How to Make Waffle Iron Pizza
Waffle iron recipes are always fun — but our new favorite waffle iron hack has to be pizza! Here you’ll find our step-by-step pizza instructions for waffled pizza that’s ready in a snap.
We love homemade pizza! Crisp, fresh, and chewy, making pizza at home makes you feel like an accomplished cook without a lot of hassle. It’s the one food most families can agree on, plus everyone gets to choose exactly what toppings they like best and what to leave off. We wouldn’t blame you for making pizza night a weekly occurrence!
The only problem is, sometimes it can take a little longer than we’d like to go from ball of dough to dinner on the table. And let’s be honest, in the heat of summer, who wants to turn on the oven and heat up a pizza stone?!
That’s where waffle iron pizzas come in. They’re individually sized, ready in 10 minutes (yes, really!), and don’t heat up the house. And they couldn’t be easier to make! Here’s what you do:
1. Divide the Dough
Cut your dough into 4 to 5 portions with a knife — or just cut off a chunk to make a single pizza. For dough that’s been in the fridge, we like to pull the dough out about half an hour before cooking, to allow it time to come to room temperature. This will make it easier to stretch without tearing and will give you a slightly lighter result. (Put it back in its container or keep it covered with lightly oiled plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.)
Don’t have time to wait? Don’t worry about it; just use the dough cold from the fridge!
Either homemade or store-bought dough works great for these pizzas, and will last several days in your fridge. In fact, the longer the dough stays in your fridge, the more flavor it will develop! Beyond about five days, however, the yeast will no longer be able to give your dough the nice puffiness in the crust that pizza lovers crave.
If you want to make your own dough, scroll down for our favorite pizza dough recipe.
2. Prep Toppings
Let your waffle iron heat up while you gather any toppings you plan to use. Typically this includes:
Sauce
You can use any pizza sauce, marinara, or other tomato-based pasta sauce — or any other sauce you like, really (think pesto, hummus, alfredo sauce, or just a drizzle of olive oil) — for your waffle iron pizza. Because the crust is cooked on both sides before adding the toppings, these pizzas can withstand a bit more liquid in the sauce than you’d use for a pizza that bakes with sauce already on top.
Vegetables
Use any leftover veggies, quick-cooking veggies such as spinach, or veggies that don’t need to be cooked, such as slices of tomato, bell pepper, or mushroom. You can also use jarred or canned veggies such as olives, marinated peppers, or artichoke hearts.
Meat (optional)
Use leftover cooked chicken breast, sausage, or ground beef. Or opt for more traditional cured meats, such as pepperoni or prosciutto.
Cheese
Use mozzarella (fresh or low-moisture), provolone, goat cheese, ricotta, parmesan, and / or pretty much any other type you enjoy!
3. Stretch & Cook Dough
Using your fingertips, push the dough into a rough circle about the size of your waffle iron. Try not to deflate it more than necessary in this process. It should be fairly thin, but not so thin it tears.
Once the waffle iron is hot, mist both sides of the iron with spray oil, then set the pizza dough on the bottom iron. Carefully and quickly reposition the dough if necessary, but it doesn’t have to be perfect!
Close the waffle iron and let the dough cook. Depending on your waffle iron’s heat, this should take about 3 to 5 minutes, or about the same amount of time a waffle takes to cook on your machine. Once it’s cooked to your preferred crispness, carefully remove it from the waffle iron onto a plate.
4. Add Pizza Toppings
Spread sauce onto your pizza, followed by your veggies, meats, and cheeses of choice. The sauce will naturally settle into the grooves, creating a nearly level surface for the toppings. Don’t overload your pizza! Less is more.
5. Broil Pizza
Pop your waffle iron pizza into the toaster oven on the broil setting to melt the cheese and warm the other toppings. This should take anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes; keep an eye on the pizza so that it doesn’t burn.
No toaster oven? You can use the broil setting on your oven or simply put the pizza back on the waffle iron for a few minutes, holding the top iron in place so that it hovers over the top of your pizza and warms your toppings. Be careful not to touch your iron to the cheese or you’ll end up with a mess!
And that’s it! Cut your pizza into quarters and enjoy.
Prepping Smarts
- Pizza dough may seem intimidating, but it’s actually very easy to work with! We show you how in this quick video tutorial:
How to Work Your Pizza Dough
Get our tips for making pizza dough pliable and ready to be to stretched out for all your good toppings!
Equipment Smarts
- A waffle iron is, of course, essential to making waffle pizza! It’s perfect for crafting individual pizzas.
- You don’t have to have a toaster oven for these personal size pizzas, but we do recommend it. A toaster oven will allow you to do a quick broil without having to heat up your oven.
- If you’re making your pizza dough from scratch, a stand mixer or bread machine with a dough setting will take all the hard work out of kneading your dough.
For more kitchen and equipment and tool smarts, visit our Essential Kitchen Cookware and Tools
Ingredients
- Bread flour - 10 oz (about 2 ¼ cups)
- Whole wheat flour - 2 oz (a scant ⅓ of a cup)
- Water - 7 oz (1 cup minus 2 Tbsp)
- Salt - ¾ tsp
- Olive oil - 1 tsp
- Instant dry yeast - 1½ tsp
Instructions
Prep
- If you’re using a stand mixer, mix all the ingredients together with the paddle attachment for about two minutes. Then switch to the dough hook and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, or around seven minutes. It should (almost) pass the “windowpane test” when it’s done, which means that if you pinch off a golf ball–sized piece of dough, flatten it slightly, and stretch it out between your fingers and thumbs, it should stretch into a very thin membrane. If you could nearly read a newspaper through your dough, the gluten (protein) in the flour has been properly developed and you’re good to go! If it tears, keep kneading. Note, however, that dough containing whole wheat flour, as this one does, won’t stretch quite as thin as all-white-flour dough. The dough will be fairly soft, but you can add a little more flour if it’s still sticky after kneading.
- If you’re using a bread machine, put the ingredients in the machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer, and start the bread cycle.
Make
- Making the pizza on the same day: If you want to use your dough the day you make it, let the bread machine complete the dough cycle. Or starting with a stand mixer, let the dough rise, covered with a kitchen towel, lightly greased plastic wrap, or (unused!) shower cap until double in bulk, around 1 to 1½ hours. When it’s risen or when the dough cycle is complete, proceed to Waffle Iron Pizza step 1 above.
- Making the pizza later: If you can wait a couple days for your pizza, your results will markedly improve from giving your dough some time in the fridge. Form it into a ball as soon as it passes the windowpane test (if you’re using a bread machine, this will mean you’ll stop the cycle once kneading is complete and before the rise), oil the dough ball lightly with canola or avocado oil, and put it into a round plastic bowl, leftover container, or gallon ziploc bag. There should be enough room for the dough to expand up to four times its size, just in case. Cover or seal tightly and put in the fridge for 2 to 3 days before using.
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