I use a cast iron skillet occasionally for a Pizza Hut-style pan pizza (much better than PH, of course). It works really well to get that oily fried bottom that a good pan pizza has.
Currently, I use a heavy-duty pizza stone (California Pizza Stones), which does a fantastic job. I'd imagine a cast iron pizza pan would work much as a pizza steel works, so it should be fine. I'd most likely use it as a steel/stone and leave it in the oven, heat it with the oven, then toss my pizza on it, as opposed to putting my pizza on it first, then putting it in the oven from room temp.
Currently, I use a heavy-duty pizza stone (California Pizza Stones), which does a fantastic job. I'd imagine a cast iron pizza pan would work much as a pizza steel works, so it should be fine. I'd most likely use it as a steel/stone and leave it in the oven, heat it with the oven, then toss my pizza on it, as opposed to putting my pizza on it first, then putting it in the oven from room temp.
Might depend how often you make pizza or whether it will have other uses, as Lodge is expensive. It will certainly work for a crispy bottom crust if heated in the oven beforehand as TastyReuben says. If you don't do that I doubt it will make much of a difference from ceramic.
medtran49
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When I made the cast iron pizza, the directions said to preheat it really hot, like 425, 450, for half an hour or so before. Obviously, you have to be extremely careful putting the dough and toppings in, and remember to leave a towel wrapped around the pan handle!
Yeah, if you're going to leave it in the oven, you'll want to invest in a pizza peel. After years of occasionally having issues with pizzas sticking to the peel, now I shape the dough on parchment paper, launch it onto the stone, let it firm up a couple of minutes, then reach in and pull the paper back out, then finish the pizza directly on the stone. I imagine that would work fine with the Lodge pan.
Not having seen it, does the pan have an edge or a lip on it? That might get in the way. You might just want to invest in a pizza steel.
Not having seen it, does the pan have an edge or a lip on it? That might get in the way. You might just want to invest in a pizza steel.