Crispy Tomato Herb Cheese Pan Pizza

We love making home-made flatbreads around here and I love cooking in my cast iron skillet. Done and done! This skillet pizza is a fun and EASY way to enjoy your favorite pie using mostly pantry staples. My go-to dough is from scratch (My Bizzy Kitchen) but this was a store bought version and worked just fine.

Crispy Tomato Herb Cheese Pan Pizza

• 1 pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 cup shredded provolone cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 3 ounces pepperoni, sliced (optional)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan or asiago cheese

• 1. Position the oven rack in the upper 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450° F. for at least 30 minutes before baking. 
• 2. Place the ball of pizza dough in a lightly greased 10-11 inch cast iron or oven-safe skillet. Drizzle olive oil on top of the dough. Use your fingertips to push the dough out to almost the edge of the skillet. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours, if time allows.
• 3. In a small bowl, combine the basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, fennel, and red pepper flakes. Add the garlic. 
• 4. To assemble. Drizzle the dough lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle a spoonful of the herbs over the dough. Add a handful of cheese, then drizzle over the marinara sauce, don’t spread the sauce. Top with the remaining cheese, then pepperoni and a sprinkle of the herb mix, you don’t need all the herbs, use them to your taste. 
• 5. Bake on the upper rack for 10 minutes. Then rotate the pizza and bake another 10 minutes or until the crust is crispy on the edges. Top with additional parmesan.
• Adapted from: Half Baked Harvest