Pizza has always been an obsession. Over the years, we’ve chased the perfect crispy crust and smoky flavor through every method imaginable, from hand-built clay ovens to high-tech electric pizza machines. Each has its magic, but we’ve also discovered a way to make incredible pizza at home in a standard kitchen oven with nothing fancier than a cast iron skillet.
Our Clay Pizza Oven: A 17-Year Labor of Love
During a Lithuanian Summer in 2008, we had a craving, not just for pizza, but for something more elemental. We had made pizzas before of course, but we wanted something different. That’s when we decided to build a clay oven.
We were inspired by the old ways of how people once baked their bread and roasted meals in simple earthen domes, long before stainless steel and factory kilns. Back then in Lithuania, clay was easy to find. There were still places where you could dig it up straight from the ground, just like people used to. We didn’t need much more than that, plus a lot of enthusiasm.
The Family Mud Dance
Mixing the clay was memorable work! We didn’t use any machines. Instead the whole family helped, barefoot and laughing. We laid out the ingredients on tarps; buckets of clay, water, straw. Then stomped it like some kind of ancient bread-making ritual. It was slippery, sticky, and a little ridiculous, but it brought us together in a way no modern appliance ever could.
Building the Oven
The oven was built in three layers, each with its own purpose and recipe. The inner baking shell was almost pure clay; dense, smooth, and perfect for retaining heat. The middle layer was a mix of clay and chopped hay, acting as natural insulation to help the oven stay hot longer. And the outer shell, a blend of clay and sand, gave it strength and protection against the elements.
The result was a beautiful dome-shaped oven. There’s no chimney on our oven. That’s by design. Traditional ovens like this don’t need one. The fire builds heat inside the dome. Once the flames heat the clay until it glows white hot, the embers are moved aside, and in goes the pizza. The smoke drifts out through the front. Simple, primal, and effective.
Still Standing
Seventeen years later, it’s still standing, still baking, still carrying the memories of that messy, joyful construction, and still cooking fabulous pizzas.
The Modern Experiment: Fast Ovens vs. Slow Fire
We’ve tried the high-tech options too, such as the TurboChef FIRE, a compact electrical beast that cooks a pizza in minutes with zero smoke. It’s impressive, efficient, and undeniably convenient. But it doesn’t quite capture what our clay oven gives us: that deep, radiating heat, the faint whisper of woodsmoke in the crust, and the satisfaction of knowing the pizza came out of something we built ourselves.
We nicknamed our TurboChef oven “Bender” because it looked just like the shiny, sarcastic robot from Futurama. Fast, flashy, and always ready to cook… but unlike the real Bender, this one didn’t drink or gamble (as far as we know). Still, our clay oven beat him every time on flavor!
The Best of Both Worlds: Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
Not everyone has a clay oven (or wants to stomp in the mud for one). That’s why we perfected a method for baking pizza in a regular home oven using a cast iron skillet. It’s not quite the same as our earthen dome, but it gets surprisingly close, with a crispy base bottom, bubbly cheese, and all.
Below, we share the full recipe and technique. Whether you’re a fan of tradition, modern convenience, or just great pizza, here is an easy at-home recipe and method for you.
Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
- 25 oz room-temperature water
(Recommended: Evian, Arrowhead, Fiji, or well water if available) - 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 45 oz bread flour (Preferably organic or King Arthur Bread Flour)
- 1 cup honey (liquid form; if crystallized, warm it gently until liquefied)
- ⅓ cup olive oil (we recommend 100% California Olive Ranch)
- 4 teaspoons salt
Equipment:
Use a food-grade plastic bucket for mixing and proofing the dough. Grocery store bakeries often sell empty containers that previously held jams, jellies, or fillings. These are affordable and practical for dough preparation.
Instructions:
Step 1: Activate the Yeast and Combine Liquids
In a large container or plastic bucket, combine:
- 25 oz room-temperature water
- 1 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Stir well to dissolve the yeast and honey. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes so the yeast can activate.
Step 2: Prepare the Dough
Gradually add the flour, about one cup at a time, into the yeast mixture. Mix slowly and steadily. If using an electric mixer, keep the speed on low while adding the flour.
Add the salt halfway through adding the flour to ensure even mixing and proper yeast activity.
Step 3: First Rise
Once the dough is fully mixed, keep it in the plastic bucket.
Cover the dough with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out.
Let it rise at room temperature for 2–3 hours, or until it has doubled or tripled in size.
Step 4: Punch Down & Second Rise
After the first rise, gently punch down the dough and knead it briefly by hand right in the bucket.
Cover again and let it rise for another 2–3 hours.
Step 5: Punch Down Again, Divide & Form Dough Balls
Once the second rise is complete, punch down the dough again to release any air pockets.
Divide the dough into 10-ounce portions.
Gently form each portion into a smooth ball by folding the edges underneath and rolling lightly between your hands or on the counter.
Place the dough balls on a lightly oiled baking sheet, making sure to leave enough space between each ball to allow for expansion.
Spray the tops of the dough balls lightly with olive oil.
Cover the tray with plastic wrap.
Step 6: Cold Fermentation
Place the covered tray in the refrigerator overnight.
Cold fermentation improves the dough’s flavor and texture.
Step 7: Prepare for Baking
Remove the dough balls from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before baking, just enough to warm them slightly.
As you stretch the dough by hand, your hands will bring the dough to the perfect temperature for shaping. Rolling pins are optional but not required.
Once stretched, top and bake the pizzas as desired.
Equipment Needed to bake at home:
- Cast iron skillet (heavy-duty, oven-safe)
- Wooden pizza board or wooden cutting board for preparing the pizza
- Pizza peel (for transferring the pizza into the skillet)
- Cornmeal (or flour) for dusting the board
- Oven mitts (the skillet will be extremely hot)
Instructions:
Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Skillet
- Place a cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 500°F.
- Allow both the oven and skillet to heat fully before baking.
Step 2: Prepare the Pizza
- Stretch the dough to the desired size, keeping it thin and even.
- Place the stretched dough onto the edge of a wooden pizza board or a wooden cutting board that has been lightly dusted with cornmeal (or flour).
- Prepare the entire pizza on the board. This keeps the dough stable during topping and makes transfer easier later.
Step 3: Add Toppings
For a Margherita pizza, follow this process:
- Brush the dough lightly with olive oil
- Sprinkle with oregano and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Add sliced heirloom tomatoes evenly across the dough.
- Place pieces of fresh mozzarella on top of each tomato slice.
Step 4: Transfer to Skillet and Bake Under Broil
- Once the oven reaches 500°F, turn the oven off and remove the hot cast iron skillet.
- Place the skillet on top of the stove or a heat-safe surface for easier handling.
- Use a pizza peel to carefully slide the prepared pizza from the wooden board into the hot skillet.
- Be sure to wear oven mitts as the skillet will be extremely hot.
- Turn the oven’s broiler on (this provides heat from above).
- Place the skillet with the pizza back into the oven under the broil setting.
- Bake for 2–4 minutes, or until:
- The cheese is melted and bubbling
- The crust is golden and slightly charred at the edges
- The bottom of the crust is crisp and well-cooked
- Watch the pizza carefully, it cooks very quickly under the broiler.
Step 5: Finish and Serve
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven using oven mitts.
- Transfer the pizza to a cutting board.
- Immediately add fresh basil leaves and black pepper on top of the hot pizza.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze, preferably Balsamic Vinegar of Modena glaze.
- Slice, serve and enjoy!