The September Issue of Cooking Light has a super yummy looking pizza on the front. The pizza shown was a Deep Dish Mushroom and Onion Pizza but the photo made me think of pan pizzas I used to love as a kid. So I decided to try to make my own in my cast iron pan but give it a more “grown up” twist by making a Margherita Pan Pizza.
The result was a nice thick and chewy crust with the perfect amount of tangy tomato sauce, creamy melted mozzarella, and fresh basil! The dough is so simple to make but it does need to rise overnight so prepare ahead. 
Ingredients: For the dough:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh active yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the tomato sauce:
- 1 15 oz can tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Toppings:
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped or julienned