticking.

Next, place the cast iron pan on the stove, at a high heat.

To prepare the cast iron pizza, get one of your pizza balls, place it on a surface with flour dusted on it, and use it to cover both sides of the dough.

Now, to stretch out the pizza, starting from the middle, poke down using both hands, and work it in a circular motion, leaving a gap, for your crust. Turn it over, and stretch it just a little bit – or try your hand at a little spin and stretch in the air if you dare!

Now, turn the heat down on the stove, and place the pizza in the pan, stretching it out just enough so it fits and spread some tomatoe sauce on top, leaving space for the crust around the edges.

Place cubes of mozzarella over the cast iron pizza, along with a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a drizzle of EVOO.

This is the process to cook the edges of the pizza. Move it around every so often by lifting the pan and turning it in a circular motion so it shifts around and doesn’t stick to the bottom. Then add a few basil leaves.

After 3-4 minutes, move the pan to your oven, pre-heated to 250 degrees celcius/482F, making sure you use the GRILL setting only and be sure to leave the oven door open!

Cook the pizza in the oven until it gets golden and crispy. This will take between 5-8 minutes.