Thrifty Finds: Cast Iron Pizza Pan

I don't know about you but I love shopping second-hand and quite often I get a tingly feeling whenever I think about going and know I will find something good!

Last week was no exception.
I have found so many useful things (and many not-so-useful things) at the second-hand store and last week I had this "gut instinct" to go to the second-hand store.
I had to go anyway because I am in the process of purging stuff in the possible preparation of moving for work - and because I have too much crap.

My neighbour and I took the kids and a ton of stuff to the second-hand store and after I loaded my table I cruised around and came across this beautiful gem....

A BRAND NEW CAST IRON PIZZA PAN!

Good lord I was over the moon because guess what? It was new - the cardboard cut-out still on it and I don't think it had even been seasoned at all - just a light coating of dust.
AND it was only 5€!!
We checked it out online afterward and discovered that it was worth a heck of a lot more! A similar model yet different brand and slightly bigger was worth 90€ and the same branded one was between 40-60€ depending where you shopped and if you included shipping.

I was a very happy little foodie indeed!

I cook pizza about once a week at home - I love that I can top it with anything I want and my kids only want cheese on theirs.  Maybe a couple leaves of spinach if they're feeling gracious or some prosciutto or pepperoni on other days.  

But for me - there is nothing like homemade pizza.  It takes time and effort but it feeds a lot, they all love pizza and it is much cheaper for me to make pizza than to order one to be delivered.

And no offence to those that are buyers of the frozen-section variety - because you do what you gotta do! (especially as a parent) - but it's so nice being able to control what goes in/on your pizza and also homemade usually is much tastier!

And it's awesome to cook pizza with the kids - they really love helping to roll the dough out, spread the sauce and put the toppings on it too!

And for us adults - it's an awesome date night idea.  Make a pizza together, chat and have wine and cuddle on the sofa after with a blanket and a good movie!

Anyway! I know the words "cast iron" tend to scare a lot of people!  I for one have had horrible experiences with cast iron and that is due to lack of research.

So this time - I knew I got a real piece of treasure from the shop and had to cherish it like my newly birthed 4th child.
I read the instructions that it came with.

And here are the basics:

1. Don't use soap - major no no.
2. Only use hot water for washing it.
3. Don't use anything abrasive aka scratchy and rough on the pan.
4. Season it well with oil and some paper towel - do this regularly. 
1. I use a silicone pastry brush. 
5. After serving your pizza from it, let it soak for a few minutes in hot water to loosen up any cheese or crumbs. Then rinse again in hot water and dry it with paper towel.  Then I season it with a light coating of oil because I don't and won't use this pan daily.  
1. This ensures it is taken care of and looks brand spanking new every time you use it.
6. Love your cast ironware!

Cast iron can last you much longer than your typical 20$ non-stick Teflon pan any day.

I also read how to use it and here are the basics on that:

1. Pre-heat your pan - they recommend to heat it up in your oven once that is hot enough (maximum temperature).
1. I opted for something online that told me that I can heat it up on the stove burner instead and then pop it in my pre-heated oven to cook my pizza.
2. Spray or lightly oil your pan before putting pizza dough in it.
3. Put it in a pre-heated oven - use thick oven mittens or silicone and move fast so it doesn't burn your hands through them! 
1. Cast-iron is super hot and super heavy.
4. Remove, serve your food and enjoy and don't forget to soak/rinse right after.

Now, I have made pizza twice in this pan (technically 3 times) and my first attempt was so fascinating and I f*cked up my pizza.  I burnt the center bottom of it and this is how...

Attempt #1

AKA How to NOT make pizza in your cast-iron pan:

1. I turned my oven on maximum heat (300*C) and heated my pan on the stove top burner at maximum.
2. I lightly oiled my pan and spread the oil evenly with a silicone pastry brush.
3. I sprinkled a bit of flour before putting the pizza dough
1. This is where I went wrong....but it said so in the booklet!
4. I put my pizza dough, sauce and toppings and then put it in the oven for 7-10 minutes on maximum.

Results: Crispy crust edge and bottom but blackened center underneath.

While I may have been a sad panda - I was also an excited one! I love experimenting and I did eat the pizza - except the blackened part and I just ate the toppings because they were not burnt.

I also didn't have amazing experience cooking with cast iron - so the fact it was not a complete failure - was promising for me!

So I had to try this pan again and the results were perfect.

I had my neighbour over for "Juhannus" which in Finnish means "Mid Summer" and while traditionally you go to a cottage, grill food, get completely wasted and watch a bonfire - we opted to stay in at my place, drink a bit and make pizzas once my kiddos were asleep and just hang out.

This is what I did to make 2 amazing pizzas in my cast-iron pan:

1. Pre-heat my oven to 225*C - this is my normal temperature for cooking pizza.
2. Pre-heat my pan on the burner on maximum - while I was rolling out the dough*.
3. A few drops of olive oil to the pan and spread it with the pastry brush.
4. Put dough and immediately put sauce and toppings.
5. Bake as per normal (7-10 minutes).

The booklet recommended I put the dough and bake it partially then put the sauce and toppings and back in the oven.  This seemed like a waste of time for me because I had split my dough batch into two (my neighbour is a vegetarian) and the crust was quite thinly rolled out.

Also it was quite dangerous because the pan is so hot and got even heavier with our heavily topped pizzas - so I didn't want to risk dropping it on my foot (I am a magnet for accidents!).

* I make my pizza dough in my bread machine using this recipe "Easy Peezy Pizza Dough" by "Genius Kitchen.com".  I would link it for you but apparently it's no longer available in my country I reside in. (*MAJOR EYE ROLL GOING ON HERE...)

I could've definitely put a bit more cheese and baked it a smidge longer - but she was happy with hers!

I skipped the sprinkling of flour - because I believe that is what started the blackened center trend of my first attempt at a cast-iron baked pizza and kept my oven at my regular temperature for baking a pizza and both of us were super pleased with our pizzas! And there weren't any burnt parts at all!

So - is it worth getting a cast-iron pan? HELL YES.  Especially if you can get one in great shape second-hand!

My guess is someone got it, got scared of how much "effort" it takes to use one and maintain it after that they just sold it for a pocketful of change.

And obviously it's way cheaper than installing an Italian style brick oven in your home!

Does it work better than a pizza stone? I had one in Canada and it's been over ten years - so I don't remember how my pizzas turned out back then (I also didn't make pizza as often either!) - but I think so yes. However, if I do come across an equally cheap and well-conditioned pizza stone - I would definitely consider getting one just for the sake of trying! (Or if any of my friends have one I could borrow because I am trying to purge stuff and not collect more!)

Does it work better than a pizza pan with holes all along the bottom? YES.  A million times yes.  Because you really do get that crispy bottom I have dreamed about with pizzas! Usually I just line my baking sheet with parchment paper and make my pizzas that way as it's a large pan and square - so it'll feed my kids easily.  But the bottom was never crispy.  The crusts (aka pizza handles) sure were - but it's not the same!

So I hope this overly lengthy post helps you and doesn't make the idea of using a cast-iron ANYTHING seem too scary or too time consuming at all! Because it wasn't!

And my neighbour also suggested that I could make crepes on the stove top with this pan, a paella and who knows what else! I don't have to restrict myself to just pizza! But I think I will for now... :D

Enjoy your tasty adventures!
Dominique