Lodge BOLD 14 Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Pizza Pan, Design-Forward Cookware

A cast iron pizza pan can be used to make pizzeria quality pizza. After comparing a lot of different pans I think this Lodge is the best choice. It comes with a great ready-to-use surface and the handles make it manageable (it is fairly big and heavy). I bought two of these (family of three) and am very happy with them. I use them for making pizza and roasting vegetables. They work well in the oven or on the grill and clean up easily.For pizza dough, depending on time and convenience I either make my own or pick up raw dough at a local pizzeria. Search youtube for examples on making dough. It's fun/rewarding and only takes 25 minutes but you have to be able to start about 2 1/2 hours before you are ready to cook. I use 1 1/2 cups warm (105 degree) water + 1 tsp sugar + 1 package instant active dry yeast (mix gently and let sit for 7-10 minutes), then add 3 3/4 cups flour + 2 tsp kosher salt + 2 T olive oil, mix well then pour onto a counter and knead for 8 - 10 minutes (adding another 1/4 C flour, 1 T at a time, if necessary if it starts to get sticky) then separate into two halves and let rise 2 hrs. This makes two pizzas which feeds three with lots of left-overs. When it is ready I stretch and shape it on a well-floured granite countertop then put it in a room-temp pan. Then I spread on sauce, cheese and sliced mushrooms then pop it into a pre-heated oven (a little higher than the middle rack) at 435 degrees F for 16 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. (A lower rack or pre-heated pan will make the crust crunchier if that's your thing). Five minutes before the first comes out of the oven I prepare the second so I can pop it in when the first comes out. Let it rest for 3-5 minutes when it comes out of the oven then slide it onto a wood cutting board to cut and serve from.If you like this pan I recommend you also pick up a Lodge 10 1/2" griddle (or two) and Lodge 12 1/2" and 10 1/2" skillets. That combination covers a lot of cooking uses, is very affordable, is high quality, and will last generations. The griddles work well for pancakes, chicken tortillas (corn), quesadillas (wheat), and roasting vegetables, and the skillets for searing and baking steaks, frying bacon, scallops, baking corn bread, etc.FWIW, I've gotten ride of all my teflon-type non-stick pans over the past 8 years. Once you get used to cooking on cast iron, and learn that this cookware really is also non-stick but it also lasts forever, you'll never look back. As long as you don't subject iron to thermal shock (e.g. by putting cold water into a hot pan), which may cause it to crack, or put a cold pan on a stove burner turned on high (quick and un-even temperature changes may warp the pan, but as long as you pre-heat the pan (medium heat for 2-3 minutes) that will not happen. You also have a little to learn about maintaining iron prevent it from rusting and to promote the non-stick surface development, but that simply involves following a few rules (pre-heat the pan before using it, cook with a little fat - butter, oil, etc.), and wash with warm water and a sponge, that is certainly worth it because your pans get better and better to use over the years as the seasoning matures.New to cast iron? Go to the Lodge website and read about how to care for and use it. 15 minutes invested there will make you an expert. Or ask your grandmother - her generation knew and appreciated quality and durability. The throw-away and replace society we all participate in today (e.g. modern non-stick surfaces) is wasteful and can be carcinogenic.PS - don't let my cast iron fanaticism above review scare you away from this pizza pan. The pizza pan is the easiest one to take care of because dough has a little oil in it so it helps season the pan. To take care of the pizza pan all you need to do is rinse with water (no soap because that eats away at the oils which help maintain the pan) when the pan is still warm, scrubbing with a sponge if needed, then dry it with a dish towel or if it's warm and will dry quickly just do that. Spread a very thin layer of olive or other oil on it (to and bottom) if it looks dry when you take it out to use again.

We love LOVE this pizza pan! At first I was skeptical about buying a cast iron pizza pan vs. traditional pizza stone, but the reviews sold me on trying it, and I'm incredibly pleased with this product! We've been making homemade pizzas at least 2 times a week since we got our Lodge Pro Cast-Iron pan.(had it for about a month). I have had 2 pizza stones before, and the pizzas I made with those were perfectly fine... but the pizzas we've made on this cast-iron pan have been extraordinary! My last [traditional] pizza stone split in half & broke because a roommate forgot to temper it, but I expect this cast-iron pan to last years!Pros:1) Makes the best pizzas with solid base crusts to hold toppings well (we made thin and thicker crust- no soggy, drooping middles, as long as the toppings are proportionate to crust thickness)2) Pan gets really hot and retains its heat, even if you mess up placing the dough on it and spend minutes with the oven door open trying to re-arrange it. Instructions say to heat it up for 45mins in oven before using, but I have had great results with only 20 mins.3) Fairly large- not pizzaria large, but perfect for average home appliance oven.4) SOLID material! I researched cast-iron and, with proper care, cast iron is known to last years/decades... vs my previous pizza stones, which were very unforgiving and broke after about a year with basic handling. Basically, this pan is almost klutz-proof*5) Versatile - can be used on top of stove as a griddle!6) Easy to clean. The instructions basically say NOT to wash it (yay!), just brush it off & a little water rinse... which is the same with regular pizza stones, yes, BUT you don't see any oily or grungy spots on this thing, which is awesome.Cons:Hmm... no major ones really, so far. I would have preferred this pan come in large rectangular shape (to fit perfectly over 2 range tops as a griddle, or so I could fit other things in the oven with/on top of it), but I haven't noticed any inconveniences. Also, it's pretty heavy, but so are pizza stones.Tip - I'd recommend a pizza peel, almost as large as the stone itself, since it does get so hot. I got one with this pan (Epicuren 10-inch) and, having never used one before, had difficulty sliding the dough onto the pan the first time. Pizza still turned out great, but it was a pretty interesting shape after re-arranging it (this is why it's great this pan retains so much heat!). After the first pizza, though, using the peel was super-easy because I read reviews saying to put plenty of flour or corn meal on it :P*This pan did break when it was first delivered to me. One of the handles broke off because my UPS guy threw it over my 6-ft tall gate and it landed on my cement patio =/ The rest of the pan was still intact though, which says a lot. I returned it the same day, and Amazon got another one back to me within 2 days... no sweat. Pretty awesome service.

Lodge's BOLD cast iron items is their best designed line. The handles are easy to grip and the thought that went into design of all the BOLD items (Pizza Pan, skillets, griddles, Dutch ovens, etc) are great. This pan can not only serve to brown the crust of pizzas but should live in you oven to stabilize the heat with its mass for baking bread and pies and for roasting meat and fowl. It can also double as a griddle for outdoor cooking.