Sheet Pan Pizza

With a stretchy barrier of cheese supporting dollops of tangy tomato sauce, this sheet pan pizza sports a fluffy yet crispy crust. Reminiscent of Sicilian pizza, this slightly thinner New York staple is one of the easiest pizza recipes to make at home because it does not require a pizza oven, pizza stone, or any other special tools! This hearty rectangular pizza will become one of your favorite family meal ideas. Serve with a fresh salad, sautéed vegetables, or some ranch dressing for dipping! 

What is grandma pizza?

Sometimes called sheet pan pizza, the name "grandma pizza" comes from a place of respect for the rustic pizzas made by Italian immigrants working with the ingredients and equipment they had in their home kitchens. Inspired by Ligurian focaccia, the barely kneaded, bubbly dough is patted into an oiled sheet pan. Small indentations made by fingers (perfect time to bring in the kids!) create opportunity for little pockets of cheese and pools of sauce to embed into the crust. A layer of shredded cheese protects the crust getting soggy from the sauce dotted on top. A final layer of delicious pepperoni and a sprinkle of cheese and this sheet pan pizza is ready to be baked.

What kind of pepperoni goes on sheet pan pizza?
 
With melty cheese and crispy pepperoni curled at the edges into perfect cups, there is hardly a more beautiful sight than a steaming pepperoni pizza. This recipe calls for a stick of natural casing pepperoni sliced into 1/4-inch rounds. Unlike pre-cut pepperoni, buying a whole stick is even more bang for your buck. The natural casing not only protects the meat, it also causes the pepperoni to curl up at high heat. There is no need to peel the casing off of the pepperoni before slicing it. Try to get it as close to 1/4-inch slices as possible, any thicker and the pepperoni might not curl as nicely and any thinner and they might burn.

Do you need a stand mixer to make sheet pan pizza dough?

This recipe is written with the humble beginnings of traditional grandma pizza in mind. Mixing dough by hand is easier than you might think and is a great way to get familiar with it. The yeast feeds on the sugar in the dough, which speeds up the fermentation process. This dough will form a beautiful network of glutenous bubbles without the need to knead! If you're in a pinch, 1 1/2 pounds of store-bought pizza dough from the deli section will work for this recipe. Starting from step 3,  pat the dough into the oiled pan and allow it to rise until puffy. This will take one hour to one hour and 30 minutes.