July 28, 2025 Marge Perry & David Bonom

Stovetop Skillet Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella and Basil

Forget the pizza oven—you can make this from-scratch skillet pizza right on the stove, and all in one pan (with responsive heat and durability, Carbon Steel is made for this!) The key to the crisp, perfect-chew crust is flipping it once before you add your fresh mozzarella and toppings. Get ready for a meal that sizzles.

Yield:

2 pizzas (4-6 Servings)

Skip the oven—this from-scratch skillet pizza cooks start to finish right on the stovetop. Just one pan, no pizza stone required. The secret to that crisp, golden crust? A clever flip before the toppings go on.

Ingredients

Dough

2/3 cup warm water , 100°F-110°F

1 packet (25 ounces) active dry yeast

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Toppings

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces fresh mozzarella, shredded

12-16 fresh basil leaves

Directions

For the dough, combine the water, yeast, oil and sugar in a small bowl and let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour and stir until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down and divide in half.
While the dough rises, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-Inch N₂ Carbon Steel Frying Pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and dried basil; cook 30 seconds. Stir in the bell pepper and salt and cook until tender, 3-4 minutes; remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Wipe out the skillet.
On a floured surface, roll out one half of the dough into a circle that is about 11-inches in diameter. Repeat with the second half of the dough, making sure that the counter is well floured so that it doesn’t stick. Heat 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil in the skillet over medium-high. Transfer one dough circle to the skillet and cook until bubbles begin to form on the surface and the underside begins to brown in spots, about 1–1½ minutes.
Flip the crust over and immediately top with half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the onion mixture. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the cheese melts and the bottom of the pizza is golden brown, 4-5 minutes longer.
Transfer to a cutting board, top with basil, and let cool slightly before slicing. Repeat with remaining oil, dough and toppings.